Why Re-Key Your Locks?
Re-Key Locks - now that's a term you may be interested if f you have had a burglary or “break in” in your neighborhood recently.
Should you change out all the locks in your home? There is a simpler and in, most cases, more cost effective way to make your home secure - re-keying.
The re-keying can be done by your local locksmith. As a plus, they can cut the new keys right in front of you. That way you can be assured that there are no copies floating around.
We’ll talk more about re-keying in a moment, but first…
Lets be honest. If someone wants to break into your house bad enough, locks will not keep them out! They can go in through a window, etc.
Locks serve as a deterrent.
The stronger the deterrent the more likely the burglar will find an easier house to break into. Cheap (easily defeated locks) or improperly installed locks are not much of a deterrent at all.
The common burglar is looking for the easy money and for locks that don’t take them a long time to pick.
So, even though, in theory, locks can’t keep people out of your house, from a practical standpoint we see that most burglaries are prevented by good locks.
Your local locksmith can help you determine if it is more cost effective to replace your locks or to re-key them. I’ll talk more on this topic later.
And, consider this point. A lock is only effective if only people you trust have a copy of the key!
Consider this: By not changing your locks you are giving an open invitation to all who have had previous access to your home…
When Should You Re-Key Your Locks?
- Of Course, If you lose your keys or feel they have fallen into the wrong hands.
- If You Don't Know Your House's Security History
- You Are Moving Into A New Home
- You Are Moving Into A Pre-Owned Home
- You Have Just Had A Legal Separation Or Divorce
- You Have Just Taken Out A Restraining Order On A Person
- You Are A Landlord And Have New Tenants
- Your Business Changes Hands
- You Have Just Laid-Off A Disgruntled Employee
Let’s discuss these a little to see why it is so important to be pro-active at these critical times for our safety and the safety or our families.
If you don’t know the house’s history.
This one doesn’t need much explanation. If you don’t know with certainty that there are no keys to your home floating around out there you ned to get your home re-keyed ASAP! Better safe than sorry. Enough said!
When you buy a new home.
It is very important to rekey your new home.
This catches many people by surprise. They assume that they are the only ones to have access to the new house with the new keys. Just think of all the contractors (dozens) that have had access to your new home, the real estate agent, etc.
Here’s a tip: Don’t just re-key your doors. You should also changes the garage door opener codes. New garage door openers have a factory default code set in them. Has yours been changed?
Some new homes have very high end door locking hardware that can't be re-keyed by the layman. The services of a locksmith are required in this instance.
It is better to be safe, and have all your new door locks re-keyed. Find a local reputable locksmith - Like Michael’s Keys if you live in the Dallas / Fort Worth area - to do the job quickly and professionally.
When you purchase a pre-owned home.
Sure, keys get returned when houses are sold, but, how do you know you got them all turned in? Just think of all the possible hands that could have had keys to the home in the past.
Re-keying is the best solution since you never know who else still has a key. It could be a neighbor, the former owner’s friend, their relative or even an “ex” of the seller still may be in possession of a key. You just never know.
Re-Keying is your quickest way to secure your house.
Also, don't forget to change the padlock on the backyard gate. If someone gets access to your backyard they can come in through the patio doors.
If you have a pool, just remember that the former occupants may have employed a pool cleaning company and they will have access to your padlocked gate.
If you are legally separated or divorced.
This should be your first order of business, if you are separated or divorced. In many cases, your former partner will feel that they are equally free to enter your home. This can cause a lot of insecurity, fear, and frustration.
When things turn up missing you feel violated, so give yourself some peace of mind by re-keying your home as soon as possible.
This kind of thing happens all the time. Prevent it by calling your locksmith today.
If you have a restraining order taken out on someone.
If you are trying to evade a stalking situation or an abusive one, please get your doors re-keyed. If you have co-habited with this person you should fix the locks immediately.
If you are not sure if this person or a friend of this person could have access to your home using a house key, you should strongly consider getting the locks re-keyed. Better safe than sorry.
If you have rental property or are a landlord.
Every time occupancy changes, the locks should be rekeyed. This is not only a safety issue but a liability issue as well.
If you rent or lease a new apartment or house.
Make sure that the landlord has re-keyed the locks. In fact, you should insist on this before you sign any papers. Then get some proof that the re-key was done.
If you buy a “brick and mortar” storefront.
Be sure that you get the locks changed before you start business. You don’t want to deal with missing inventory, especially in the beginning phases of your business.
If you have employees.
There will be times when employees are unhappy when they leave the company. Not every disgruntled ex employee will try to do your business harm, by why take the chance. It is just good business to change the locks - or re-key them.
How is Re-Keying done?
The lock may be altered by a locksmith so that only new keys will work. Rekeying is the relatively simple process of changing the tumbler or wafer configuration of the lock so a new key will function while the old one will not. Rekeying is done without replacement of the entire lock.
"The lock may be altered by a locksmith so that only new keys will work. Rekeying is the relatively simple process of changing the tumbler or wafer configuration of the lock so a new key will function while the old one will not. Rekeying is done without replacement of the entire lock."
You can remove the locks from the door and take them to the locksmith, and most will re-key them while you wait.
An easier way is to have the locksmith come out and re-key the locks at you home. This is not only a real time saver, but it saves a lot of frustration too. Call for a free quote and decide which way you want to proceed.
DIY or Call a Locksmith?
If you are mechanically inclined and are handy around the house you may opt for changing out the locks yourself or even re-keying your locks yourself.
How you proceed will be dictated by your own budget and skill level. But, here are some things to consider.
- Having a locksmith re-key your locks is very inexpensive. (more on this later)
- Depending on your aptitude, changing you locks could take a couple of hours or even all day.
- Many DIY grade locks use cheap parts that are easily defeated.
- Locks bought at do-it-yourself type stores, have a few standardized bitings so that customers can purchase "sets" which are "keyed alike." The main problem with this is that there are literally millions of “lock-sets” which are "keyed alike”, on purpose, and you have no control about who may have a key just like yours.
- Most locks at your local hardware store are easily picked or bypassed and therefore are an easy “mark” for burglars.
- So called “SmartKey” systems like Kwickset can easily be defeated by using a flat screwdriver. Youtube is loaded with videos on how break these kinds of locks.
- The locks on your home are not a place to “cut corners”, so to speak. Get the job done right.
The Cost of Security.
So, what is the cost of getting your locks re-keyed. Of course the standard answer is that parts costs vary and you need to call for a quote. Well, that is true to a certain extent. But, a “ballpark figure” will be about $60 for the service call and about $15+ per door. Remember this is just a ballpark figure and is subject to change so call, give the locks type and number of locks and get a REAL Quote.
The cost is very small when compared to the value of your home and it’s contents - including your family.
Don’t compromise on quality of service. After all we usually get what we pay for, so don’t skimp by using bargain basement parts that there may be thousands of keys out there that can unlock.
Conclusion
Remember what your locks on your house are for. They are a deterrent. You want the average burglar to seek out an easier lock to pick down the street.
And, usually the burglar doesn’t pick the lock. They just recognize a cheap lock and know how to force entrance.
Good locks and key control should be the primary objective in keeping your house secure.
People who have copies of your keys might be tempted to use them if the right conditions present themselves. Don’t give them that option. Re-Key whenever any of the above listed conditions exist and you will be all right.
Use a professional locksmith to do the job right and you can sleep easy at night.
If you live in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex, call Michael’s Keys today to “get ‘er done” right.
Michael's Keys | 238 North Main Street | Keller, Texas 76248