Lock re-key or replace
In this article, we are going to explain what is the difference between rekeying a lock vs replacing it. This is one of the most popular locksmith services, and some people may think that this is an old school and locks are cheap, and you can buy a new lock anywhere, not like a long time ago, but this is not really true.
People still call us for that type of service, and yes it is one of our favorites because we love to bring back to life some old antique lock, with a lost key, or even rekeying a house for a new homeowner, who wants to replace the locks but can’t afford new locks after making the biggest investment in their life.
That is where the rekey service gets so efficient and is preferable for most clients on the market.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A LOCK REKEY
Re-key is the process of making a new key to the old lock, by changing the key combination and re-pinning the lock. This is a standard procedure, for example when a manager gets terminated usually we come out and rekey every single lock on the store. Or when the tenants moved out, we change the key and give it to the new tenants.
Most of the time this service is been used when you need to have one key for all the locks, instead of different keys for every single lock. At Cobra Locksmith we can make all the locks on your home key alike, by rekeying them all and providing only one key that opens all doors. This is very convenient for our customers.
But this service also can be used if the lock is not working properly, or the key that you have is worn out so much, that can not turn the lock anymore. In a situation when the key goes in the cylinder, but can not turn it, that means have to do something either with the key cuts (maybe a bad key), or some of the pins in the lock are stuck. Easily that can be fixed by rekeying the lock cylinder, and a new key by code is made.
BENEFITS OF REKEYING A LOCK
This will also help you make a decision, should you rekey the old locks vs replacing
- rekey is much cheaper than purchasing new locks
- a lock can be rekeyed as many times as you need new and old locks can be made on the same key
- security by making a unique key combination
- solving issues with re-pinning the cylinder
These are just some of the advantages that this locksmith service provides.
HOME REKEY
Our most popular service for residential is when customers call us to change the locks. Usually, a regular house has at least 3 doors and 2 locks on every door. This is not really cheap if you want to replace all 6 locks and install some decent hardware.
We always offer them to rekey the locks instead, just because is cost-effective and we want to save some money for our customers as well. Of course, if the hardware they have is too old, rusty and falling apart, it is the best option to install a brand new once. Keypad locks can be also rekeyed and this will save you a lot of money. If you have lost your key or it is been stolen, it is necessary to rekey or replace the locks on your home.
Perhaps, you may be interested in our article about home security in Texas cities and towns.
COMMERCIAL REKEY SERVICE
We receive calls from many of our commercial accounts, sometimes manager or a key holder have been terminated, and that’s where Cobra Locksmith have to step in and do what we do best. Business lock replace could be very expensive, not just because of the many locks a business could have, but because of the wide variety of hardware. Some locks can be very expensive, and most of the businesses have high lever security locks.
The best solution for that of course would be to re-key the locks and a new key to be provided. Many office buildings have their doors on a master key system, which makes it even more complicated and expensive than you would think.
A small mistake like a lost or stolen key for a school building or even a bank can be very dangerous, you never know have access to the misplaced key. So this one fall into our emergency services, we have to act instantly and rekey the building right away, so no-one else would have access. That’s where the importance of the rekey service comes so handy and useful.
ENDING NOTES
This locksmith service is still very popular, and budget-friendly if you are looking to get a new key for your home or business, this would be the best option. Locks can be re-key as many times you need. Not every locksmith offer this type of service, some technicians just replace the locks with new hardware and make a bigger profit, but that is a different story which we will make a different article for that.