Change or rekey · Silverthorne
Lock Rekeying in Silverthorne
The previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not. The house is yours now, but you have no idea how many copies were cut over the years or who still has one in a drawer somewhere.
Lock Rekeying
In plain words
For landlords and tenants, rekeying is the tidy way to handle a change of occupancy. A departing tenant may have copied a key or simply forgotten to return one, and a fresh pinning means the incoming tenant is the only person holding a working key. Tenancy rules in this province expect a landlord who changes locks to give the tenant a replacement key and a tenant to have the landlord's consent before changing them, so a locksmith asks who is requesting the work and makes sure both sides end up with a key. A small record of the doors and key count keeps everyone clear.
How the visit goesThe previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not. The house is yours now, but you have no idea how many copies were cut over the years or who still has one in a drawer somewhere.
Silverthorne
How the visit goes
Who is entitled to change the locks
Rekeying decides who can enter a home, so the first check is about the person asking. A homeowner shows photo identification and something tying them to the property, such as a tax bill, a closing document or a utility statement. A property manager brings authorization from the owner. A tenant is asked whether the landlord has agreed to the change and will receive a copy of the new key, because tenancy rules here expect both sides to hold one. Where a unit is in a condominium, the locksmith asks whether the building has a rule about suite-door locks. None of this is an obstacle; it is the part of the job that protects the home being worked on.
Proving the old keys are finished
The last operation at every door is the test that matters most. The locksmith turns the new key from outside and inside with the door open, then closed, and confirms the bolt throws fully and draws back cleanly. Then the old key is tried in the same cylinder and must turn nothing. This is repeated at every rekeyed door, because the door that gets skipped is the one an old key still opens. Spares cut from the new pinning are tried in every lock they are meant for. The old keys, now just shaped brass, are collected or handed back to you for the recycling bin.
A written note of what was done
A short record closes the job: which doors were rekeyed, whether any cylinder was replaced, how many keys were issued and to whom, and any door that was deliberately kept on its own key. For a homeowner it is a line in the house file that answers the question, years from now, of which key opens what. For a landlord it is the handover to give the incoming tenant and to keep for the next turnover. For a property manager it is the start of a proper keying chart. It also makes any later work simpler, since the next locksmith can see what system the house is on.
Lock Rekeying
In the van
- Cylinder shim
- Key blanks
- Plug follower
- Dry graphite or PTFE lubricant
- Code cutter or key duplicator
What affects the quote
Same fees day, night or weekend
1Restricted or high-security cylinders
Patented keyways use controlled blanks and pins that cost more than standard ones, and their keys are produced from a controlled record instead of being copied, so a system of that kind is quoted differently from builder-grade hardware.
2Records, tags and labelled key sets
A homeowner needs a short note. A property manager may want a keying chart, tagged sets for each suite and a key-issuance log, which is more office work and is quoted as such.
3Condition of the existing cylinders
A clean cylinder is repinned as it is. One with collapsed springs, a plug packed with old oil or a worn housing needs service or replacement while it is apart, and that shows separately.
Lock Rekeying: questions
How long does a rekeying visit take?
It scales with the number of cylinders and how many need attention beyond pinning. A single deadbolt is a short bench job; a whole house with five or six exterior cylinders, a couple of swaps for mismatched keyways and a set of spares to cut and test takes a good deal longer. Tell the locksmith how many doors you want included when you book, and the visit can be planned realistically rather than guessed at.
My keys were lost with something showing my address. Is rekeying enough?
Rekeying is exactly the right response, because it makes the lost key useless at every door that was pinned. The locksmith will walk the property with you to be sure nothing is missed, including the garage side door, a shed and any padlock the same key opened, and will suggest changing any garage keypad code that was written on the same ring. After that, whoever finds the keys is holding brass that opens nothing on your property.
Can the entry door of my condo suite be rekeyed?
Often, but check with your property management first. Condominium corporations have a right to enter a unit on reasonable notice, and without notice in an emergency, and many buildings ask that suite doors stay on a system the corporation can open or that a key be lodged with management. Lobby, garage and locker-room doors belong to the corporation and are theirs to manage. A locksmith will ask about your building's rule and work within it.
Change or Rekey Locks
- Lock Replacement & UpgradeThe lever on the side door droops toward the floor and rattles in your hand.
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceThe knob flops loose on its spindle and never springs back to level.
- Smart Lock InstallationArthritis has made the small house key hard to grip and turn, especially with gloves on in January.
Lock Rekeying near you
Here is the range of lock work we do for homes and businesses in Silverthorne: opening doors when the key is missing, rekeying and changing locks, fitting deadbolts and high-security cylinders, servicing commercial hardware, opening and resetting safes, and cutting keys, including the occasional vehicle key when a household needs one.