Rekey locks Washington DC is a common option for homeowners who have moved into a new home, lost their keys, or fired their cleaning crew or house sitter. However, most people don’t know what the process involves or how much it costs.
To rekey a lock, you will need a rekeying kit, screwdriver, and pliers. First, remove the cylinder plug from its housing.
Cost
Rekeying is a cheaper alternative to replacing your locks. It involves altering the tumblers in a lock so that only your new key can open it. This allows you to eliminate the need for multiple keys and make your life a lot less jumbled. On average, locksmiths charge $65 to $180 for rekeying services. This price covers overhead, insurance, and travel costs.
Rekeys are typically performed after someone moves into a home, to keep others from getting access. You may also want to rekey your locks if you’ve lost or misplaced a key, or if you’ve fired a cleaner or a house sitter.
Many Kwikset residential products allow homeowners to rekey their own locks for free using the tools provided in the rekey kit. You can find instructions for rekeying SmartKey locks online. However, you should still contact a locksmith for help when changing older locks. This is because they might be more difficult to rekey.
Time
The rekeying process is usually much quicker than installing new locks, which requires the removal and installation of each door handle. This is mainly due to the fact that lock rekeying involves only changing the pins within the cylinder instead of replacing the entire lock assembly.
Rekeying is a good option when you want to retire an old key or want to match multiple locks for one key. A locksmith can also rekey the locks so that they can be opened with any standard key. This can save you from having to carry a hefty keychain around.
Rekeying is an important safety measure when moving into a new home. You never know who the previous owners gave spare keys to, such as dog walkers, house cleaners, or family members. It is also wise to rekey your locks after hiring contractors, groundskeepers or roommates. Rekeying is an inexpensive way to ensure the safety of your property.
Safety
Rekeying is a safe way to keep your home secure. It can eliminate the possibility of someone gaining access through an open door or picking locks. This is especially important when moving into a new home, where you do not know who the previous owners gave spare keys to or if they kept a backup key. It is also a good idea for landlords to rekey their properties between tenants.
Relocking a lock involves changing the pins inside a cylinder to make it work with a different key. The process is relatively simple, but it requires a lock rekeying kit, a screwdriver and pliers. First, the plug must be removed from the cylinder. Then the old pins must be pushed to the side and replaced with new ones of different lengths. The rekeying kit should include a chart to show the order of the pins.
It is also helpful to have a chamber pick and a plug follower to aid in the rekeying process. These tools are long, thin instruments that fit into a lock and have various end shapes to help push or pull pins up or down with minimal damage to the lock cylinder.
Availability
Rekeying is a fast and affordable locksmith solution. Our licensed and insured technicians can rekey most locks for a fraction of the cost of replacing them. In some cases, rekeying is not possible and a lock replacement is needed. For example, if your door locks are too old to be rekeyed or the internal pins are missing, it is more cost effective to replace them.
If you recently purchased a home or moved into a previous owner’s house, it’s important to change the locks. This will ensure that only the new owners have access to your home. It can also prevent you from getting locked out in the future.
Most home warranty companies offer rekeying services for a small fee. Rekeying means adjusting the tumblers of your existing lock so that it only opens with the new key. In addition to rekeying, our locksmiths can also install new lock cylinders and deadbolt locks. They can even set up a master key system for your business.