Change or rekey · King
Lock Replacement & Upgrade in King
The keys the seller handed over came in a sandwich bag: six unlabelled copies for two locks of different makes from different decades. You have no idea how many more copies exist or who is holding them.
Call now · open 24/7(289) 207-0226In plain words
Moving into a home is the classic moment for this service, because you inherit whatever hardware and whatever key copies the previous owners left behind. The locksmith walks every exterior door with you and sorts the locks into three piles: sound hardware worth keeping and rekeying, worn hardware worth replacing, and doors with no deadbolt at all. Everything that stays is pinned to one new key, new locks are keyed to match, and old copies floating around town stop mattering. You leave the visit knowing exactly which key opens which door and how many of them exist.
How the visit goesThree teenagers, a dog walker, a cleaner and one house key that keeps going missing. You are tired of cutting copies and would rather give each person a code you can switch off, with a proper deadbolt behind it.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade · King
How the visit goes
- 1
Function, and the way out
Each door has a job, and the hardware should match it. The main entrance needs a keyed deadbolt with an interior thumb-turn so anyone inside can leave without hunting for a key. A door with glass beside it is better served by a reinforced strike and glass protection than by a keyed cylinder on the inside. Interior doors may want passage, privacy or a keyed function, and a lever suits hands that find a knob awkward. Sorting function out first keeps looks from overriding how the door has to work.
- 2
Keying the new locks to one key
New cylinders arrive on random keys, so the locksmith pins them alike on site when you want one key for the house. Each cylinder is removed, the plug slid out on a follower so the springs stay put, and the bottom pins replaced to match a single new key. Existing cylinders that are staying are repinned the same way. Every key is then cut from the new combination, tried in every lock it should open, and any that drag are recut rather than handed over. The result is one key for the front, back and garage doors, and a clear count of how many exist.
- 3
A smart lock with its backup arranged
A keypad or smart deadbolt leaves the visit with codes set for each person, auto-lock and alerts configured, and any phone pairing confirmed while the locksmith is there to check it. You are shown the low-battery signal so you recognise it, and the type of battery the maker calls for. The mechanical override key is the piece to look after: keep it on a keyring or with a neighbour rather than inside the home it opens. A second person's code is set up before the locksmith leaves, so a flat phone or a forgotten code is never a reason to stand on the porch.
In the van
- Cylinders, plug follower and pinning kit
- Graded deadbolt
- Adjustable latch or bolt
- Knob or lever entry set
- Manufacturer-approved cylinder lubricant
What affects the quote
- 1
Type of lock
A knob set, a lever, a deadbolt, a full handleset with deadbolt above, a patio door lock and a keypad or smart deadbolt each carry a different hardware cost and take different time to fit.
- 2
Finish and style
Standard satin nickel or brass is one line; specialty finishes, matched suites across several doors and designer handlesets are others. The finish you choose for exposure and looks is priced as the maker prices it.
- 3
Patio and French door hardware
Sliding door mortise locks, foot bolts and flush bolts for an inactive French door leaf are specialty items sized to the door, and they are quoted as their own line beside the entrance work.
Same fees day, night or weekend.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade: questions
How do I look after a new lock so it stays smooth?
Very little is needed. Whatever lubricant and interval the cylinder maker specifies, worked into the keyway with a few turns of the key, keeps the pins free; using the wrong product collects grit instead of helping. Wipe salt off exterior hardware during winter melts. Snug the hinge and strike screws each spring and fall as the door moves with humidity. Cut spare keys from a crisp original rather than a worn copy.
Can a lever replace a knob on the same door?
Yes, and it is a common change for anyone who finds a knob hard to grip. Levers use the same bore and backset as knobs, so the swap is usually a direct fit. Levers are handed, so the locksmith checks which way the door swings and chooses or adjusts the lever accordingly. A keyed entry lever pairs well with a deadbolt above it, and interior passage and privacy levers complete the set.
Should I rekey my locks or replace them?
Rekey when the hardware is sound and the problem is the key: a lost copy, a move, or too many keys for one house. Replace when the mechanism itself is worn, the housing or bolt is damaged, the grade was never suitable for the entrance, or you want a different function, finish or a keypad. Many visits do both, keeping good locks and rekeying them while replacing the tired ones, all to one key.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade near you
York, Ontario
King information
- Town
- King, York, Ontario
- In business
- 25 years
- Hours
- Open 24/7 · nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
- Phone
- (289) 207-0226
- Visits
- On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.
What the census means at the door
38%
Homes of every age. About 38% of homes in King were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.
Mixed housing ages mean the advice changes door by door. An older solid-wood entry may want a strike reinforced; a newer steel door may want its short strike screws swapped. The locksmith looks at the door in front of him rather than assuming.
87%
Mostly houses. Single-detached houses make up about 87% of homes in King (2021 Census).
In areas of single houses, the door nobody watches is the side or back entry. It often has the weakest lock on the property. Fitting a proper deadbolt and a reinforced strike there is a modest job that closes the obvious gap.
Open 24/7
Request a visit
The keys the seller handed over came in a sandwich bag: six unlabelled copies for two locks of different makes from different decades.
Call now · open 24/7(289) 207-0226- On-site assessment preferred
- Same fees day, night or weekend
- 25 years in business