Change or rekey · Meadowvale South
Lock Replacement & Upgrade in Meadowvale South
Every morning the front door key needs the same little dance: push in, lift, wiggle, turn.
In plain words
After a break-in or an attempt, the door tells a story, and the new hardware should answer it. Splintered wood around the strike means the jamb gave before the lock did, so the repair pairs a heavier deadbolt with a reinforced strike and 75 millimetre screws that reach the framing behind the jamb. A bent bolt or cracked housing is replaced with a graded deadbolt whose bolt has a hardened core. A knob lock that was bumped or forced is swapped for a set with better pins. The aim is a whole opening that resists force, not merely a shinier lock.
How the visit goesSomeone tried the back door while you were away. The jamb is splintered around the strike, the bolt is bent, and the knob turns with a grinding feel. Everything held, barely, and you want hardware that would do better next time.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
How the visit goes
The rest of the openings
One failing lock is often the loudest of several, so the locksmith takes a short tour. The back door, the garage man-door, a basement walkout, a sliding patio door and a storm door all count, and so does the door from the garage into the house, which is often the lightest lock on the property. Each is noted for grade, condition and whether it has a deadbolt at all. You are not obliged to do them all at once; the value of the tour is a clear list ranked by what matters most, so the first replacement goes where it makes the largest difference.
Fitting the latch or bolt to the door
Most modern latches and bolts adjust between the two common backsets, so the unit is set to the measured figure and slid into the edge bore. A spring latch goes in with its bevel facing the strike, while a deadbolt is oriented the way its markings or instructions call for, not by that bevel rule. The faceplate should sit flush in its mortise; where the old cut-out differs in shape or size, the mortise is trimmed with a sharp chisel, or a round drive-in collar is used where the door was prepared that way. The bolt is checked to travel freely before anything else goes on, since a bolt that binds in the door will bind under the key too.
A record of what went on the door
You are told plainly what was fitted: the maker and model, the grade, the function and finish of each lock, whether the strike was reinforced, and how the doors are keyed. The instruction sheets and packaging stay with you, since they carry the model numbers needed for a matching lever or a spare cylinder later. The old hardware is handed over or taken away as you prefer; a sound old cylinder can be worth keeping as a spare. For a rental, this account doubles as the note a landlord or property manager will want about the new keys.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
In the van
Key blanks and key cutter
Adjustable latch or bolt
Manufacturer-approved cylinder lubricant
Knob or lever entry set
Chisels, mallet and hand screwdrivers
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
What affects the quote
Door material and thickness
Wood, steel and fibreglass doors are drilled and fitted differently, and a door thicker than the standard 45 millimetres needs extension parts, so the door itself shapes part of the quote.
Authorization needed from a property manager or landlord
A rental or condominium unit sometimes needs sign-off from a property manager or landlord before a lock is changed, and new keys may need to reach more than one party afterward. Confirming who is authorized and who receives keys is worked out before the new hardware goes in.
Strike reinforcement and jamb repair
A reinforced strike with long screws is a modest addition; repairing a jamb split from a forced entry, or fitting a strike box into a frame that has never had one, adds labour and materials.
What to have ready
- Is there a sliding patio door or French door to include?
- Is there glass in or beside the door?
- Do you want every exterior door to open with one key?
Lock Replacement & Upgrade: questions
QuestionsCan I stop people copying my house key?
A restricted keyway helps with that. The key blanks are controlled by the manufacturer and its authorised locksmiths, so a copy generally requires the card, record or authorisation the program uses, cutting down on copies made at an ordinary kiosk. It suits homes where keys are lent to cleaners, contractors or tenants. The cylinders are fitted in the normal way, and you keep the key card safe because it is what future copies depend on.
What is a reinforced strike, and is it worth adding?
A standard strike is a thin plate held by two short screws in the jamb, and the jamb is what splits when a door is forced. A reinforced strike or strike box is heavier and is fixed with long screws that pass through the jamb into the framing, spreading the load into the structure. It is one of the most effective upgrades on any exterior door and is usually fitted as part of a deadbolt replacement.
My old house has a mortise lock. Can it take modern hardware?
Often the original case can be kept and given a new cylinder and strike, which keeps the period look and the old door intact. Where the case is beyond service, a filler or conversion plate covers the mortise pocket and lets a cylindrical deadbolt or knob set be fitted without cutting into the door's stile. The locksmith looks at the door before recommending either path, since old doors vary a great deal.
Related services
- Deadbolt InstallationYou bought a keypad deadbolt online and pulled the old one off, only to find the hole in the door is a different size and the bolt latch sits at a backset the new kit does not list.
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceThe knob flops loose on its spindle and never springs back to level.
- Smart Lock InstallationThere are four copies of the front-door key floating around: one with the cleaner, one with a neighbour, one on a hook at your parents' place, and one you honestly cannot account for.