Lock Rekeying in Hockessin, DE

If you have lost keys with your address on the ring, whoever finds them can identify your home in Hockessin.

Rekeying changes the pins inside your existing locks so the old keys no longer work in those locks and a new set does. It changes the key, not the look or style of your door hardware. You might also choose this service after moving in or when a roommate leaves with a key.

For your Hockessin home, you can choose which doors to include, such as the front, back and door between the house and garage. Keys for locks you leave out will still work as they did before. If the outside door locks accept the same type of key, we can rekey them to work with one key instead of separate ones. Rekeying does not correct a worn or damaged lock. Replacing the lock is another choice if it is not working properly or you want different hardware. We can look at the locks you want included and explain which option fits each door.

We look at the locks on the doors you want to secure and check their condition and key compatibility.

If a roommate has moved out, you may want to include the front, back and side doors, along with any other keyed entry they could use. A lock left out of the work will still accept its existing keys. Before starting, we explain which locks can share one key, since differences in their key openings may prevent that arrangement. We also point out worn or damaged locks and explain when replacement may be a better choice.

Rekeying changes the internal key setting while keeping the existing lock and its appearance. It does not repair a loose or unreliable lock. After rekeying the locks you select, we test each new key in each lock it is meant to operate, with the door open and closed. If an old key is available, we check it against the rekeyed locks too. You can try the new keys with us and see that each door latches and locks as expected.

Try your new key in each outside door with the door open, then close each door and check that it locks and unlocks.

If you kept an old key, check that it no longer works in the doors we rekeyed. A door left out of the work may still open with its old key, so keep track of which keys belong to it.

Keep spare keys somewhere secure, and avoid labels that identify your address. If a key sticks, do not force it. Use only a lock lubricant recommended by the manufacturer, rather than household oil. Call us again if the new key will not turn smoothly, an old key still works where it should not, or one outside door no longer responds to the key used for the others. Forcing a stuck key could leave it broken in the lock.