Lock Rekeying in Kennett Square, PA

A contractor who had a key during a project may still have a copy, and you may not know who else has one.

The same uncertainty can come with moving into a home or a roommate leaving. We rekey locks in Kennett Square by changing the pins inside the existing cylinders, so old keys no longer work and new keys open those locks. Rekeying leaves the existing hardware in place. It does not fix a worn or damaged lock.

For a home in Kennett Square, you can choose which doors to include, such as the front, back and side entrances. Doors left out keep working with their existing keys. If you want one key for all your outside doors, we can check whether their locks are compatible. Some may need different hardware to use the same key. Rekeying makes sense if you want to keep the locks you have; replacing them gives you new hardware if yours is damaged or you want a different style.

If a roommate has moved out, we first look at the locks on the doors you want to include and check their condition and key compatibility.

We explain which cylinders can be rekeyed and whether the same new key can work across those doors. Rekeying changes the internal pin arrangement, not the appearance or finish of the existing hardware. A worn or damaged lock may be a better candidate for replacement, and some mismatched models may need replacement if you want one key for all of them.

Before we begin, you choose which entrances to include. A door left out will still work with its existing key, so a copy held by your former roommate may still fit it. We reconfigure the selected cylinders for the new key, then check each one with you. With the door open and again with it closed, we test that the key turns smoothly and the door secures properly. If an old key is available, we also test that it no longer works on the rekeyed entries.

Keep your new key clean and dry, and avoid using it to pry or turn anything other than a lock.

Store spares somewhere secure, and leave your address off any label attached to them. If a lock feels dry, use only a lubricant recommended by its manufacturer. Household oil or a general purpose spray can collect dirt and make the mechanism harder to turn.

Try the same key in each outside door, turning it gently and checking that it both locks and unlocks. If it sticks in one opening, do not force it, since it could bend or break. One that works in one place but not another, a turn that feels unusually rough, or a door that will not latch is worth a call to us so we can check what is causing the trouble.