Lock Rekey In Los Angeles
Though every residential locksmith in Los Angeles will claim to be able to rekey locks, this is not always the case. There are many companies out there that have the supplies and give them to technicians who are untrained. You want to call a locksmith who really knows how to rekey locks.
Without being well versed in lock rekeying procedures small mistakes can be disastrous. You can blow the cylinder, which is where spring loaded pins shoot out and get lost. There is also the danger of pins dropping to seize the lock core. The probability of these dangers occurring increases when you do not hire the right professional.
Not only do you find many amateur lock rekeying services in Los Angeles, you also can encounter technicians who are incapable of working with patented locks such as Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Assa Abloy, etc. For the best lock rekeying in Los Angeles choose Locksmith Pros USA. All of our staffed technicians have the training and tools to handle the delicate art of rekeying your lock.
How Lock Rekeying Works
It is not necessary for customers to understand the exact process a locksmith will use to rekey a lock, but there are many homeowners that like to have a general idea of the service they are buying. Any Locksmith Pros USA will be happy to tell you more about rekeying, but here is just a very basic general overview.
A lock works with one key because internal components (most often these are pins) correspond to cuts on a key. If you replace the internal components (pins) in a lock, the lock will no longer work with the old key. If you change the pins of several locks, so they all use the same size pins in the same order, you can have multiple locks open with one key.
The changing of these pins can offer Los Angeles homeowners all manner of options for changing their security. You can reduce the number of keys you need, you can effectively change your locks without having to buy new locks, and you can even swap pins out so the lock will have better security.
Cheaper Than Changing Locks
In Los Angeles, people spend enough money on property and rent that it might be a lot to ask. For a more cost-effective solution to changing locks, you can sometimes get away with rekeying your existing locks. The process for replacing the internal components might seem a little trickier than replacing a lock, but the cost of parts is so much less.
The cheapest way to go about getting your locks rekeyed is to contact Locksmith Pros USA. We use professional pin kits, which allow technicians to rekey multiple locks, and can even rekey new locks to an already existing key.
Hiring a professional residential locksmith is a much better option than buying the cheap single rekeying kits and trying to do the work yourself. And when it comes to rekeying locks in Los Angeles you may not be able to find rekeying kits for the some of the high-security brands used all over the city.
Increasing Security With Lock Rekeying
A lock change is a great way to increase your security if you have new tenants in a building or you have just bought a new home. If a person has ever been in possession of your house key, they could have made a copy. This can be very easy, even when keys are marked with “DO NOT DUPLICATE” engravings. But as we have already discussed rekeying locks in Los Angeles can be a much better solution than lock changes.
Another rekeying method of improving a lock’s security is called “repinning”. This allows you to keep your same key (if you would prefer) and only replace standard pins with security pins. Security pins help prevent the success of covert entry methods such as lock picking and lock bumping.
There are also ways to rekey a lock so that the bitting order moves from very shallow to very deep. This also helps with the security of a lock because it is more difficult to move tools around in the keyway. If your key looks like all the grooves on the teeth are the same depth, you can rekey the lock so the depths alternate more severely.
Master Rekeying: Making Master Key Systems
If you are a property manager in Los Angeles, rekeying a lock so that it works with a master key system can be very appealing. This process will allow you to open the locks on several properties with a single key. This way tenants can have different keys, but managers and supers can use a single key for every home.
You can also build out the master key system depending on your needs. For example, a basic tenant key can be set up to open a single door. A super’s key can be made to open all the doors for a group of homes. And there can be a grand master key that is meant to open an even wider range of homes.
This is perfect for establishing better key control on the level of what commercial office buildings have. And if your homeownership acts as a business in terms of renters, this type of service is perfect. Many homeowners all over Los Angeles rent their properties, so this type of residential lock rekeying service is very popular in the city.
FAQs
How much does it cost to rekey locks in Los Angeles?
Just like every other service that Locksmith Pros offers, there is a standard service $15 charge. That is the price for the locksmith to come out, assess the particulars of the job and give you an exact quote. If you are happy with the quote, you are likely to pay the basic cost of $19 per lock. High-security locks and the particular type of rekeying you need will affect the price per lock.
How long does it take to rekey locks?
Our technicians at Locksmith Pros USA are the fastest when it comes to rekeying locks in Los Angeles. This work can be done in minutes, though it will vary to a large degree based on the complexity of the lock. As rekeying does require removing the lock, opening the lock, replacing small parts, and re-installing the lock, the more complex the device is the more precision and time will be needed at each step of the process.
When should I rekey my locks?
Rekey your locks when you do not want them to work with old keys, but the lock itself is not broken. You must repair a broken lock before rekeying will be effective. You can also rekey locks in Los Angeles so that property managers can have master keys to the buildings they rent out. Finally, rekeying locks can be used for general security upgrades.
Why do I need a locksmith to rekey my locks?
You can destroy a lock and render it inoperable if you do not perform the rekeying process perfectly. You can also end up locking yourself out of your own lock even if the lock is not damaged. It can also become expensive to purchase the supplies needed to do this type of work on anything more than one or two locks.
By having a locksmith rekey your locks in Los Angeles you will also have access to the many different types of lock rekeying, and will not be limited by what you can learn online and do yourself.