Change or rekey · Whitby
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
The keys the seller handed over came in a sandwich bag: six unlabelled copies for two locks of different makes from different decades.
In plain words
A keypad or smart lock is a lock replacement with a few extra steps, and it suits households where keys circulate widely. The locksmith fits the new deadbolt to the existing bore, checks that the bolt throws freely so the motor is never straining against a misaligned strike, sets up user codes and any phone pairing, and shows you the mechanical override and the battery warning. Because these locks still rely on a bolt and a strike, the same attention goes into the frame as for any deadbolt. You gain convenience without giving up the mechanical basics that make a door hard to force.
How the visit goesThe brass handleset has gone blotchy and green where the winter salt reaches it, and the coating on the deadbolt is lifting in flakes. It still locks, but it looks tired beside the fresh paint on the door.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
How the visit goes
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.
Taking the old hardware off without harm
Removal is done with the same care as fitting. Interior trim screws come out first, then the interior rose or thumb-turn, and the exterior housing lifts away with its tailpiece. The latch or bolt slides out of the edge bore once its two faceplate screws are released, and the old strike comes off the jamb. Painted-over screws are scored free rather than forced, seized screws are eased with a hand driver of the right size, and a stripped head is drilled out only as a last step. The bore and edge mortise are then cleaned of paint build-up and debris so the new parts seat properly.
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
Manufacturer-approved cylinder lubricant
Graded deadbolt
75 millimetre strike and hinge screws
Key blanks and key cutter
Reinforced strike plate and strike box
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
What affects the quote
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.
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.
Older and mortise hardware
Servicing an original mortise case, sourcing a compatible cylinder or fitting a conversion plate on a century door involves more assessment and fitting time than a standard cylindrical replacement.
What to have ready
- Is there a sliding patio door or French door to include?
- Is there glass in or beside the door?
- Which finish should the new hardware match?
Lock Replacement & Upgrade: questions
QuestionsCan I replace only the deadbolt and keep my existing knob?
Yes. The deadbolt and the knob or lever are separate locks in separate bores, so one can be replaced while the other stays. The new deadbolt can be pinned to work on the same key as the knob if the keyways are compatible, and its finish can be matched to the knob so the door looks intended. Replacing the deadbolt first is a sensible order, since it does most of the securing.
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.
My deadbolt only locks if I push the door. Will a new lock cure that?
The push is a sign the bolt and the strike pocket are out of line, which is a door and frame matter more than a lock fault. A new deadbolt is welcome if the old one is worn, but the visit also adjusts the strike, deepens the pocket or tightens hinges so the bolt throws freely with the door simply closed. Done together, the door locks with a fingertip and the new hardware works as designed.
Related services
- Deadbolt InstallationThe back door has a deadbolt in name only: a short bolt, a thin brass strike held by two little screws, and a jamb you can flex with your palm.
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceThe key turns freely in the round cylinder on the door, all the way around and back, without the bolt shifting at all.
- Smart Lock InstallationHalf the evenings someone asks whether the back door got locked, and nobody is sure.