Ever Wondered How To Rekey A Lock Yourself? Here’s the Ultimate Guide!
Rekeying a lock offers many advantages over replacing the entire door or lock. It’s cheaper, can be done quicker, and is more secure than any other alternative. Learning how to rekey a lock will ensure that you have complete control over who has access to your home or business.
The process of learning how to rekey a lock involves knowing that it involves basically swapping out the internal components of the lock so that it fits a new key—making any old keys ineffective for opening the lock without damaging its mechanism. This guarantees that no one else can simply insert an old key and gain access to your property.
Despite the security benefits, learning how to rekey a lock provides immense convenience for those who regularly need to grant and revoke access to their homes or businesses. Rather than replacing the entire door or lock, you can simply rekey a lock and provide a new key to those who need access.
Rekeying is also much easier than changing out an entire door or lock. With just a few simple tools, anyone with basic DIY skills should be able to learn how to rekey a lock in no time at all and have complete control over their security setup in no time at all.
If you’re looking for an easy, secure way to manage access to your home or business, then learning how to rekey a lock is definitely the way to go! It offers all the convenience of giving people access without sacrificing any of the security that comes from having full control over who has keys.
In this blog post, we’ll go over step-by-step how to rekey a lock and how you can become a locksmith samurai!
How to Rekey A Lock: Step-By-Step Guide
Rekeying your locks is a straightforward process that anyone can do with the right tools and materials. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you learn how to rekey a lock by yourself:
Step 1: Gather Materials and Tools
To rekey your locks, you’ll need a few essential items like a rekeying kit, a screwdriver, pliers, and a key decoder. Rekeying kits are available online or at hardware stores. They come with all the necessary tools and instructions to rekey your lock.
Step 2: Remove the Doorknob or Deadbolt
Use a screwdriver to remove the screws from the doorknob or deadbolt. Be sure to hold onto the doorknob or deadbolt as you remove the screws, so it doesn’t fall off and damage the door.
Step 3: Remove the Lock Cylinder
To remove the lock cylinder, insert the key and turn it slightly. Then, use a pair of pliers to pull the cylinder out of the doorknob or deadbolt. If the lock doesn’t have a keyed cylinder, you’ll need to remove the retainer ring with pliers.
Step 4: Rekey the Lock Cylinder
Inside the rekeying kit, you’ll find a set of new pins. These pins are what you’ll use to rekey your lock. Use the key decoder to determine the proper pin size for your lock.
Insert the new pins into the lock cylinder, aligning them with the key decoder’s markings. Once all the pins are in place, insert the lock cylinder back into the doorknob or deadbolt.
Step 5: Reassemble the Door Lock
Reassemble the door lock by replacing the doorknob or deadbolt and tightening the screws. Test the lock to ensure it is functioning correctly with the new key.
By following these steps, you have learned how to rekey a lock with ease, ensuring that only the right people have access.
Benefits of Rekeying Your Locks Regularly
Rekeying your locks is not something you do every day, but it’s something you should consider doing regularly. While our customers usually rekey their locks for security reasons, there are many other hidden benefits to rekeying your locks that you may not be aware of.
1. Increased Security
One of the most significant benefits is that it increases security. Rekeying your locks regularly means that you can alter access to your property quickly, so you’ll have full control over who can enter your property or business. If you’re regularly changing who has access to your property, such as during a turnover of employees, rekeying can save you time, hassle, and headaches. Without rekeying, you might have to have your entire property rekeyed every few months.
2. Does Not Compromise The Security Of The Door
When you replace a lock with a new one, it means that you are altering the dynamics of the front door’s latch and strike, which can weaken the frame. This can lead to a lock that’s easier to break, allowing burglars or intruders easier access to your property. However, rekeying a lock will only replace the lock’s internal pins, so there is no way that your front door’s security will be weakened during the process.
3. Less Expensive Than Replacing A Lock
Rekeying your locks can also be less expensive than replacing them entirely, making it a budget-friendly option for homeowners and business owners. It’s also a quicker process than a full lock replacement, meaning that you can regain control over your security measures faster.
4. Maintains The Functionality Of The Lock
If you have an older lock, regular rekeying can help maintain its functionality and effectiveness. Over time, locks that aren’t rekeyed can accumulate debris and impurities, which can cause them to malfunction. Rekeying can keep the lock in working condition for longer periods, extending its lifespan.
Rekeying your locks regularly can offer many benefits for homeowners and business owners. So, if you’re looking for a convenient and efficient way to keep your property safe and secure, regularly rekeying your locks is an ideal solution.
Do You Have A Lock That You Need To Rekey? Call The Experts!
Here at The Locksmith Expert, we are the best when it comes to rekeying a lock and keeping you safe. Our team of professionals is highly experienced in all aspects of locksmithing, so no matter what kind of lock you need to rekey, we have the expertise to do it right, and with 24/7 round-the-clock assistance when you need it, we are the ones to call for any locksmithing emergency.
Give us a call now and get your property secured with the expertise of The Locksmith Expert!
