When it comes to home security, your lock is your first line of defense. Whether you’re moving into your new home or you want to upgrade your locks, it’s best to determine the difference between replacing and rekeying locks. Typically, most homeowners opt to replace locks instead of rekeying. Although there’s nothing wrong with replacing your locks entirely, it isn’t always a necessary option. In some cases, it’s much better to rekey locks than to replace them.
If you’re wondering which is ideal for your home security, consult professionals like Blue Sky Locksmith in Seattle Washington. Understanding more details about rekeying and lock replacement can also help you make a well-informed decision over time.
What To Know About Replacing Your Locks
Once you decide to replace your locks, it involves changing the entire locking mechanism. In short, locksmiths will get rid of your locks and replace them with new ones with another set of keys. Depending on your preferred kind of lock to install, lock replacement can be expensive because you need to pay for the locksmith’s service and a new lock.
Pros Of Replacing Locks
One of the best things about replacing your locks is that it gives you the ability and option to upgrade your locks, ensuring better security. You may also take your existing security measures to a new level by installing digital or smart locks for your home.
- Customization
Another benefit of replacing locks is that you can have a chance to customize your security following your unique requirements. You may also change the way your locks feel and look aside from the security level they provide. Depending on your preferences, you can play with the sizes, colors, and materials and choose the best ones that contribute to both security and aesthetics.
Cons Of Replacing Locks
- Higher Costs
The cost of replacing your locks is higher than other lock solutions because the process involves the labor costs and the expenses for the new locks. Also, the more technologically advanced and sophisticated locks are, the more expensive they are.
When To Replace Your Locks?
- If you want to upgrade your overall home security, changing them to something robust is a better choice. Once you rekey your locks, your locking mechanism will stay the same, and only your keys will change. If you aim to upgrade your home security, replacing your entire locking mechanism makes more sense than rekeying locks.
- If your locks are damaged or obsolete, you might want to replace your locks as soon as possible. Although lock replacement costs more, thieves can easily tamper with your damaged locks. If you don’t want this to happen, don’t think twice about replacing your locks.
- It’s also a good idea to replace your locks for aesthetic purposes. This is especially true if you prefer to match your locks with your newly renovated home or you want to improve your door’s visual appearance.
What To Know About Rekeying Locks
Rekeying locks means changing your existing keys and making some adjustments to accommodate the new keys without replacing the locks entirely. In other words, you may still use the existing locks, but your current keys won’t work on them. Keep in mind that keys and locks work in pairs. Locks usually contain components referred to as key pins or tumblers that correspond to specific keys. Some changes made to such components break the pairing, making the current keys useless. The process requires the skills of professional locksmiths as it involves replacing key pins inside the locks to set the new keys that would work on them.
Pros Of Rekeying Locks
- Cost-Effective
Even if there’s a need to hire a locksmith, the cost of rekeying locks is lower than changing the entire locks. So, if you’re on a budget but you want to ensure your house is safe, rekeying locks is an excellent option for you.
- Quick Solution
If you’re concerned with your home security and need a quick solution to your problem, you only need to call locksmiths to rekey your door lock. It’s a much quicker option than changing your locks.
- Aesthetics
If you want to keep your locks’ aesthetics but want to level up your home security, you can rekey your locks instead of replacing them. A lock replacement might mean you need to do repair work depending on the size and shape of your previous lock. By rekeying locks, you can keep your locks in their current footprint.
Cons Of Rekeying Locks
- No Security Upgrades
Rekeying locks can give you a sense of security, but no upgrades are involved. Since rekeying locks doesn’t require you to replace your current locks, there’ll be no changes in the security features of your locks. So, if you install low-quality locks, keeping them rekeyed may restrict unauthorized access but won’t change your lock’s security level and quality.
When To Rekey Your Locks?
- If you want to use one key for different locks, you should rekey your locks. Ask your locksmith to check if your locks can make use of one key type.
- Once you move into your new home with expensive locks installed, you can consider rekeying locks to keep them. Besides, you’ll only spend more on replacing premium locks instead of having your premium locks rekeyed.
- If your place has tenants before, rekeying your locks is a must because even if they don’t live there anymore, they might have copies of the keys, compromising your home security.
- If you lost your key and were locked out of your house, consider rekeying your locks. Losing keys may compromise your home security as anyone who has your keys may access your home anytime. To ensure that your missing keys won’t be used to gain access to your home, call a locksmith to rekey your locks immediately. However, it’s essential to note that your locksmith may charge you extra if you don’t have spare keys for the locks.
Bottom Line
Deciding whether to replace or rekey your locks can make a difference to your home security. If you’re unsure which option is best suited for your unique needs, weigh the pros and cons of rekeying and replacing your locks. Moreover, working with qualified and highly experienced professional locksmiths may come in handy to keep your home secure and safe.
When we bought our place, I went back and forth on this exact question. The existing deadbolts were solid quality, so I had them rekeyed instead of replaced — much cheaper, and one key now works for every door. The only lock I actually replaced was the flimsy original on the back door, which was barely grade-3. Great breakdown of the pros and cons here.