Rekeying Locks in Honolulu, HI

When was the last time you moved to a new location, be it a house or apartment? What about losing the keys to the house? These are situations that typically require the locks to the house to be changed. Did you know that there's a better way to change to resolve such situations that won't involve you swapping the locks themselves?

Changing out locks isn't always simple, with many of Hawaii Locksmith's customers wishing to keep theirs attached to the doors. Getting an entirely new lock replacement isn't as quick as a simple rekey. Rekeying holds several advantages with the primary ones listed as follows:

• It's cheaper - There's a lot of effort involved in taking out and replacing a lock to a door. In some circumstances, you might even need to purchase a new door entirely. But even without a door purchase, You would need a new lock and a key to go with it. Though locksmiths are more than capable of handling this for customers, the most cost-effective solution for most needs is to rekey locks. It doesn't take long and can be completed in as little as five minutes.
• You can use keys that are already in your possession - When you rekey a lock, you don't even have to get a new one from the locksmith that recalibrates it. They can change the lock's interiors so that a key that you already own can unlock the door. That means some of your old spare key duplicates lying around in your storage would make a fine key, so long as they're in working condition.
• It's a preventative method - Did you know that some people collect door locks as collector's items? There are locks on doors decades old, which would automatically disqualify any sort of lock swap for some people. Maybe the lock fits the door well in appearance. In this instance, any alternative could result in a tacky look at best, and a gaudy one at worst. The easiest way for you to keep a lock and use a new key with it is by requesting a rekey. More than likely, the locksmith that meets up with you would expect such a request by a first-hand glance at the lock upon their arrival and would give you alternative suggestions.

On paper, rekeying a lock might seem like an easy thing to do. Yet it's not very simple. For one thing, depending on the lock itself, rekeying could require a bit more effort to complete. An office locksmith, for instance, may need additional tools for the lock, as those made for commercial and businesses can be harder to match with a key.

To rekey locks, it's done by switching out one key for another without changing out the locks. Not all parts stay inside, however. Rekeying can only be done by removing the outer portion of the old lock, then changing out the key pins once they're exposed.

These pins, also called tumblers, are what allow the key to turning the lock properly. Have a look at a pair of keys on your keychain. Notice the little grooves and ridges along the side of the key's tip? This is what enabled a lock and door to be manipulated. Each little groove fits perfectly with the tumblers, a sort of symmetrical and concave opposite to the ridges.

If one of the pins breaks, becomes rusted from water exposure, or jams, the pin or the lock itself should be changed. When only the pins are swapped out, it's known as rekeying service.

To successfully rekey a lock, all of the pins should be aligned and changed out with new pieces. They number about five for the average deadbolt lock on a front door, though this can radically change with commercial locks. Key pins are the most important but cheaper portion of a lock. They're easy to replace and aren't a burden for locksmith companies to replenish. They're so inexpensive, that many locksmiths will only bill you for the service itself, not the newly attached key pins.

Most modern locks are made so that the pins are easy to replace. So if something happens to the pins many years later again, it's easy to have done. Some locks take different kinds of pins, however. But even those are easy to swap out with Honolulu Locksmith.