A home is a place where most of your life events happen. Your house always remains of utmost importance to you. With this, the security of your house also becomes important. Securing your home also involves having secure locks and keys. Whether you have been living in the house for a long time, rented a house or bought a new house, you should consider changing the locks of your house. Sometimes for securing your house only changing the keys can be a solution but sometimes changing the locks can also be required. You have to ascertain what is needed for your house. Read further to find out.
What Does Rekeying and Replacing Your Locks Means?
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Rekeying your locks in general terms means changing the old combination of your locks by keeping the locks same. The internal reconstruction of the lock is done. As a result of this, the same lock works with a different key. It can sound easy to you but it is not. Also rekeying a lock is less costly as it only requires changing the internal functions keeping the lock body intact.
In the process of rekeying a lock, the locksmith should have access to the old key of the lock. The locksmith removes the internal parts of the lock cylinder and replaces them with the new parts. In a case where a key is lost, the locksmith has to split open the entire lock and then do the needful.
If you get your lock rekeyed, the locksmith will also be able to examine and tell you the condition of your lock. It can happen that you might not need to rekey the lock, but safety comes first. Rekeying the lock would keep you on the safer side.
Replacing the locks means entirely changing or replacing the old lock. You might have got an idea from the name itself. The entire lock will be different than the old one. But first, do consider the need of the same.
Replacing or changing the locks is comparatively costlier than rekeying your locks. This is because you will have to purchase an entirely new lock depending on your requirement. Replacing the locks offer your higher security. This will ensure that you only have the keys to your lock.
When To Rekey Locks?
The situations when rekeying the locks is preferable are:
- When moving into a house previously owned by someone
- When your house has been broken into before
- When your lock has not been damaged before, only it has become a little old
- Ever lost a key of your locks
- If you suspect someone has the spare keys of the locks of your house
- When you are living in a rented place
Pros and Cons of Rekeying
Pros
1. Cost-effectiveness
No doubt rekeying is cheaper as compared to replacing the locks. Changing a few parts will cost less than buying a whole new lock. You will only be required to purchase or pay for the new parts and also the cost of services of the locksmith.
2. Less time-consuming
Rekeying is generally less time consuming. For a locksmith, it takes only 15-20 minutes to rekey a lock. Although the total time taken may vary depending upon the number of locks you want to get rekeyed. The type of locks also plays a major role in determining the time taken to rekey it. But then also, it takes less time than replacing the lock completely.
3. Increase in security
When you get your lock rekeyed you will be assured of the security of your house. This will make sure that no other person has access to the keys of your locks.
Cons
1. Limited Up-Gradation
The limitation of re keying your locks is limited up gradation. You can only upgrade the security of your locks to a limited extent. Re keying will only allow you to change certain features, parts or combinations.
When To Replace Locks?
The situations when replacing the locks is preferable are:
- When the locks have worn out or rusted
- If your lock has been damaged before
- If you are moving into a new house
- The locks are not functioning properly
- If you are willing to change the lock style or want to change the locks to smart ones
Pros and Cons of Replacing
Pros
1. Upgradable
With replacing comes the comfort of upgradability. You have the option to replace your old traditional lock with the new smart locks. With this up-gradation, your home security will be improved. There are no bars on you for changing only a few things. You can go for a completely different lock with a new feature or technology.
2. Customizable
With the convenience of replacing your locks, you have the options of customizing it. You have a blank security canvas to customize and upgrade your lock according to your requirements.
Cons
1. Expensive
As compared to rekeying the locks, replacing them is more costly. In replacing the locks, you will have to buy the whole new lock which is expensive than buying only the parts of it.
Best Choice for Your Home – Points to Consider
It can be a challenge to decide which option is the best fit for your house. You need to consider certain factors before you make up your mind for something. There can be a few situations where only rekeying the locks would be sufficient whereas in some situations it can be required to replace or change your locks. You will have to decide which option is better for your house. Most of the points to be considered have been covered to ease you in making a decision.
1. Shifting To A House Owned By Someone Else Before You
If you are shifting to a new house that was previously owned by someone then there is a possibility that the previous has a set of keys of the existing locks of your house. There is a possibility that you do not know who else has the keys to the old locks.
In this situation, you can choose any of the options. The preferred option could be rekeying your lock. This will ensure that no one has the spare keys of the locks of your house.
2. Buying A New House
If you are moving into a new house you should make it a point to not depend on the pre-installed security systems provided to you. It can happen that someone has a duplicate or spare key to your house.
In this case, it is advised to you that you get all the locks of your house rekeyed. This will ensure that you only have access to your house. It can also happen in certain situations you feel that only rekeying is not enough for making your house secure. In this situation you get your locks upgraded or replaced with new ones.
3. Your House Has Been Broken Into Before
Burglaries and thefts are the most common threat if you have weak security in your house. If your house has ever been broken into then you need to take action to tighten your security. You should assess the way in which your lock was broken by the burglars.
If any such incident has happened to you then it is recommended to replace your locks rather than just having them rekeyed. Only rekeying your locks would not ensure the complete safety as your lock was broken before and there are chances of that happening again. But you can replace your locks with more secure and upgraded ones.
4. You Are Fully Satisfied With Your Existing Locks
Your content about your lock system is also important. You should question yourself about your satisfaction regarding your existing locks. If you are completely sure that your locks are secure and up to date then there is no need of replacing them. Only rekeying them can help you add a new layer of security to your home. You can also choose to go with the master key system. But if you are satisfied with your locks, then no need to do anything as it will only be a waste of money.
5. Ever Lost Your Keys
If you have ever lost your keys then your home security is compromised. The most affordable option for you in this situation would be rekeying your locks. This will ensure that if anyone has the access to lost keys it will not be of any use. Replacing the lock is also a good option but it can prove to be a waste of money as the lock is intact.
6. Consider Your Budget
The cost between both the methods differs; the budget is a determiner in deciding which method you should go for. Generally, rekeying is cheaper and replacing is costlier.
If your lock has not been damaged anytime then you can g for getting your locks rekeyed which would not cost you much. But if there has been a situation of a breakout in your house or your lock has ever been damaged then replacing the locks serves as the best remedy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which one is cheaper – Re-keying or Re-locking Lock?
As the price of key pins used in the locks is low, re keying is generally much cheaper than changing the locks. In re keying, only some parts of the lock are needed to get changed which is cheaper than changing the entire lock.
2. How much time does it take to rekey locks?
Usually, for a single lock, it takes 10-25 minutes. The total time may vary depending upon the number and types of lock you want to get re-keyed.
3. If one has an alarm system in his house, should he worry about re keying or replacing locks?
Yes, even if a person has an alarm system installed in his house then also he should consider re keying and changing the locks of his house. Alarm systems would only warn you or anyone about some emergency but they cannot stop anyone from entering into your house.
4. Does my lock have the option to be rekeyed?
Very fewer people know about it but all the locks come with the feature that they can be rekeyed. So it is not a matter to worry that whether you can rekey your lock or not.
5. Can I re key the locks on my own?
If you know the process of re keying the locks you can do it on your own. That would save the cost of the services of a locksmith. Re keying locks is not that difficult. You should just be aware of the process. But some locks require expert knowledge which you might not have and you might end up damaging the whole lock. In such cases, it is advised to take the help of a locksmith
6.Is it better to re-key the locks on my own or take help of a locksmith?
Re-keying a lock is easy and simple. You need to have the right tools and knowledge to do it. Talking from the cost point of view, rekeying a lock on your own can be expensive if you don’t have the required tools. A professional pinning kit would generally cost equal to the price of 10 locks. Taking the services of a locksmith is also cheaper than buying a kit for doing it yourself.
Final Talk
You have been provided with a complete insight into both aspects. We aim to provide you with a clear picture of rekeying and replacing. This guide will help you determine the best thing required for your house’s security.
Both methods have their advantages. No method is less than the other one. The only thing required is to ascertain the one which suits your need the best. Take your time to think and then go through the article once again. This will clear your confusions regarding which one is the best option for your house.
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