At Giddy Up Locksmith, we offer a comprehensive range of locksmith services, including lock installation, lockout assistance, key cutting, and more. Another service we offer is rekeying, and in this article, we’ll provide a brief overview of what rekeying is and what it’s for.
- What is Rekeying? – Essentially, rekeying is the process of adjusting a lock mechanism to pair it with another key.
- How Do Locks Work? – To understand how it works, you first need to understand a bit about lock pins. The pins are metal cylinders inside the lock, and each one has a spring underneath it to control its height. Each pin is also split horizontally into shorter pieces. When the lock is locked, the pins prevent the mechanism from turning to allow the door to open. When the key is inserted, the teeth force the seams in the pins to align with the turning mechanism, which allows you to open the door.
- How Does Rekeying Work? – The rekeying process involves adjusting the height of the pins to align them with the teeth of a new key. A locksmith can do this by installing a new set of pins or creating new cuts in the existing pins. This second method is most often used to pair the lock with a master key, making it easier for, say, a custodian to access the room for cleaning.
- When Should I Get My Locks Rekeyed? – There are few situations in which you should make use of our rekeying services. We highly recommend getting your locks rekeyed if you have experienced a break-in, or if you can’t account for one or more of the copies of your exterior door keys. It’s also a good idea to get your locks rekeyed after moving into a new building, as doing so ensures no one else will be able to use the old key to enter your space without your permission.