You know you should change the locks on your doors when you move into a new home, but it's also a good idea to change them every few years after you've lived in the home since you may have lost keys, given copies to friends, or made copies for contractors. Having keys to your home floating around out there creates a security risk. When you want to make your locks more secure, you can replace the locks entirely or just have them rekeyed. Here's the difference between the two.
When Rekeying Is The Best Option
If the locks are in good shape, there's no need to change them. A locksmith can rekey a lock so all the old keys stop working. This requires adjusting the internal pins so the old keys won't fit any longer. You'll get new keys to your old locks, so it's like getting new locks but you'll save money by just having them rekeyed. If you need to rekey multiple doors on your home, you'll appreciate the savings over replacing all the locks.
If all of the locks on your home are of the same brand with the same key holes, then the locksmith can even rekey them all to use the same key. This makes it convenient since you will only have to carry one key and not fumble for the right one when coming into the house.
When You May Prefer Having New Locks Installed
There are some instances when installing a new lock might be better. Since you have to call out a locksmith anyway, you might decide to have your locks upgraded. If your locks are old and chipped or ugly, then you might want newer locks that look better and are more secure. Since the new locks come with new keys, your problem of spare keys floating around is solved, although you'll pay more for the service than you would if you just had your locks rekeyed.
Since rekeying is a quick and affordable job, you might want to have it done every once in awhile if you loan keys to the neighbors, a house cleaner, or contractors. Even if a loaned key is returned, you never know for sure if a copy was made. Keeping your door locks secure is an important part of home security so if you want peace of mind, consider having your locks replaced or rekeyed so none of the old keys work any longer. Look into rekeying services in your area for more information.
Share21 January 2018
There are a lot of things that I am incredibly patient with, but employee theft is not one of those things. Unfortunately, a few months ago I discovered that some of my employees were stealing, and it was really difficult to cope with. I knew that I had to do something to tighten things up, so I began going through and thinking about different ways to eliminate the issue. After improving record keeping and focusing on building security, things got a lot better really fast. I wanted to start a blog all about improving business so that you would know how to keep your company safe.