Change or rekey · Kawartha Lakes
Lock Replacement & Upgrade in Kawartha Lakes
Three teenagers, a dog walker, a cleaner and one house key that keeps going missing.
In plain words
Lock replacement and upgrade is the service that takes tired or under-built door hardware off and puts hardware suited to the door in its place. It ranges from a like-for-like deadbolt on a back door to a complete refit of every entrance with heavier-grade locks, reinforced strikes and one key for the house. The locksmith first confirms that the person ordering the work has the right to change the lock, then examines the door, measures the existing preparation and recommends hardware that fits it cleanly. The visit ends with each lock tested from both sides, keys in your hand and the packaging and instructions left with you.
How the visit goesThe keys the seller handed over came in a sandwich bag: six unlabelled copies for two locks of different makes from different decades. You have no idea how many more copies exist or who is holding them.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
How the visit goes
Exposure, weather and finish
The locksmith looks at where the door lives. A side entrance beside a salted driveway, a south-facing front door in full sun and a sheltered porch each treat a finish differently, and the residential hardware label scores finish durability as its own category for exactly this reason. Existing hardware is examined for pitting, peeling and green bloom, which shows how hard the spot is on metal. That guides the choice between a PVD brass, a satin nickel, a powder-coated black or a stainless product, and whether a storm door or a small hood would help. Matching the rest of the entrance comes last, once the finish will survive the location.
Adapting older and unusual doors
Not every door is a standard modern slab. A century home with a mortise lock may keep its case and get a new cylinder and strike, or take a filler plate that lets a cylindrical deadbolt sit where the old case was, without hacking at the original stile. A door thicker than 45 millimetres gets extended spindles and screws. A sliding patio door gets a replacement mortise hook lock or a keyed surface bolt sized to the rail. Steel and fibreglass doors are drilled only with the right bits and a jig, and a new deadbolt above an existing knob is bored with a template so it sits square.
Keys counted, named and planned
You receive the agreed number of keys, cut from the new pinning and tried in every door they should open, plus any code cards for a restricted system, which are what future copies are cut from. It is worth deciding on the spot who gets one and where the spare lives, ideally with a trusted neighbour or in a lockbox rather than in a drawer inside. If the house is now on a single key, retire every old key so none can be confused with the new one. A written list of which key does what goes in the home file.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
In the van
Adjustable latch or bolt
Handleset with matching deadbolt
Graded deadbolt
Knob or lever entry set
Reinforced strike plate and strike box
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
What affects the quote
Older and mortise hardware
Servicing an original mortise case, sourcing a compatible cylinder or fitting a conversion plate on a century door involves more assessment and fitting time than a standard cylindrical replacement.
Keys cut
Each key is counted, and restricted keys cut against a card are a different item from standard blanks. Say how many people need one and the quote lists them.
Special-order hardware
Most standard locks come from the van. A specific style, an unusual finish or a restricted system may need ordering, which affects scheduling and is noted in the quote rather than discovered on the day.
What to have ready
- Which finish should the new hardware match?
- Do you own the home, or rent it with the landlord's agreement to change locks?
- Is there glass in or beside the door?
Lock Replacement & Upgrade: questions
QuestionsIs it possible to upgrade just the exterior locks now and handle interior doors later?
Yes, and it is a common way to spread the work out. Exterior doors carry the security load, so starting there with a graded deadbolt and a reinforced strike covers the part that matters most first. Interior locks, passage sets, privacy locks on bathrooms and bedrooms, can be scheduled for a later visit without affecting anything already done, and the locksmith can note what was fitted so the second visit matches it.
My deadbolt only locks if I push the door. Will a new lock cure that?
The push is a sign the bolt and the strike pocket are out of line, which is a door and frame matter more than a lock fault. A new deadbolt is welcome if the old one is worn, but the visit also adjusts the strike, deepens the pocket or tightens hinges so the bolt throws freely with the door simply closed. Done together, the door locks with a fingertip and the new hardware works as designed.
Can you replace the lock on a sliding patio door or French doors?
Yes. Sliding doors take a replacement mortise hook lock sized to the rail, often with a keyed exterior, and benefit from a secondary foot bolt or a pin through the frames. French doors are secured by treating the inactive leaf properly with flush bolts into the head and sill, then fitting a deadbolt to the active leaf with a strike into that reinforced edge. Both are routine parts of a residential upgrade.
Related services
- Deadbolt InstallationThe back door has a deadbolt in name only: a short bolt, a thin brass strike held by two little screws, and a jamb you can flex with your palm.
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceYou bought a house with its original hardware and a bag of loose keys.
- Smart Lock InstallationYour mother still lives on her own, and the personal support worker, the pharmacy delivery and two siblings all need to get in on different days.