To understand which is best, it’s important to understand what rekeying actually entails. Rekeying should only be done on locks that are in good working order already. Basically, the inside working mechanisms will be changed out to be new and require a new key, leaving the outside hardware in tact. This often means a huge cost savings as opposed to changing and replacing the entire locking system. Though, sometimes replacing the lock is the only or best option.

When you re-key a lock, the locksmith will remove the pins inside the lock and replace them with new pins that can be opened using a brand new key. This is a good option when you are sure that someone stole your keys or know that someone has access to your house at any time uninvited. The safe option is to re-key the lock when you are sure someone else has possession to your keys that unlock your door, and you do not trust this person.

The locksmith removes the pins and springs in the lock cylinder and replaces them with new pins and springs that work with a new and different key. Unless a lock is not functioning properly or a completely new style of lock is wanted by the home owner, several locks are able to be rekeyed and kept in working condition for a long time. Some even claim their rekeyed lock operates even better than ever.

To get technical, the locksmith will remove the pins and springs inside the lock cylinder and replace them with new ones leaving the outside hardware, door knobs and such, in tact. A qualified, experienced locksmith will be able to quickly determine whether or not a rekeying or a lock replacement is your best choice.

Control The Spares

The most common reason to re-key a lock is to regain control of the spares. Simply put, gaining control of the spares merely means accounting for all of the keys that have been duplicated and made to operate the locks. Once you give a key to a friend or family member, the key control is lost. Rekeying also gives you brand new spare keys that you can control as to who has access to your locks. You not only have the peace of mind knowing no one else has a duplicate key, but you now have fresh spare keys that you can tuck away in a secure place only you know about or give to someone you know you can trust so that you can easily and quickly access it if you ever lose your keys again.

Sometimes, in an apartment complex or condominium, keys are created on a master key system. This means, the landlord has ultimate control over who has what keys. But, even in these scenarios, a key could get in the wrong hands. Plus, you always know that the landlord has a key to enter your premises at any time. Though, whenever you change locks out or re-key them in a leased property, you will probably need to obtain landlord consent first.

However, the master key concept is still at play in many single-build communities. The locks are often construction master keyed. This means that while the use of your key may prevent the future use of a contractor’s key, there are often master pins left in the lock. Each master pin is going to double the number of keys that will operate the lock. Often, there are as many as 16 different keys that could open a single home’s locks. Rekeying eliminates the potential of another key opening the lock since rekeying removes these master pins.

Problem With The Locks

Before you lose your keys, you may not have noticed any issues with the locks they once opened. During the rekeying process, the experienced locksmith will identify any other problems that the lock may have and will often be able to fix these issues. This is all done as part of the rekeying process and is nothing you probably would have ever noticed. When the rekeying is done, your lock will be left in a much safer and efficient functioning condition.

When Should You Replace and Change The Locks Entirely

Rekeying is not always the best solution. Sometimes, under certain scenarios, it is better to just go ahead and change out the entire locking system by replacing the lock instead of the more budget-friendly alternative of rekeying. One case that would warrant a lock replacement is when the lock hardware is worn out or beginning to show a great deal of wear and tear and cannot be repaired. In this case, you will need to find a trustworthy locksmith to install a new lock for you.

Another reason you might choose to replace your lock instead of merely rekeying it is when you need to upgrade your security. Do this by upgrading the lock. You might even decide you want an electronic lock. Either situation will mean that the existing locks will need to be completely changed out and replaced rather than rekeying them.

Some lock manufactures offer a lock that the consumer can re-key themselves. These locks are not the standard pin tumbler locks. To allow rekeying of these locks without fully disassembling them entails working with a lot of extra intricate parts that are easier to bypass than traditional locks and can lead to malfunction.

When you need your locks rekeyed or changed out and replaced, be sure to consult a reliable locksmith nearby who will know the best option for you to pursue and will be able to give you a price quote for the hardware and labor. While rekeying is usually the most cost-effective option in terms of saving money, you may have no other choice but to improve your security measures by replacing the entire lock. While the latter choice may be pricey upfront, it will be well worth it in the end.

The post Is It Better To Replace A Lock or Re-Key? appeared first on Colorado Springs Locksmith.

• stranded alongside your vehicle because you’ve lost your keys, locked them inside, or broken off a key in the ignition or car door;
• you are trying to gain access to your place of work;
• or you are standing outside of your house without a key,

a lockout never seems to happen at a convenient or appropriate time. Maybe it’s not one of the most common scenarios of a lockout that you have found yourself in. Maybe you are locked out of your storage unit or have forgotten the combination to your safe.

Automotive Lockout Scenario

You can’t find your keys, or you locked your keys inside the car. Worse yet, your key broke off inside the door lock or ignition, or your keys are locked inside the car with the engine running. Maybe you even shut the door leaving behind a small child or pet. These are all emergency lockout situations. In a panic, you will probably begin to try to attempt to enter the vehicle on your own. Not only does this more often than not do nothing more than waste time, you also take the risk of damaging your vehicle with repairs needed that your insurance will not cover, adding to your expense while minutes tick away. A better option is to first call a qualified locksmith who will show up in no time and get you back inside your vehicle, retract your key if necessary, and make you a duplicate key on the spot without leaving any damage to your car.

Residential Home Lockout Scenario

Your house keys are lost, or your door shut behind you leaving your keys locked inside. Regardless of the reason, you are now stranded outside your front door at your own home. Don’t worry! This is a very common situation that locksmiths handle on a daily basis. They understand your urgency to get back inside, to find your lost key, install a new lock, or re-key an existing one to ensure you are the only one who has access to the key that opens your home. Before you panic and attempt to break into your own house or pick a lock, calm down long enough to think straight and contact a nearby locksmith who will come to you and remedy your situation in a hurry.

Commercial Property Business or Office Lockout Scenario

You have lost your master key or electronic access card that allows you entry to work. Perhaps, the lock is worn and isn’t working properly, leaving you locked out. It doesn’t matter what the reason, the fact is that now you are trying to get inside your place of employment to work and are locked out. If your office has an on-call commercial locksmith, this is the one to call. If not, you will need the fast and reliable services of a commercial locksmith who will quickly get you inside. When the locksmith arrives, you will need to show proof of identification.

Preventing a Lockout from Happening

Of course, the best method of handling a lockout is preventing it from occurring in the first place or being prepared just in case. Some steps to take include:

• Leave a spare key with a trusted neighbor, friend, or relative
• Hide a spare key in a location that is out of the sight of passersby and not in a typical “under-the-door-mat” obvious location.
• Keep a spare key in your wallet
• Avoid damaged, worn locks by keeping them properly maintained

While your first reaction will probably be panic and frustration, the best thing to do when you find yourself in the middle of a lockout is to call for help from a trustworthy mobile locksmith, skilled and ready to show up at your location in no time at all.

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What Is A Mobile Locksmith?

Let’s face it! When you need a locksmith in a hurry, it’s probably not at a convenient time or even a convenient location. You need help, and you need help fast! Mobile locksmiths are just as the name implies. They are locksmiths who are mobile as opposed to one who is on location, on staff, or requires appointments at their location to help. A mobile locksmith is a trained and ready professional locksmith who is equipped and ready to come to your location when you have a lock or key need and cannot spend time making an appointment to meet with a locksmith at the locksmith’s office.

Another benefit to a mobile locksmith in Colorado Springs is that they know the area, so they will easily be able to find your location when you call. We are local and will never send technicians out from a national call center who may or may not understand the locale.

Mobile locksmiths are nearby and ready to come to you when you need them, so you know that help will arrive in 30 minutes or less, anytime day or not and even on holidays.

When you are locked out of your car or home, broken a key off in the ignition, lost your keys, need a re-keying service, or are stranded roadside, or need transponder keys programmed or car keys made on the spot, we come to you in and around the Colorado Springs area. We take the panic out of emergencies. Lock and key emergencies require the services of someone who can work on the lock, which means that even if it’s not an emergency situation, it would be very awkward and inconvenient to dismantle a door with a lock intact or get the vehicle to another location for service. That’s why mobile locksmiths come to you to provide the service you need right there on the spot.

Our Mobile locksmith in Colorado Springs is available 24 hours to come to you when you need a professional service. We provide:

• Affordable unlocking services
• Fast keys made on the spot
• Quick lock changes
• Fast locks re-key services
• And more

Our professional locksmiths are on call anytime you need us, 24/7. Our staff of trusted locksmiths are dependable and affordable. We strive to build our business on trust and excellence. We provide our customers with fast, friendly service and trustworthy pricing upfront with no hidden costs.

Colorado Springs Locksmith send our mobile locksmiths to you fully stocked with the tools and fully trained with the know-how they need to get your job done fast and right the first time.

It’s time to call the best mobile locksmith in Colorado Springs. Call and discuss your locksmith needs now before you are in an emergency situation. Then, when you do find yourself in need of a mobile locksmith in Colorado Springs, you will know who to call.

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They are used, sometimes in the hands of the wrong people, to pick a lock and gain entry. It is estimated that more than 95% of conventional home and business locks are vulnerable to being picked using a bump key.

Bump Key Can Damage Locks

Depending on the lock, how often a bump key has been used on the lock, and the amount of force applied, bump keys have been known to leave permanent damage to the lock.

Pin Tumbler Locks

Bump keys work with pin tumbler locks, so to understand exactly how a bump key works, you must first understand how a pin tumbler lock functions. Pin tumbler locks are made up of:

• key pins
• Driver pins
• Located within the core and cylinder

The key pins and the driver pins are inside the same pin hole. They are pushed together by a spring to prevent the core from rotating.

Shear Lines

When you align the key pins and the driver pins to allow a separation between the two pins to align with the separation between the core and the housing, you create a shear line. The shear line allows the core, or plug, to rotate inside the cylinder.

When the properly cut key is inserted into the keyway, the key aligns the gaps between the pins with the edge of the lock core and pushes the pins into alignment along the shear line. This allows the core to be rotated and the bolt work to be retracted and unlocked. If you insert a key that has not been cut for that specific lock, the gap between the pins will not line up with the gap around the core, so the core will not rotate because the shear line has not been formed.

How Bump Keys Are Used

A bump key can be made using a key that already fits a specific lock, or some are even crafted by burglars in their home. Once made, the bump key is partially inserted into the lock so that one pin, or notch, stays between allowing full insertion of the key. With very little movement of the bump key, it is eventually fully inserted, relying on the spring tension of the pins to align the bump key. The person using the bump key then applies an impact force, referred to as a bump, to force the key deep into the lock. When this force is applied, the key pins jar, and the driver pins jump for a split second, aligning and creating a shear line. Once the shear line is established, the lock can be opened.

Is Lock Bumping the Same as Picking a Lock?

Lock picking requires patient skill that usually leave little or no damage to the lock. Bumping a lock, however, relies heavily on the actual bumping technique, that ultimately forces the lock open and can damage the lock in the process. Most professional locksmiths are equipped with the proper tools needed for opening a lock without leaving any damage to the locking mechanisms or the outer assembly of the lock.

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