Tag Archives: rekey locks

Rekeying Your Own Locks




Rekeying the lock system of your home is a crucial security measure that you need to take frequently. The truth is, unless you are the first occupant of the house or office you are in, you can never be sure how many copies of keys for your locks are out there. You therefore need to ensure that you take actions that will limit access of unauthorized individuals to your house. For any service by a locksmith, including rekeying services, you will have to part with quite an amount of your hard earned cash. Rekeying is required frequently hence it can be classified as a recurrent expenditure. So many reasons bring up the need to rekey. Although sometimes it is always wise to leave it to the professionals, sometimes we are constrained by our budget and we have to make a choice on what to pay for and what expenditure o push further forward.

When faced with such a choice, you might be tempted to ignore the need to rekey your lock system. This could be one of the biggest mistake you make since it compromises the security of your home. Instead of postponing rekeying of your locks, you should figure out how to do it at the lowest cost possible. How about you do the rekeying yourself?
Resources:
beverlyhillslocksmith.org
familyhandyman.com
wikihow.com

Can You Rekey Your Own Locks?

The answer is a YES. Rekeying is not a very complicated task. You can just do it like a pro at a very little cost. Rekeying kits are not that expensive. Once you buy one, you can use it to rekey several lock. If all the locks in your home are from the same brand, you only have to buy one rekeying toolkit. Each kit can rekey a specified number of locks. If you need to rekey more than the specified number of locks, you will have to order for more.

After you acquire the tools, you are now ready for the task ahead. If it your fast time, you will need to have some knowledge about the process, there are so many sources of information regarding rekeying. There are video demos and numerous literature written to guide you through the process of rekeying. Knowing how to go about it should not give you a headache. The following is a general procedure for rekeying most of the locks. However, some locks may include more steps. Ensure that you understand your lock brand and the steps involved in rekeying it.

Removing the lock face.

lock faceThe lock face is also called the door knob. Most door knobs have a small clip attaching it them to the door. You need to first insert the key and turn it until the door is unlocked. Using the small wire-like tool in the toolkit, push the clip inward until the door knob disintegrates from the rest of the door. For some locks, you do not have to open the lock before you remove the nob.

Removing the lock cylinder and the cylinder ring.

At this step, you use the knob follower. Using it, you push the cylinder through the lock housing or casing. For some lock brands, the key should still be inserted the lock opened. The top of the cylinder has several pins and springs. You need to keep the cylinder well held by the cylinder follower to guard the pins and the springs from popping out of the cylinder until the cylinder is securely removed. The retainer ring is removed by just pushing it with the retainer ring remover. Once pushed, it pops off the cylinder. Set it aside so that you can replace it later.

Removing the lock plug.

lock plugThis is the most involving step. It require maximum concentration. It involves separating the upper and the lower pins by inserting the current key and turning it as if you are about to open the lock. Using constant pressure, guide the pug follower through the cylinder.

Removing the old pins.

lock pinsRemove the old locking pins and replace them with the new ones. While inserting the new pins, the new key should be inserted in the lock. Each pin has a unique color. You should insert them according to the color guide provided in the tool kit. After you have inserted the pins, you should then reassemble the whole lock system.