Many homeowners, when posed with the choice, don’t understand the difference between rekeying a lock and fully replacing it. Surprisingly, it’s more common for people to choose to totally change their locks rather than rekey them. Sometimes, however, rekeying is a better option. In this guide, prepared from the expert experience of the technicians at Chicago Locksmith, we’ll detail both the pros and cons of rekeying locks and replacing them.
Rekeying Locks Pros
Increased Security
When rekeying your locks you will reassert your key control, by rendering all other keys void. This process is commonly carried out by homeowners when they move into their house in order to prevent previous homeowners or anybody else from being able to walk on in, sealing up gaps in security.
Cost
Rekeying simply consists of the keypins in the lock cylinder being swapped out. Key pins are much less expensive than brand new locksets, making rekeying a fantastically cost effective option for homeowners.
Quick Process
Professional locksmiths can quickly rekey locks quite easily with just a catch tool, a spanner, a key decoder, and the current key. This should be a cut and dry easy operation for any professional locksmith.
Cons of Rekeying Locks
Not too many security upgrade choices
Rekeying locks give you only a slight boost in your security – as you’re simply limiting the potential of other people with keys being able to access it, as opposed to increasing the inherent security features and durability of the lock itself. If you have a less-than-perfect lock installed, and rekey it, you’ll still be left with a not so good lock. This isn’t nearly as strong of a security upgrade compared to upgrading the lock completely to a stronger lock.
Pros of Lock Replacement
Customizable Options
When you install a new lock you can customize your security, choosing the feeling and appearance of the locks, as well as choose additional features like extra long screws and additional security pins. By replacing your lock, you have a whole new set of security tools to protect your property with.
Upgradability
You can upgrade your locks, and thus, the general security of your property. If you have a Grade 2 deadbolt on your door, you couldn’t upgrade it to a Grade 1 deadbolt simply by rekeying – but you easily can through a lock replacement, choosing a stronger and more durable lock, exponentially increasing the security of your property by scores. Replacing your lock gives you endless flexibility for security upgrades.
Cons of Lock Replacement
Labor/Cost
Lock replacement is a more expensive and technically complex operation than simply rekeying your locks. You will have to pay for the extra labor in addition to the price of the brand new lockset, which is usually, even on its own, more expensive than the entire cost of the keypins required for a rekeying operation. However, for home or business owners with a budget, there’s simply no replacing the security benefits that come with a lock replacement.
