Having your locks keyed alike is very beneficial if you want to open & close all your door locks with one key.
Disadvantages of Using the Same Key for All Locks
Convenience is clearly the biggest convenience in using one key for all the door locks at your home or office. You don't have to search for the right key or carry around a big key ring. But this practice puts the safety of your family, staff and valuables at risk.
Keyed alike is the term used to describe multiple locks having the same cut so that one key can fit all the locks. Having your locks keyed alike is the most convenient way to handle and manage all your keys.
It's Your Choice. Ultimately, whether you choose to have your deadbolt and door lock open with the same key is your choice. There isn't necessarily a one size fits all answer. If you want to have separate keys for a door that currently uses only one key, it is easy enough for a locksmith to set it up for you.
How to Rekey a Deadbolt Lock. If your deadbolt requires a separate key from your entry doorknob, you can rekey it if they are the same brand. To rekey the deadbolt, remove it from the door and repin as you do a doorknob. Make sure the bolt is out and remove the screws holding the deadbolt to the door.
Benefits of a Single Key
When purchasing more than one lock, look for packages that have the same “key alike” number on the package. Alternatively, our store associates can key all of your locks to work with the same key. You can also purchase a rekeying kit to swap out pins and springs yourself.
Pick the key you like the best (or have the most of) and have all the other knobs keyed to it. Remove the locks that need to be rekeyed and take them to a locksmith or a hardware store. Bring a key that works each of the locks and the key you want all the locks keyed to and give us five minutes a lock.
This is because Schlage and Kwikset locks are not compatible with the same type of key. Their keyways are made differently, therefore you will either want to have all Schlage locks or all Kwikset locks. When you're at home, you don't want to use different keys for each lock you own.
Schlage and Kwikset are two of the most popular lock manufacturers on the market. Both brands make excellent locks that homeowners can easily install, but Schlage locks tend to offer higher security and reliability and are trusted by big businesses.
Leaving the keys in the back of the door is a bad idea for the same reasons and is particularly risky if the front door has a glass panel in or near it. The glass can easily be broken to steal the keys from the lock allowing intruders to gain access into your property.
If you have a quality lock, it can last for decades. So you should expect your lock to last about seven years. Door locks last longer when they are properly maintained. It is also essential to have the lock installed properly.
You won't have to hold multiple keys in order to access all of the different locks that you install on your property. Instead, one key will do the trick and that key is known as your Master Key. Negatives: While convenient, keyed alike locks are less secure than their keyed different counterparts.
One of the major benefits of rekeying a lock is that it is much cheaper than replacing the entire lock. The cost of rekeying a basic lock ranges from $20-$60. More complex locks might cost a bit more to rekey, but it's still a reasonably small price to pay for home security and peace of mind.
Deadbolts
Deadbolts are arguably one of the most popular door lock types, and they are widely used in many residential properties. Due to their popularity, they are also a common fixture in commercial spaces.
Deadbolts are unarguably one of the most popular type of door locks, and they are widely used for residential properties. They are opened by turning a knob or key without the use of a spring.
Because Schlage locks are made of stronger materials, are superior in their mechanism, and provide far greater security than Kwikset locks, it should be mentioned that they are more expensive compared to Kwikset. For example, let's look at the retail price for a deadbolt from both Kwikset and Schlage.
To begin with, the two most popular types of locks are Kwikset and Schlage. If you look at the two pictures above, you can see the examples of each key. Schlage has a number of SC1, and Kwickset has a number of KW1. Depending on the manufacturer of the key, they may not have the name stamped on one side.
Schlage deadbolts have a thick, solid housing that protects the cylinder all around, leaving no hollow areas, in contrast, the housing of the Kwikset deadbolt is much lighter and somewhat hollow, making it much easier to drill through.
Rekeying a lock is a common task for a locksmith, and this simple project only takes about 30 minutes to complete. The only tools you'll need to rekey your lock yourself are a rekey kit and the current key to the lock. This saves considerable money, especially when you need to access multiple locks with the same key.
House locks have a series of levers and pins set to a specific formulation that only accepts a particular key. Therefore, there's no such thing as a universal key that can open any door lock. However, there are master keys that can open multiple locks set to accept them.
We rekey Kwikset and Schlage locks at a fraction of the price of having to replace your locksets. We can also create a 'master key' for superintendents or landlords that need access to multiple units without carrying a hundred keys. We also key Masterlock padlocks to an existing Masterlock key.
Yes, there are millions of locks with the same key. Think of it this way... Master lock has 8 depths and four pins for most of their locks. 8x8x8x8 = 4,096 possible key permutations, including keys that exceed MACS (Maximum Adjacent Cut Specifications). The actual number is lower than that.
Convenience at its finest. Order a single Schlage Key and have it keyed to match your existing locks whether they are keyed alike, or different with the "Key Code" text box above.
Deadbolts, however, are still vulnerable to lock picking. Pin and tumbler locks are the most common designs in use today. These locks use a series of small, spring-loaded pins to keep the cylinder from turning.