Lowe's are able to rekey locks in certain stores. Customers can bring in their locks (if an eligible brand to be rekeyed at Lowe's) and have their locks rekeyed for around $5. Lowe's also offers rekeying kits so customers can rekey their own locks at home.
You can rekey all of your locks to match an existing key when the locks all have the same keyway. You can test if the locks use the same keyway by taking the existing key you want to use and seeing if it slides into the keyholes of the locks you want to match that key.
Home Depot will rekey locks such as Schlage, Kwikset, doorknobs, deadbolts, single and double cylinders for $5 to $15 per lock. If your local store does not offer the service, you may purchase a rekey kit or visit Lowe's or Ace Hardware. Home Depot does not rekey car locks as they often require specialized technology.
Rekeying Home Locks
Rekeying locks on your home typically costs $80 to $160. If you call the locksmith to your home, you might pay a trip fee of $50 to $100. The cost to rekey is $30 to $60 per lock, bringing you to that total. Rekeying is different and more affordable than replacing the locks.
To get your locks re-keyed, visit your local locksmith to have them do it for you. Or, just ask the store you're purchasing the locks from to re-key the lock to one you may already own. It's a process that should only take a few minutes.
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.
Rekeying your lock is almost always cheaper than replacing a lock. This is because of the cheaper price of the key pins inside the locks, whereas when you replace a lock, you are paying for all brand-new parts.
When you rekey a lock by yourself, you will need to purchase a rekey kit that is specific to your brand of doorknob, lever, or deadbolt. You will receive several keys (often between three and six keys), all identically cut.
Rekeying a lock does not hurt the security of the lock, nor does it make it more secure. One of the factors that makes a lock secure is how many pins are inside of it. As long as the locksmith swaps the old 5 pins with 5 new ones, the lock will remain just as secure as it was before.
Re-keying SmartKey locks requires only three items and entails three easy steps. Users must have their functioning key, a SmartKey Learn Tool, and a new Kwikset key. First, insert the functioning key and turn it ¼-turn clockwise. Then, insert and remove the SmartKey learn tool.
Whenever safety and security are at risk, we recommend changing the locks or having the locks rekeyed. The most common situations requiring the locks to be changed include: When you have purchased a new house. When you have experienced a break-in or burglary.
When you move into a new home, you should change the locks on your house. You have no idea how many copies of the house keys are floating around out there from the previous homeowners, so changing the locks will keep your new house more secure. Tom recommends changing the locks whenever a new home is purchased.
But in many cases, you can just rekey them, which means changing the existing lock system so a new key operates it. A locksmith simply replaces the tumblers and pins to create a lock that can be opened by a brand-new key. The locksmith can also check on the lock's condition and add lubrication to maintain your lock.
Re-keying a Door
Since most homes have multiple doors with multiple locks, re-keying can get expensive. You can re-key a lock like a pro at a fraction of the cost. Re-keying kits are available for most lock brands but they're not interchangeable. You must buy a kit for each brand of lock in your home.
You can call a locksmith to rekey your lock for you with a fee, or you can do it yourself with the purchase of a kit. You can find rekey kits at major hardware or home improvement stores. Once you have a kit, you will be able to rekey your lock anytime. To rekey a Defiant lock, you will need its original key.
When you rekey your locks, you're altering the lock mechanism so that the old key will no longer open it. Instead, a new key will be necessary. In many circumstances, rekeying your locks makes more sense than changing your locks.
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.
Also in the non-forced entry category, there is no doubt Schlage is better. With a better, more precise manufacturing process and 2 additional security pins than the Kwikset deadbolt, Schlage locks are significantly harder to pick, bump or compromise in non-destructive ways.
Bump keys are specially cut keys that can bypass the security mechanisms built into traditional pin and tumbler locks. Bump keys are also referred to as “999 keys” because all of their ridges are cut to the maximum depth (999) in a key-making machine.
The art of lock impressioning is a non-destructive, covert method of making a working key for a lock without disassembling the lock or using lock picking techniques. Impressioning techniques rely on the locksmith's ability to bind internal components until they are in the correct position.
Hit the key into the lock lightly to "bump" it open.
Hold a small hammer, the back of a screwdriver, or another mallet-like object in the hand not holding the key. Hit the key straight in the direction of the lock, bumping it several times while still rotating the key slightly.