Change or rekey · Hamilton
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
The century home's original mortise lock takes a key the size of a spoon, sticks in humid weather and has worn its strike to a groove. You want a lock that works every day without giving up the old door.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
In plain words
A keypad or smart lock is a lock replacement with a few extra steps, and it suits households where keys circulate widely. The locksmith fits the new deadbolt to the existing bore, checks that the bolt throws freely so the motor is never straining against a misaligned strike, sets up user codes and any phone pairing, and shows you the mechanical override and the battery warning. Because these locks still rely on a bolt and a strike, the same attention goes into the frame as for any deadbolt. You gain convenience without giving up the mechanical basics that make a door hard to force.
How the visit goesSomeone tried the back door while you were away. The jamb is splintered around the strike, the bolt is bent, and the knob turns with a grinding feel. Everything held, barely, and you want hardware that would do better next time.
Hamilton
How the visit goes
The key plan for the whole house
A lock is only half of a system; the other half is who holds which key. The locksmith asks how many exterior doors there are, which ones should open with the same key, whether a garage man-door or a shed should join them, and who in the household needs a key of their own. If keys have been lent out over the years, the plan can retire all of them at once. Where copying keys without permission is a worry, a restricted keyway can be offered. Settling this before the hardware is chosen means the new locks arrive ready to be pinned alike rather than fixed up afterwards.
Taking the old hardware off without harm
Removal is done with the same care as fitting. Interior trim screws come out first, then the interior rose or thumb-turn, and the exterior housing lifts away with its tailpiece. The latch or bolt slides out of the edge bore once its two faceplate screws are released, and the old strike comes off the jamb. Painted-over screws are scored free rather than forced, seized screws are eased with a hand driver of the right size, and a stripped head is drilled out only as a last step. The bore and edge mortise are then cleaned of paint build-up and debris so the new parts seat properly.
Simple habits that keep new hardware new
New locks ask very little. Once or twice a year, or at whatever interval the lock maker specifies, a puff of the lubricant that maker calls for in the keyway and a few turns of the key keep the pins moving freely, since the wrong product for that cylinder gathers grit instead of helping it. In winter, wipe salt spray off the exterior hardware when it appears, since salt is the finish's main enemy here. Each spring and fall, check that the hinge and strike screws are snug, because wood doors move with humidity and a dropped door makes a good lock feel worn. A key that starts to need coaxing is an early word from the cylinder.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade
In the van
- Manufacturer-approved cylinder lubricant
- 75 millimetre strike and hinge screws
- Reinforced strike plate and strike box
- Cylinders, plug follower and pinning kit
- Filler plates and thick-door extension kits
What affects the quote
Same fees day, night or weekend
1Authorization needed from a property manager or landlord
A rental or condominium unit sometimes needs sign-off from a property manager or landlord before a lock is changed, and new keys may need to reach more than one party afterward. Confirming who is authorized and who receives keys is worked out before the new hardware goes in.
2Door material and thickness
Wood, steel and fibreglass doors are drilled and fitted differently, and a door thicker than the standard 45 millimetres needs extension parts, so the door itself shapes part of the quote.
3Patio and French door hardware
Sliding door mortise locks, foot bolts and flush bolts for an inactive French door leaf are specialty items sized to the door, and they are quoted as their own line beside the entrance work.
Lock Replacement & Upgrade: questions
What does a higher grade of lock actually give me?
Grades follow ANSI/BHMA standards, with Grade 1 the highest and Grade 3 the lightest, and residential hardware carries a separate label that scores security, durability and finish. The grade reports how the lock performed on the standard's own operational, strength and security tests; a higher grade often comes with a longer bolt, a sturdier housing, pins that resist picking and a strike built to anchor into the framing, but those features are worth confirming on the specific model rather than assumed from the grade alone.
Is a smart lock a good upgrade, and what happens when the batteries run out?
For a household with many people coming and going, codes that can be added and removed are a real convenience. Behind the keypad it is still a deadbolt, so grade and strike matter as much as ever. Batteries typically last months and the lock warns you as they fade; depending on the model, a dead battery is handled with a mechanical override key or with external contacts for a temporary power source, so it is worth confirming which one your lock uses.
Can I replace only the deadbolt and keep my existing knob?
Yes. The deadbolt and the knob or lever are separate locks in separate bores, so one can be replaced while the other stays. The new deadbolt can be pinned to work on the same key as the knob if the keyways are compatible, and its finish can be matched to the knob so the door looks intended. Replacing the deadbolt first is a sensible order, since it does most of the securing.
Change or Rekey Locks
- Deadbolt InstallationYou bought a keypad deadbolt online and pulled the old one off, only to find the hole in the door…
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceThe knob flops loose on its spindle and never springs back to level.
- Smart Lock InstallationThe deadbolt is a stiff double-cylinder model that needs a key from both sides, and in the dark…
Lock Replacement & Upgrade near you
Think of this as the workshop list for Hamilton. Emergency lockouts and key extraction. Rekeying after a move or a staff change. Lock replacement and deadbolt installation. High-security cylinders and reinforced strikes. Commercial hardware, closers and master keys. Safe opening and service. Key cutting for house and car.