Lock rekey in San Diego — same locks, new keys, old keys dead

We take the cylinder out, remove the small spring-loaded pins inside it, and put in a different set sized to a new key cut. The lock body, the handle, the finish and the holes in your door do not change at all.

From that moment the old key will go into the lock and refuse to turn. That is the whole point.

The moment the cylinder goes back in the door. There is no waiting period and no deactivation to arrange — the lock physically no longer accepts the old cut.

For the problem most people have — not knowing who holds a key — yes. A rekeyed lock is exactly as strong as it was yesterday, and yesterday's keys no longer work.

Fitting a new lock is the answer to a different problem: hardware that is worn, damaged, forced, or simply too weak for the door it is on. Replacing a lock does not make a strong lock stronger.

Usually, yes. Front door, back door, side gate and garage on a single key is a standard rekey job, as long as the cylinders are compatible with each other.

Where they are not, we can often swap one cylinder rather than the whole set so the group can be brought together.

Most can. The exceptions are worth knowing: a cylinder that is badly worn or damaged will not hold a new pinning reliably, some restricted and high security systems can only be keyed through their own controlled channel, and a few of the lightest locks are effectively disposable.

If yours is one of those we will tell you at the door, before we start, rather than after.

Rekey, in most cases — you do not know who holds a key, and rekeying ends that in one visit. Replace where the lock is worn or damaged, where it is thin builder-grade hardware on a street-facing door, or where you want a high security cylinder.

Our guide on rekeying or replacing when you move in works through it door by door.

Rekey the doors that key opened. If you rent, check your lease first and speak to the landlord or the managing agent — many California leases require consent for a lock change and require that the owner is given a key.

The rules that apply in California are set out in our landlord and tenant guide.

At your home. Pins, springs, blanks and the key machine are all in the van, so the cylinder comes out, is repinned on the tailgate and goes back on the door within the same visit.