Rekey or Get New Locks Installed?

Without a doubt, the stress and anxiety caused by losing the keys to your home is one of the most challenging ordeals to be dealing with. Unfortunately, we are all prone to go through it at some moment in time. What is important is the attitude you will choose to have when the dreaded thing happens. Keeping your cool and thinking about the best solutions will make all the difference. It should all start with knowing exactly what your options are: rekeying the locks, installing new locks, or getting a house key made without the original.

Worried About Losing the Keys to Your Home?

Since the keys to your home are also the main gateway to entering your household, losing them means looking at restricted access to your dwelling. There is also the risk of a stranger entering your home without your consent, in case they come across your keys and an ID to certify your address for them. These are the two main reasons why most people prefer to have their locks changed as a result of losing the keys to their house. Others would argue that getting new key copies should suffice. Let us take a look at the main arguments for each of these solutions so you can be sure you will be making the right choice once you will be confronted with the lost home key scenario.

Why Should You Change the Locks to Your House When the Keys Are Lost?

Given the fact that door locks are paired with corresponding keys, losing the keys means having to change parts of the lock mechanisms as a means of compensating the loss. While there are no actual laws that force house-owners to change the locks on their home provided the keys are lost, failing to do it under certain circumstances will seriously jeopardize the security of your home. There is no point in taking any chances and leaving the security of your castle up to the hands of change. Having the locks replaced is the simplest way of making sure that you will immediately get rid of any vulnerabilities associated with the missing keys that could easily reach the wrong hands.

However, deciding which of the two options is the most suitable for you is a much more detailed thought process that will need to assess the following:

The Way You Have Lost Your Keys

When trying to decide if you should rekey your locks or have them completely replaced, you should spend some time thinking about the way you've actually lost the keys. Decide if you ave simply misplaced, left them behind somewhere, or if someone has stolen them from you. The location where the keys might have been left behind will help you decide what is the best locks should be replaced or rekeyed.

• If you suspect your lost house keys have been stolen, change the locks so you can restore the security of your property and your own peace of mind.

• If you think you have simply misplaced your keys, chances are someone might find them and somehow trace them back to your home. While it is possible for a good samaritan to come across your keys and bring them back to you, there is always the risk of an opportunist neighborhood burglar to find them and use them to your advantage. If this is the case, you could consider having the lock rekeyed as a solution. Keep in mind it is possible to get a house key made without the original, and all you need to do is get in touch with a professional residential locksmith like the ones in our team and ask them to give you a hand.

• Nonetheless, if you wish to enhance protection on your home and keep your loved ones and your prized possessions safe from potential intruders, have the locks changed instead.

Why Should You Rekey Your Locks After Losing the Keys?

Rekeying a lock enables you to keep the old locks while having them fitted in such a way that they no longer work with the old keys that you have lost. Instead, they will only work together with a new set of keys, rendering the old set useless. Lock rekeying is oftentimes more affordable compared to lock change or new lock installation since it does not incur the replacement of the entire lock body with a new one.

However, deciding which of the two options is the most suitable for you is a much more detailed thought process that will need to assess the following:

The Way You Have Lost Your Keys

When trying to decide if you should rekey your locks or have them completely replaced, you should spend some time thinking about the way you've actually lost the keys. Decide if you ave simply misplaced, left them behind somewhere, or if someone has stolen them from you. The location where the keys might have been left behind will help you decide what is the best locks should be replaced or rekeyed.

• If you suspect your lost house keys have been stolen, change the locks so you can restore the security of your property and your own peace of mind.

• If you think you have simply misplaced your keys, chances are someone might find them and somehow trace them back to your home. While it is possible for a good samaritan to come across your keys and bring them back to you, there is always the risk of an opportunist neighborhood burglar to find them and use them to your advantage. If this is the case, you could consider having the lock rekeyed as a solution. Keep in mind it is possible to get a house key made without the original, and all you need to do is get in touch with a professional residential locksmith like the ones in our team and ask them to give you a hand.

• Nonetheless, if you wish to enhance protection on your home and keep your loved ones and your prized possessions safe from potential intruders, have the locks changed instead.

• In case you have lost your keys together with some form of identification such as an ID card attached to the keychain, you should think about changing your locks so you can effectively negate the old keys.

• In case you have lost a master key, have a new lock installed, no matter if you suspect the key has been stolen or simply misplaced.

Letting Your Budget Decide

If you have any budget restrictions, you will need to also add this to the equation when deciding if you should rekey the locks or have them replaced when losing the keys to your home. However, try to always make the security of your home a top priority. Even though your decision today might influence your monthly budget, in the long run, you are still going to thank yourself for restoring your peace of mind as well as an enhanced level of home protection. Usually, it is more affordable to re-key a lock instead of getting a new lock installed, but you should always talk to a locksmith as the final bill will depend on a series of factors such as the type and model of the lock, the complexity of the mechanism, and so on.

Finally, there is no straight answer to the question “What do I do if I have lost my keys?”, but getting in touch with an expert locksmith that knows how to make a key for an old lock and how to get a house key made without the original will help clear a lot of uncertainties and ultimately make the right call.