Rekeys and locks · Oakdale, CA
Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PMRekeys and new locks for Oakdale homes and rentals.
Rekey: new keys, same locks. Call and tell us how many doors.
Call (209) 847-2066Local 209 number · The log cabin at 630 N Yosemite Ave · Since 1986 · CA BSIS Lic. LCO #[OWNER TO SUPPLY]
Rekey or replace?
A rekey keeps the lock you have and changes which key opens it. Inside the lock is a row of small pins. Your key lifts each pin to one exact height, and then the lock turns. In a rekey we swap those pins for a set that matches a new key. The old key stops working. The lock on the door does not change.
A replacement is a new lock on the door. You want that when the lock is worn, sticks, has been forced, or when you want a deadbolt where there is none.
Most of the time a rekey is enough. When it isn't, we say so.
When to rekey.
- You just moved in. You do not know how many copies of the old key are out there. After a rekey they don't matter.
- You lost a key. If it had your address on it, or went missing with the rest of the ring, rekey.
- A roommate or tenant moved out. Even if they handed the key back. Copies are cheap to make.
- After a break-in. If the lock was forced it likely needs replacing, not rekeying. We can tell you at the door.
- After a remodel. Contractors, subs and deliveries all had a key for months.
- You carry too many keys. See the next section.
One key for every door.
Most houses can be set up so the front door, the back door, the garage door and the side gate all open with the same key. The trade word is keyed alike: several locks pinned to one key. It is usually done as part of a rekey.
Ask for it when you call: "Can you key all my doors alike?" We will ask what brands are on the locks, because locks from different makers do not always take the same key. If yours don't, we tell you the choices.
New locks and deadbolts.
The sign out front says LOCKS. That means new knobs and deadbolts on doors that need them, and replacing the ones that are worn out, stuck or damaged. A deadbolt is the separate bolt above the knob that goes deep into the door frame. If your door has only a knob lock, adding a deadbolt is the most common thing people ask us for.
Not sure whether what you have in mind is something we do? Ask on the phone. For example:
- Lever handles instead of knobs?
- A keypad lock, or one that works from a phone?
- A lock for a gate, shed or mailbox?
- A new lock on a door that never had one?
- Smart locks and keypad locks installed (owner to confirm).
- Specific lock brands stocked at the shop (owner to confirm).
- Cylinders rekeyed at the counter for customers who bring them in (owner to confirm).
What to have ready when you call.
- Call (209) 847-2066.
- Count the doors. Include the garage, the side gate and any door with its own lock.
- Decide how many new keys you want. One per person who lives there, plus a spare, is what most people ask for.
- Read us the brand name on the lock face. It is usually stamped on the round part where the key goes in.
- Gather every existing key. A rekey goes easier with a working key in hand.
- Tell us whether you own the place or rent it.
Then tell us where the house is. Ask for the price before anyone comes out. If the job changes once we see the doors, ask us to tell you before we go on.
Renters and landlords.
If you rent.
Get the owner's OK before you rekey. The locks are theirs. Most landlords say yes, and many want a copy of the new key. Ask them on the same call.
If you're the landlord.
Rekeying between tenants is the normal thing to do. Ask us about keying your units. Tell us how many doors and how many units, and whether you want one key that opens all of them for you while each tenant's key opens only their own. That is a common setup, and a question worth asking on the call.
Questions people ask.
Does a rekey make my old keys stop working?
Yes. That is the point of it. After a rekey the old keys no longer turn the lock, and only the new keys do. Anyone who still has an old key is locked out.
Can every lock be rekeyed?
Most house locks can. Some are worn, damaged or built in a way that makes a new lock the better choice. Tell us the brand name on the lock face when you call and we can usually say which it will be.
Should I rekey after buying a house?
We think so. You cannot know how many copies of the old key exist. A rekey means the keys in your hand are the only keys that work.
Can I bring the lock to the shop instead?
Call and ask. Tell us what kind of lock it is and we will tell you whether to bring it to 630 N Yosemite Ave or have us come to the door.
Call the shop.
Call (209) 847-2066630 N Yosemite Ave, Oakdale · Mon–Fri 8–5
After hours? Call anyway. We help when we can, but we can't promise an answer outside Mon–Fri 8–5.