Rekeying a lock isn’t too complicated or at least not as complicated as most of us think. This could be done by both experts and not-so-experts. We’ll give you the steps on how to rekey a doorknob lock. But just in case you are wondering if other types of locks such as padlocks, deadbolts, and car locks can be rekeyed too, I want you to know that yes it’s possible. There are rekeyable padlocks and there are those that aren’t made for rekeying, so before you jump into the idea of keying a padlock, better know if it’s even possible in the first place.
Now let me show you the steps on how to rekey a doorknob lock.
Rekey a Door Knob Lock
Rekeying must be done when a door lock had already been successfully forced opened or picked once in its existence. Rekeying must also be done when the key to the lock had been lost or stolen since it leads to the possibility that an unauthorized person who now has the key could easily access the property. Those are the two common reasons why, but no matter what the reason is, if there’s a need, then proceed on rekeying. Want to be an expert when it comes to rekeying a doorknob lock? With the following easy step, you sure will be.
Get Yourself a Rekeying Kit
Yes, there’s such a thing. There’s no need to look for all the necessary tools one at a time. All that there is to do to complete the first step is to get yourself a rekeying kit. If there’s already one in the cabinet then stop right here and skip this part and jump to step two; if no rekeying kit available yet in the toolbox, worry not. Rekeying kits could easily be found in hardware stores, home centers, and of course, there are lots of good finds too in online shops.
A rekeying kit’s inclusions may vary depending on the set or the brand that is available. For some rekeying kits, only the lock pins can be found, which is not necessarily a bad thing especially if other tools needed can already be found in the toolbox. Rekeying kits with only the lock pins included, depending on the brand, are cheaper than the complete set. The complete set, on the other hand, includes tools such as cylinder follower, plug follower, and ring remover.
Remove the Door Knob and Disassemble as Needed
Removing the doorknob and disassembling it might sound like a lot of work to do. It may also seem so complicated especially if the one who’s about to do it isn’t so familiar yet about how’s it going to happen. But nah, believe me, it’s not that hard, especially if all the tools needed are already available.
First, remove the exterior doorknob from the door itself. How to? Well, notice that tiny hole by the shank of the doorknob? Insert a wire in that particular hole to be able to remove the lock face without any trouble. The wire to be used in such instance could be included in the rekeying kit, but if not, an unbent paper clip would do the trick just the same. After the exterior doorknob has been detached, take off the lock cylinder. Once it has been taken off with the use of a cylinder follower (this tool could be included in the rekeying kit as well), take out the cylinder plug as well. To remove the plug, the key has to be inserted into the cylinder and must be turned in order to be able to disconnect the upper lock pins from the upper ones. With the plug follower (this tool might also be included within the rekeying kit), push through the cylinder and remove the plug. Right after, it’s already possible to take out the old lower lock pins. Psst! Still, think it’s not an easy thing to do? Well, if you already got this far, it really isn’t.
Now Replace the Lock Pins
To be able to replace the lock pins, insert the new key in the cylinder. Doing such will serve as a guide for the new pins that will replace the old one that has been removed prior. Proceed with inserting the new pins. Lock pins are usually color-coded or number coded which matches the chart that is included within the rekeying kit. Follow the chart to be able to put the pins where they are supposed to be. Needle-Nosed pliers would be needed to pick up the pins and insert them to their designated places. If those certain pliers aren’t available in the toolbox, tweezers would do too.
Put It All Together Again
If it has been easy to remove the doorknob and disassemble it then it would be a piece of cake to get it all back together. Start assembling with the cylinder plug then the cylinder. Once attached together on the lock face, proceed on fixing it back to the door. Once the doorknob could already turn without any problem at all, then consider the job almost done.
See to it that the Rekeyed Lock Work
This step is the easiest yet one of the most important steps. Yes, the knob turns, but does the rekeyed lock itself works? That’s the question that would determine if the efforts are done to rekey the lock actually paid off. If the lock locks and unlocks with the new key, then yay, that does it. With their few easy-to-follow steps, anyone could be a pro when it comes to lock rekeying
Rekeying a lock is definitely necessary if security hazards are already taking place. When it had been opened by an unauthorized person due to lock picking or tampering or if it had been easily opened since the intruder got a copy of the original key, well lock rekeying could be a good solution. Lock replacement works too though.
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