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CalamityCorners Locksmith Co.Open 24/7 (226) 271-6061
Detached satin-nickel lever hardware, tubular latch and strike plate on a wooden workbench. — Lock Replacement & Upgrade, London

Change or rekey · London

Lock Replacement & Upgrade

Someone 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.

In plain words

Lock replacement and upgrade is the service that takes tired or under-built door hardware off and puts hardware suited to the door in its place. It ranges from a like-for-like deadbolt on a back door to a complete refit of every entrance with heavier-grade locks, reinforced strikes and one key for the house. The locksmith first confirms that the person ordering the work has the right to change the lock, then examines the door, measures the existing preparation and recommends hardware that fits it cleanly. The visit ends with each lock tested from both sides, keys in your hand and the packaging and instructions left with you.

Sound familiar?London

The call
Someone 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.

NextHow the visit goes

Lock Replacement & Upgrade · London

How the visit goes

Illustrative locksmith scene — London
  1. Scene 1

    How the old lock behaves in use

    The locksmith works the existing hardware the way you do every day and watches for the tell-tale signs. A key that must be lifted or wiggled points to worn pins or a worn key. A knob that turns too far, or a lever that droops, suggests a tired spindle or spring. A latch that stays retracted, or a bolt that stops short, can be internal wear or something outside the lock altogether. Doing this with the door open first, then closed, separates faults inside the mechanism from faults in the fit of the door, and that distinction decides whether new hardware is the answer or part of the answer.

  2. Scene 2

    Keying the new locks to one key

    New cylinders arrive on random keys, so the locksmith pins them alike on site when you want one key for the house. Each cylinder is removed, the plug slid out on a follower so the springs stay put, and the bottom pins replaced to match a single new key. Existing cylinders that are staying are repinned the same way. Every key is then cut from the new combination, tried in every lock it should open, and any that drag are recut rather than handed over. The result is one key for the front, back and garage doors, and a clear count of how many exist.

  3. Scene 3

    A smart lock with its backup arranged

    A keypad or smart deadbolt leaves the visit with codes set for each person, auto-lock and alerts configured, and any phone pairing confirmed while the locksmith is there to check it. You are shown the low-battery signal so you recognise it, and the type of battery the maker calls for. The mechanical override key is the piece to look after: keep it on a keyring or with a neighbour rather than inside the home it opens. A second person's code is set up before the locksmith leaves, so a flat phone or a forgotten code is never a reason to stand on the porch.

In the van

  • Boring jig and hole saws
  • Cylinders, plug follower and pinning kit
  • Adjustable latch or bolt
  • Filler plates and thick-door extension kits
  • Knob or lever entry set

What shapes the quoteCalamity Corners Locksmith Co.

Older and mortise hardware
Servicing an original mortise case, sourcing a compatible cylinder or fitting a conversion plate on a century door involves more assessment and fitting time than a standard cylindrical replacement.
Keying alike and rekeying
Pinning new cylinders to one key and repinning existing locks to match is work per cylinder, so a whole house on a single key is quoted by the number of locks joining it.
Strike reinforcement and jamb repair
A reinforced strike with long screws is a modest addition; repairing a jamb split from a forced entry, or fitting a strike box into a frame that has never had one, adds labour and materials.

FeesSame any hour

Have it ready

Before you call · 0 / 3

(226) 271-6061

Let's clear a few things up

Is there anything different about steel or fibreglass doors?

The lock hardware is the same; the door construction changes the method. Steel and fibreglass doors have a wooden or composite block inside the lock stile, and existing bores are used wherever possible. Where a new deadbolt must be added, the locksmith drills with a jig and bits suited to the skin so the hole is clean and square, and fits an edge plate designed for that door. Insulated doors also move less with humidity, so alignment tends to hold well.

What information helps before the visit?

Photographs of each lock from outside and inside, plus one of the door edge showing the latch plate and one of the strike on the frame, tell the locksmith most of what they need. Add the door thickness if you can measure it, whether the door is wood, steel or fibreglass, the finish you want to match, how many doors are involved and whether you want them all on one key.

Will a new lock fit the holes already in my door?

Usually, yes. Most residential doors are prepared to standard sizes, a 54 millimetre cross bore and a backset of 60 or 70 millimetres, and most modern hardware adjusts between those backsets. The locksmith measures before choosing, so the new lock is matched to the door rather than the other way around. Where an older mortise lock or an unusual bore is found, filler plates, extension kits or a carefully jigged new bore bring the door to standard.

Londoninformation

MiddlesexOntario

Town
London, Middlesex
In business
27 years
Hours
Open 24/7
Nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
Visits
On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.

2021 census: what it means at the door

Every square is one home in a hundred.

  • 52 in 100 homes · older homes
  • About 52% of homes in London were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.Where most homes were built decades ago, doors often still carry their original mortise locks and brass knobs. That hardware can usually be cleaned, re-sprung and kept in service, with a modern deadbolt added above it for strength without losing the look.
  • Single-detached houses make up about 49% of homes in London (2021 Census).Where the housing is mixed, expectations about what can be changed differ. A homeowner in a house decides everything; a condo owner works within house rules on the outer face. The locksmith knows which conversation to have at which door.

Source: Statistics Canada, Census Profile

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On-site assessment

Request a visit.

Someone tried the back door while you were away.

(226) 271-6061, open 24/7.