We need to have all of our locks replaced

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kwiklock allows you to rekey on your own. I’ve had to redo mine after a few arrangements (ironically with dog sitters) needed to end. You can pick up the locks at any hardware store and have them installed and keyed within an hour at most.

I changed out our knobs and deadbolts for our 4 outdoor doors so they all use the same key. Cheaper than calling in a locksmith and I can rekey them again later if I want to.

The brand is Kwikset. Same we can rekey all locks ourselves in am afternoon.

I would make one a programmable lock you use for dog sitters etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- yes you can make them all the same key. But do you need keys? Why not go with a combination door lock (the ones with a code you enter)? We love it on our back doors because then we don't get locked out.

I'd just replace, get the key to the front door and then make the others combo locks.

I also like replacing because my doorknobs get so weathered looking after 10 years or so.

Key code locks are less secure. If you hire a locksmith it will be done quickly. My dh replaced some in our house but we were surprised how easy it is to break in. One of our locks fell apart and fell out of the door when we first moved in. We had expensive locks installed because we were worried about what had gone on in our house prior to our moving there. Assa and Abloy make some of the better locks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- yes you can make them all the same key. But do you need keys? Why not go with a combination door lock (the ones with a code you enter)? We love it on our back doors because then we don't get locked out.

I'd just replace, get the key to the front door and then make the others combo locks.

I also like replacing because my doorknobs get so weathered looking after 10 years or so.

Key code locks are less secure. If you hire a locksmith it will be done quickly. My dh replaced some in our house but we were surprised how easy it is to break in. One of our locks fell apart and fell out of the door when we first moved in. We had expensive locks installed because we were worried about what had gone on in our house prior to our moving there. Assa and Abloy make some of the better locks.

Unless you have high security windows, expensive locks are overkill.

We had security film on our Georgetown rowhouse, and high security locks so breaking in would take some real time.

But most SFH have a dozen ways of entry beyond the locks and are hard to fortify (we have 15 ground floor windows for instance), and they could just account you from a bush as you walk home.

Basically you want locks that will keep your young kids in and bored teens and roaming homeless out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- yes you can make them all the same key. But do you need keys? Why not go with a combination door lock (the ones with a code you enter)? We love it on our back doors because then we don't get locked out.

I'd just replace, get the key to the front door and then make the others combo locks.

I also like replacing because my doorknobs get so weathered looking after 10 years or so.

Key code locks are less secure. If you hire a locksmith it will be done quickly. My dh replaced some in our house but we were surprised how easy it is to break in. One of our locks fell apart and fell out of the door when we first moved in. We had expensive locks installed because we were worried about what had gone on in our house prior to our moving there. Assa and Abloy make some of the better locks.

Unless you have high security windows, expensive locks are overkill.

We had security film on our Georgetown rowhouse, and high security locks so breaking in would take some real time.

But most SFH have a dozen ways of entry beyond the locks and are hard to fortify (we have 15 ground floor windows for instance), and they could just account you from a bush as you walk home.

Basically you want locks that will keep your young kids in and bored teens and roaming homeless out.

I was the PP who implied that a dog sitter turning into a burglar would not worry me. The idea that locks are anything more than an inconvenience is laughable. If someone wants into your house, they are going to get in. Some people are just so afraid. As for your security filmed windows and good locks, it would still take less than 5 minutes for a determined person.

[Anonymous]

OP I read your original thread.

Call locksmith and have them re=key your locks. Everything stays the same they just change the insides to use new keys (they will all be the same key if you want) do not buy new locks it’s not necessarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call a locksmith and get a quote to re key 4 locks and specify you need them "keyed alike". When you call have the lock type written down. Do the doors have deadbolts or is this just the lock in the handle. If you can tell the locksmith the brand of locks that will help as well. Then when they give you the price you decide if the cost is worth it. Remember to factor in how quickly they will do this vs how long it will take you to figure it out as well as your skill level with doing this. Also, if you need to change your locks then factor in your peace of mind. There are some home repair tasks that are worth paying someone to get done quickly and correctly.

I agree with PP. We have always had a locksmith come and rekey all the locks immediately when we moving into a new home...then you are starting from a clean slate in terms of keys. In the future I'd recommend having one door use a keypad lock. You can create a four digit code to give different people, and withdraw the code at any time. For example, you could have given the dog sitter a specific code and after all this, deleted the code so it can no longer be used. Then you don't need to worry about keys being made and such. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New locks are expensive.

Can you just re-key instead?

This. It’s a DIY job.

[Anonymous]

Kwikset locks can be bought in a set of 6 all keyed alike. Neighborhood hardware stores usually have them (mine came from Ayers in Westover.) Rekeying would work if all of the locks are the same brand/type.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They won't come with matching keys unless you find a website who will do that for you. I'm looking at build dot com and saw that as an option, I'm sure there are others.

We need to do all ours and i want them to match

Home Depot will rekey a lock you purchase from them for $5.

[Anonymous]

I bought a matching set of 3 locks from Home Depot and installed myself in about 30 minutes. The locks come from number codes and you can find matching keys by matching the number codes. The prices for locks has really gone up in the last year and expect to pay about $100 per lock (more for front door) for a quality brand, so you can compare replacement costs with the cost of rekeying.

[Anonymous]

Hire a locksmith to replace all the lock sets ‘keyed alike’. Purchase Schlage or Baldwin, not Kwikset.