10 Reasons to Replace or Rekey a Door Lock

Door locks need to be replaced or rekeyed from time to time, depending on the situation. We’ve compiled a list of reasons why you might replace or rekey your door locks:

1.    Believe it or not, door locks do not last forever. Depending on the brand, use, and a lot of other factors, you may need to replace your door lock simply because it wears out, or just isn’t secure anymore.

2.     After many years of owning a home, it’s better not to worry about keys you’ve given out in the past. Expect to rekey your locks every five to ten years, depending on your circumstances. 

3.    When you lose your keys, that is a reason to rekey unless (like me) you watched it fall to the bottom of a deep lake in another state. 

4.    When your keys or purse gets stolen. Thieves are great opportunists. A thief with a key doesn’t need to figure out how he’s going to get in. And trust me, even if you have an alarm, your thief knows exactly how much time he has before the alarm company calls or the police pop by.  In fact, he probably knows better than you do.

5.    After a break-in. Once someone has been inside, it’s time to batten down the hatches again.

6.    When you buy a new home. In the excitement of a new purchase, even if you buy the house from someone you know, it’s just hard to guess how many former roommates, service professionals, or other relatives have a key. The safe thing to do is rekey, even in a new housing development.

7.    When a roommate moves out. This one may seem silly, but there is an excellent reason: if anything happens, you don’t want to have even the slightest question in your mind about a former roommate’s innocence. This also goes for a divorce, even an amicable one. It’s important to protect your possessions.

8.    If the lock becomes rusty or hard to unlock, it’s a security issue waiting to happen.

9.    When you get a little extra money and want an upgrade.  A lot of locksmiths like the Falcon Brand Door lock. It’s a little pricey, but it’s the cream of the crop. Sometimes, a person becomes unhappy with the way their locks look, for example, if their tastes change or the locks don’t match after they paint their home.

10.    If someone who has or has had a key in the past suddenly has a change of integrity. Sometimes a close family member such as a sibling or adult child starts doing drugs or falls into a bad crowd—even a bad gambling problem. Or maybe you fire an employee and they don’t return their key. It really is okay to rekey the locks in such a circumstance.

Locks are meant to protect you, your possessions, and other household members. If any situation arises in which the locks you have can’t or don’t provide that protection anymore, it’s time to rekey or replace them. 

Be safe, everybody!