The Things You Need to Know About Replacing Keys

One of the things that people make sure they have at home are good locks for their doors and windows. Most of their valuables are in their home and they want to do everything necessary to protect them. That’s why they buy good locks that cannot be easily tampered with. These locks can prevent amateur thieves from entering their houses, and of course, people feel more secure when they have good locks.

There are instances however when new key copies are needed because the original got lost, or a family member will need his or her own copy.

What are the things you need to know about getting key copies?

Have a record of your key number. Most high quality locks and keys have serial numbers (stamped on your original key), so it a good idea that you could copy the key number, and then store it in a safe location. To order the new key, check with your local Home Depot if they have the key (with matching number) available and if they can make a copy for you. It is also important to call ahead sometimes because if your key is very unique, then they may not have suitable replacements. If you lost your key however and you don’t have the serial number, there’s a big chance that the lock will be a little bit impossible to open. Unless you have a good picture of your key.

Take a picture of your key. By having a picture of your key (this should still be stored safely, whether in a physical cabinet or in an online folder), you will be able to research online for the measurements of your key. You’ll be able to know the model and the size. Print the picture, cut it to the shape and size of the original key. Go to your hardware store and buy blank keys. If you have filing tools at home, you could fashion the duplicate after the original key. Or, if you show the key picture to your locksmith or the hardware store personnel, they should be able to create you duplicate keys. This can also work for some doorknobs. The locksmith cay be able to tell the key type by looking at the doorknob picture.

If you lost your keys and you neither have a picture nor the serial number of the keys, you can try picking the lock if there’s something you need to get from your room urgently. If opening the door can wait and if you think that replacing the lock or the doorknob will be better, call your local locksmith and have it replaced.