New Orleans, LA 70112

The locks on the exterior doors of our homes keep not only our valuables safe but our families as well. Strong locks on the doors give us peace of mind when we are away from home or while inside the house. When these locks fail and our safety becomes at risk, we need to figure out how to change locks on a house.

However, before we can know-how, we need to know the reasons for replacing locks on the exterior doors of our homes. The circumstances and your security needs will influence the answer to these questions.

In this article, we will cover the top reasons for why and when to change the locks. We will also give you some pointers for how to get locks changed, by either yourself or by calling in the professionals.

Reasons you would change the locks

1. You have moved into a new house

When you move into a new house, keeping yourself protected from unwanted guests is crucial for your well-being. With a new house, you have no idea how many copies of the key the previous owners made for how many people. There is no way of knowing who may still have a copy of those keys.

For you and your family’s safety, it is best to change locks on the new house the same day you move in.

What is the best way to change locks on a new house?

When changing the locks on your new home, you have two choices. These are to replace the locks on the exterior doors, windows, and garage doors that could be expensive or to rekey the locks.

So, what is the difference between replacing a lock and re-keying a lock?

  • Replacing a house door lock. This involves removing the existing lock on the door and replacing it with a new lock.
  • Re-keying a house door lock. This involves changing the pins inside the existing lock to work with a different key.

How much for a locksmith to rekey a house?

The amount a locksmith will charge you for re-keying all the locks in your house varies and depends on several factors, including:

  • How many locks you want to be re-keyed
  • How complex the existing locks are

The best way to get a proper estimate of the cost is to call a local reputable locksmith and ask them for a quote.

2. You have lost your house keys

Losing your house keys is stressful on its own, especially if you have no way of getting inside. But knowing that someone can pick them up and use them to get into your home can cause you sleepless nights.

You might also wonder; can a locksmith unlock your house?

Yes, they can, but you need to prove in either some way that you are the owner of the house or a tenant who may enter the house.

Once the locksmith gets you safely inside the house, you have two options for changing locks on doors. You can either replace the locks or rekey them. Both options will ensure that the lost keys will no longer open the lock.

3. The existing locks are old and faulty

If your existing locks are old and are you are experiencing difficulty in opening them, you need to change them as soon as you can. Faulty locks are an invitation to burglars as they make entering your home easy. If you leave a lock that is faulty and you have difficulty opening it, eventually you will not be able to open it at all.

4. Your home has been broken into

If your home has been broken into or someone has attempted to break in, you should change your locks as soon as possible. Burglars could have damaged your locks or could have found your spare keys and made copies of them.

5. You have an ex-employee or occupant

If an employee no longer works for you or a previous occupant has moved out, it is time for you to change the locks in your house. This will keep them from entering your property should they decide to come back.

6. The locks on your house need an upgrade

There are many reasons for you to upgrade the locks on the doors to your house. It could be simply that you have too many different keys for the different locks and you want to simplify things by having one key that unlocks all the doors.

You might want to upgrade to better locks with higher security levels that help to secure your home better. With upgrading your locks, you can also change the style, color, or design of the lock to blend in with your personal taste.

Another reason could be that you keep losing your house keys and decided that a better solution would be to change to keyless locks.

When to call the professionals

  • If you are inexperienced at changing locks and would like the job to be done correctly and a lot quicker.
  • If you are upgrading to higher security locks and need the advice of a professional
  • Need repairs to faulty locks
  • Want to re-key the locks on your home

When locks are faulty, house keys are missing or stolen, need to upgrade or when you move into a new house are all reasons to change the locks on your house. But how to change locks on a house would depend on your own skills of lock changing and the type of work you need to be done.

ASAP Locksmith is your go-to Locksmith in New Orleans to handle all your residential locksmith needs. We provide a variety of residential locksmith services in New Orleans and are always ready to help you with our emergency service. Call us today on 504-290-1862 and we would be there to help you out.