Rekey or replace the locks after you move into a Yakima home

The day you get the keys to a new house is a good day, but those keys aren't the only ones. The previous owners had copies. So did their relatives, the contractor, the cleaning crew, and the neighbor who watered the plants. Nobody can tell you how many are out there or who's holding them. The simple answer is to change the locks that matter before you've unpacked the first box.

Rekeying versus replacing: what's the difference

Rekeying keeps the lock hardware you already have and changes what's inside so it works with a new key. A pin tumbler lock has a row of small pin stacks, and each stack has to line up at a specific height for the lock to turn. The cuts on your key set those heights. To rekey, the locksmith takes the lock apart, swaps in pins of different sizes, and cuts new keys to match. The old keys stop working because their cuts no longer line up with the pins.

Replacing means taking the whole lock off the door and putting a different one on. That's the move when the lock is worn out, loose in the door, damaged, or just not up to the job of protecting that particular door.

If a lock is in decent shape, rekeying usually does what you need, which is to cut off every key you don't know about. Replacement is for when the hardware itself is the problem, or when you want something different.

What to check on each door

Walk the property with a pen and paper before anyone starts work. You'll probably find more locks than you remembered.

• The front and back entry doors, including the deadbolt and the knob or handle set on each.
• The door from the garage into the house.
• Side doors, patio and sliding door locks, and any basement entry.
• Garage service doors and any outbuilding or shed with a lock.
• The mailbox lock, if the mailbox is yours.
• Any lock that's loose or sticky, or that the seller couldn't find a key for.

Make them all match

One thing people like about rekeying is that locks can often be set to the same key, so you carry one key for the front door, the back door and the garage entry instead of a ring of six. Residential lock rekeying is a standard part of what Yakima Lock & Safe does, along with door knobs and deadbolts, high security lock systems and keyless entry remotes.

Inside the shop on Nob Hill, the walls are lined with labeled key blanks and there's a key machine at the counter, so extra copies can be cut right at the counter. Ask for the number of keys your household will really use, and keep a spare somewhere safe that isn't under the mat.

When replacing makes more sense

Sometimes rekeying a worn-out lock is money spent on the wrong thing. Replacement is worth a conversation when:

• The lock binds, sticks, or needs a jiggle to turn, even with a fresh key.
• The deadbolt doesn't throw all the way into the frame, or the frame around it is cracked or loose.
• The doors have a mismatch of old, unrelated locks and you'd like them to work as one system.
• You'd like keyless entry or a higher security lock on a door that matters.
• The lock has visible damage from a past break-in attempt.

Yakima Lock & Safe says it can upgrade your lock by giving you keyless or security lock choices, and that it offers installation and repair. The team will tell you upfront what can be done, so you're informed about your level of safety.

Don't forget the safe and the garage

If the previous owners left a safe, don't assume it's empty or that it opens for you. Ask the seller about it. The shop works on safes of all sizes and types, and a combination can be changed. If the house has a garage door keypad, change its code yourself, following the maker's instructions, since the old code is another thing the last owners know.

What to have ready when you call

• How many doors need attention and what kind of lock each one has.
• Whether you want everything keyed alike or some doors on their own key.
• How many keys each person in the household needs.
• Any lock that stuck, jammed or came with no key.
• Whether you'd like to upgrade anything, such as adding keyless entry.

New place, new locks, and one less thing to worry about at night. Call Yakima Lock & Safe at (509) 248-1124, or stop by the shop at 715 W Nob Hill Blvd and bring a list of your doors.