No, non-destructive car entry does not damage paint or weather seals when done properly. Modern tools use a wedge and a long-reach tool through the top of the door frame, working with the weather stripping rather than forcing it, and leave no mark on the paint, glass, or trim. This is the question people do…
Keys locked in the trunk are a different problem from keys locked in the cabin — most trunks do not have the same emergency release access, and forcing one open risks the latch mechanism and the paint around it. Non-destructive entry through the cabin, then popping the trunk from inside, is the usual fix rather…
A DIY rekey kit works if your lock brand matches the kit exactly, you have the right key gauge, and nothing goes wrong on the first attempt — drop one spring and the lock is out of action until it is fixed. A professional rekey costs more but includes matching pins for any brand, keyed…
A rekey pulls the cylinder, swaps the pin stack inside for a new combination, and puts it back — the lock body, the door, and the finish never change. It takes 15 to 25 minutes per cylinder, and at the end you get a new key that works and every old key that stops working…
Keyed alike means every lock it applies to opens with the same key, set up during a rekey for a small extra cost since a technician is already on site. It only works when the locks share a compatible keyway; mixing brands sometimes means swapping a cylinder or two to match before it can be…
If you have lost a house key and cannot find it, rekey the affected door as soon as you reasonably can — not because losing a key is rare, but because you cannot know where it ended up. A lost key with your address on a tag or a fob is a worse version of…
Before anyone arrives: ask for a total price range on the phone, ask if they will need to drill anything, and check the vehicle for a company name rather than a plain unmarked car. A locksmith who avoids answering any of those three is worth cancelling on, even mid-conversation. You are letting a stranger with…
Bring a photo ID and something that shows the address is yours — a piece of mail, a utility bill, a lease, or a driver’s licence with the matching address. If you cannot produce anything on the spot, we can usually still verify ownership another way, but expect it to take longer and expect us…
No, not for a standard house lockout. Picking or bypassing a normal residential lock leaves no mark and the lock still works with your existing key afterwards. Drilling is a last resort on damaged, high-security, or already-broken locks, and any locksmith should tell you before they do it, not after. This is the question people…
A door that slams shut behind you locks because the latch is spring-loaded and engages on its own — you do not need to turn a key for that to happen. Deadbolts do not self-lock, so if you were only relying on the handle latch, this is the most common way people end up locked…