Residential Rekeying in Marietta, GA
Rekeying changes the inside of your lock, not the outside. The lock cylinder comes out, the small pins inside are swapped to fit a new key, and the cylinder goes back in. Your knobs, handles and deadbolts stay where they are. Every old key stops working.
What Rekeying a House Actually Changes
A rekey changes which key opens the lock. The hardware on your door stays the same.
Peach Locksmith LLC rekeys house locks across Marietta from our base on Austell Road. Most homes here use pin tumbler locks: a row of small pins sits inside the cylinder, and the right key lifts them to one line so the lock turns. When we change those pins, the old keys no longer line up and won't turn. The bolt, the housing and the strength of the lock stay the same.
- Lock cylinderThe round part where your key slides in. This is the part a rekey works on.
- Key pins and driver pinsTwo stacked sets of tiny pins. The key pins touch the key, so those are the ones that get changed.
- KeywayThe shape of the slot where the key goes in. Locks need a matching keyway to share one key.
A Move-In Call We Often Get
Most move-in rekeys start with a ring of mystery keys.
A family has just closed on a house in east Marietta. The sellers handed over a ring of keys, and nobody knows who else has copies. Maybe a neighbor, maybe a dog walker. The first question is usually whether they need all new locks. Usually they don't.
We start by walking every door with them. The door from the garage into the house counts. So does a basement walk-out door. Those are easy to forget when you're counting keys.
Next we look at the keyway on each lock. A Schlage front door and a Kwikset garage door have different keyways, so as they stand they can't share one key.
We lay out the options in plain terms. One is to rekey the Schlage locks to one key and the Kwikset locks to another. The other is to replace the odd lock with one that matches the rest. The family picks, and the work starts.
In spring, fine pine pollen grit can drift into keyways. The pins come out during a rekey anyway, so it is a natural time to clear that grit out.
- Main doors
- Front and back knobs, levers and deadbolts
- Easy to miss
- Garage entry and basement walk-out
- Optional
- Detached sheds and keyed gates
- Before work starts
- Brand and keyway checked on every lock
Mismatched keyways get flagged before any cylinder comes apart.
Counting every keyed door and checking each keyway first is what decides whether a house can run on one key, two keys, or one key after a single lock is swapped.
Marietta Homes and Weather Shape How a Rekey Goes
Older homes, builder subdivisions, pollen and humidity all show up at the lock.
No third-party dispatch. Crews leave from Marietta and reach metro homes within the scheduled window.
Homes near Marietta Square often had locks added one door at a time over decades, so mixed brands and keyways are common. Newer subdivisions usually got one builder brand on every door, which makes a one-key setup much easier.
Families tied to Dobbins Air Reserve Base move often, and students near Life University share rentals. Each move-in, and each time a roommate moves out, is a good time to rekey rather than wonder who still has a copy.
Summer humidity can swell wood doors and frames. A deadbolt that throws freely with the door open may bind once it's shut. That is why a rekeyed deadbolt should be tested with the door closed, not just open.
Getting Ready for Your Rekey
A little information up front helps plan a one-key setup.
When you call, tell us how many doors need a new key. Include the garage entry, any basement door, and sheds or gates you want on the same key.
Mention the lock brands if you know them. Brand and keyway decide which locks can share one key and whether any lock would need replacing to match the rest.
Call 678-824-6578 or email info@peachlocksmithllc.com.
What Goes Into Every Rekey
The cylinder follows the same path on every lock.
- Every keyed door walkedfront, back, garage entry, basement, and any sheds or gates you want included
- Brand and keyway checkedanything that can't share a key is flagged before work begins
- Cylinder removedtaken out of the knob, lever or deadbolt
- Plug follower useda small metal rod that holds the springs and upper pins in place while the plug is out
- Key pins swappednew sizes go in to match the new key
- Tested open and closedthe new key is tried in every lock with the door open, then shut
- Old keys triedan old key should do nothing once the rekey is done
How We Set Compatible Locks to One Shared Key
Locks that share a keyway can usually be keyed alike, so one key opens them all.
Diagnostics
We count every keyed lock you want included: front door, back door, garage entry and basement, plus detached sheds and keyed gates if you want them on the same key. Then we check the brand and keyway on each one. Anything that can't match gets flagged before work begins.
Implementation
We pick one key pattern for the whole set. Each cylinder is taken out, the plug is pushed out with a plug follower, and the key pins are re-pinned to that pattern. The plug follower keeps the driver pins in order through every swap. Once the last lock is done, fresh keys are cut from the same pattern.
Post-Service Testing
We test the new key in every lock with the door open and then closed, since humid Marietta summers can swell wood doors and make a deadbolt bind when shut. We also try an old key in each lock to confirm it no longer turns.
Rekey Service in Marietta and Nearby Cities
We rekey homes in every Marietta zip code, starting from our Austell Road base.
Our team works from 2108 Austell Rd SW in 30008 and covers 30060 around the Square, 30064 out west, and 30062, 30066, 30067 and 30068 on the east side. We also rekey homes in Smyrna, Kennesaw, Roswell, Alpharetta and Decatur, along with surrounding communities across the Atlanta metro.
- Smyrna
- Marietta
Rekey or replace? Your questions answered
Is rekeying as secure as putting in a new lock?
Against the old keys, yes. Once the pins change, the old keys no longer line up and won't turn. A rekey doesn't change how the lock is built, though. If you want a stronger, higher-grade lock, replacing it is the better choice.
Do I need all new locks after moving into a house?
Usually not. If your locks work, turn smoothly and you like how they look, rekeying gives you new keys and retires every old copy while you keep the hardware.
Can you make all my house keys the same?
Locks that share a keyway can usually be rekeyed to one key. Different brands, such as Schlage and Kwikset, have different keyways. Those can be split into two key groups, or the odd lock can be replaced with one that matches the rest.
Which doors should I include in a rekey?
Every keyed door someone could open with an old key. People often forget the door from the garage into the house and basement walk-out doors. Sheds and keyed gates can be added if you want them on the same key.
When is replacing a lock better than rekeying it?
Replace the lock when the hardware is cracked, bent or worn out, when you want a new finish or style, when you want a higher-grade lock, or when a door needs a lock it doesn't have yet.
Other services we provide
Ready for a Fresh Set of Keys? Call 678-824-6578
A rekey gives you new keys and keeps the hardware you already like.
Call Peach Locksmith at 678-824-6578, or email info@peachlocksmithllc.com. Tell us how many doors you have and mention the lock brands if you know them. That helps us plan a one-key setup before we schedule your rekey.