car keys

Have the keys to your house been misplaced, lost or stolen? Getting a replacement set of keys is a matter of urgency. A 24 hour, an emergency locksmith will come to your home, give you access to your house and provide you with new keys.

However, can a locksmith cut keys at the house or will they need to return to their workshop to do this? Modern technology has allowed for different types of key cutting services to be available:

  • Machine cutting services that are available at most locksmith stores or a local hardware store.
  • Hand key cutting services that can be provided at a business or home.
  • Intricate key cutting services to ensure keys fit locks perfectly.

With machine cutting and expert cutting services, an original key is most commonly necessary. A professional and skilled locksmith will, however, take the following steps to provide a full service at your home:

Step 1 – Opening The Lock

The first step a locksmith will take is to open the lock to the door to your home so that you can gain access. There are a number of different ways in which they can do this.

They may have a master key which will open the door or they could pick the lock. Alternatively, they may need to manually manipulate the lock to open it and use their skill and expertise to ensure that no damage is done.

Step 2 – Identifying The Key

If there is no original key for the locksmith to copy, they will first need to identify which key fits a specific lock. The simplest way for a locksmith to do this is to look for serial numbers that are printed on the inside of the lock.

The lock will need to be opened, without damaging it, in order to locate the serial number.

If they cannot find a serial number, they will use the placement of pins and tumblers to identify where and how deep the grooves on a key should be cut.

Step 3 – Providing A New Key

Once the locksmith has identified the key for a specific lock, they will either provide a ready-cut key or cut the specific key that they have identified.

Ready-cut keys are often available for simple or standard locks and key cutting will therefore not be required.

If no ready-cut key is available, the locksmith will use a blank key and cut the key by hand to match the key that they identified by the serial number or tumbler and pin mechanisms inside the lock.

In rare cases, the locksmith will not be able to cut a key by hand and will need to use a machine to complete the job. The new key will either be delivered as soon as possible or collected from their workshop.

If a variety of different keys are required or multiple sets of keys, the locksmith will prefer to cut these by machine at their workshop as cutting keys by hand takes time and may not be as precise as modern machine key cutting techniques.

Step 4 – Replacement Locks

If the keys to the house have been stolen, it may be a good idea to consider replacement locks for safety and security reasons.

Locksmiths can either rekey a lock or replace the entire lock. Replacing the locks will mean that a cutting service will not be required and is often the recommended route for lost or stolen keys as a security precaution.

It is advisable to choose expert locksmith services if there is a need to have keys cut at a home. Remember to discuss the different options that are available when it comes to misplaced, lost or stolen keys.

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