Rekey or Replace? What Evanston Homeowners Should Do After Moving In

Rekeying means a trained locksmith disassembles your existing lock cylinder and replaces the internal pins so that every old key stops working and a fresh key is cut to match the new configuration. The lock body, the hardware, the finish — all of it stays in place. Replacement means pulling the entire lock unit and installing something new. Both outcomes give you exclusive control over who can enter, but the path to get there depends heavily on the condition and type of lock already on your door.

A door knob lock in decent shape on an interior bedroom door is almost always a candidate for rekeying. A worn-out mortise lock on a 1920s Evanston two-flat — the kind of deep, rectangular mechanism recessed into the door edge that handles both the latch and the deadbolt in a single body — may need full replacement if the internal workings are corroded or the tailpiece is damaged. Knowing the difference between lock types is the first practical step, and it is exactly the kind of assessment a skilled locksmith performs during an on-site visit before any work begins.

Rekeying makes sense when the lock itself is in solid mechanical condition, is a brand that your locksmith can source matching pins for (Schlage and Kwikset cylinders, for example, are straightforward to rekey), and when your only concern is unauthorized key copies floating around from the previous owner. If you are moving into a home built after the 1980s with standard cylindrical deadbolts and knob locks that latch smoothly, show no visible wear on the face plate, and have cylinders that turn cleanly, rekeying is a practical first move. A professional locksmith can typically rekey every exterior lock and cut new keys in a single visit, leaving you with one master key that works every door — a convenience upgrade in itself.

Rekeying is also the right call when you want to coordinate access across a property quickly. Say you are moving into a home near Northwestern's south campus and you need to give a trusted family member a spare before the weekend — rekeying all locks to a single key profile makes that simple without buying new hardware for every door. The caveat: if a lock has been forced, shows signs of tampering around the keyway, or the cylinder spins loosely, rekeying a compromised lock does not fix the underlying vulnerability. That is when replacement enters the conversation.

Older Evanston homes, particularly the Victorian and Craftsman-era properties common in the Lakeshore Historic District, frequently come with original mortise lock hardware. A mortise lock is a sophisticated, heavy-duty mechanism set into a pocket cut into the door itself, and when it is functioning correctly it offers exceptional resistance to forced entry. However, decades of use, paint-overs, and deferred maintenance can leave the internal levers worn, the case cracked, or the strike plate misaligned. In those situations, rekeying the cylinder alone does not address the mechanical failure — you need a skilled locksmith to assess whether the mortise lock body can be rebuilt with new components or whether a full mortise lock replacement is the right move.

New locks also make sense when you want to upgrade your security grade. Entry-level builder-grade knob locks and deadbolts offer minimal resistance; replacing them with ANSI Grade 1 deadbolts or a properly installed mortise lock system raises the bar significantly. If any exterior door has a door knob lock as its only security — no deadbolt — that is a straightforward upgrade conversation worth having. A qualified locksmith can evaluate your door frame, measure the backset, confirm the door thickness, and recommend hardware that actually fits and functions, rather than guessing at a hardware store. If you have questions about your specific situation, call 847-443-3956 and our team will walk you through the options before scheduling anything.

A thorough move-in security check by an experienced locksmith is not just about turning a wrench — it is a structured assessment. The locksmith will check every exterior entry point: front door deadbolt, rear door knob lock, basement or garage access doors, and any sliding patio doors with secondary pin locks. They will look at the condition of the strike plates (a three-inch screw in the strike plate does far more than a standard half-inch screw), inspect door frames for gaps or soft wood around the lock zone, and test that every latch and deadbolt throws fully without binding. If your home has a mortise lock on the main entry, expect the locksmith to remove the face plate and inspect the internal mechanism — that is standard practice, not upselling.

After the assessment, a professional locksmith will give you a clear picture of what is fine as-is, what can be rekeyed, and what genuinely needs replacement. At Evanston Locksmith Inc, we confirm an exact up-front price before any work begins, so you are never surprised at the end of the job. Factors that shape the final quote include the number of locks, the type of hardware (a mortise lock requires more labor than a cylindrical deadbolt), whether new parts are needed, and the time of day — after-hours calls involve different logistics than a midday weekday visit. There are no hidden fees added after the fact.

Beyond the rekey-or-replace question, our team handles a wide range of residential, automotive, and emergency locksmith needs across the Evanston area. Our services include: residential rekeying, mortise lock installation and repair, deadbolt installation, door knob lock replacement, high-security lock upgrades, master key system setup, lock repair after attempted break-ins, sliding door lock installation, window lock installation, garage door lock service, smart lock installation and programming, key duplication, spare key cutting, mailbox lock replacement, padlock keying, car lockout service, trunk lockout service, transponder key programming, key fob replacement, ignition lock cylinder repair, emergency locksmith response, locked-out-of-home service, safe opening, safe combination change, commercial door lock installation, commercial deadbolt service, access control hardware installation, push bar and panic device installation, file cabinet lock service, and post-construction rekey for newly built or renovated properties. Whether you need a straightforward door knob lock swap or a full mortise lock rebuild on a historic entry door, our skilled team arrives with the tools and parts to handle it on the spot.

We are insured and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which matters more than most homeowners realize until they need it. Emergencies — a broken key in a mortise lock at midnight, a lockout after a late shift near Church Street, a malfunctioning smart lock right before a family arrives — do not schedule themselves. What is an emergency locksmith? It is a trained professional available outside standard business hours who carries the full range of tools and hardware to resolve your situation in a single visit, not someone who answers a call and books you for next Tuesday. That is the standard we hold ourselves to every time we roll out.

The moment you have the keys, treat every lock on the property as potentially compromised — not because the previous owner was untrustworthy, but because you simply cannot verify the key history. Start with the exterior doors in order of vulnerability: front entry first, then back door, then any basement or garage access. Note whether each door has a deadbolt in addition to a knob lock; if any exterior door relies only on a door knob lock, flag it for the locksmith conversation. Take a photo of each lock cylinder so a locksmith can advise you on parts availability before arriving.

If you spot a mortise lock on an older door and you are unsure of its condition, do not attempt to disassemble it yourself — the internal mechanism involves a precise arrangement of levers and springs that require proper tools and experience to reassemble correctly. Call a professional instead. The same applies if a key feels sticky, a deadbolt does not throw fully, or the door has visible signs of prior forced entry around the frame. These are not DIY projects; they are the exact scenarios where an experienced locksmith adds real value. Call 847-443-3956 any time — we answer 24/7 and can typically schedule a same-day visit across the Evanston area.