If you’re like most business owners, you probably think of security as a top priority. And with good reason – your business is important to you, and you want to do everything you can to protect it. But when it comes time to secure your property, do you know whether to rekey or replace your locks? Here’s a quick guide to help you head in the right direction for your business.
Should You Get All Your Business Locks Rekeyed?
Rekeying refers to the process of changing the lock cylinder in a door or other locking device to make it accessible only by key. There are a couple of different ways you can alter your locks to rekey them. You can add or remove pins from the cylinder, swap pins between cylinders, or replace the entire cylinder altogether.
Rekeying is an effective way to boost your security while keeping your investment in existing locks minimal. Here are some of the reasons why rekeying might be right for your business:
A major part of rekeying is simply updating old keys with new ones when they become lost or broken. Since you already have the old keys, adding new pins to the locks is an easy, inexpensive way to upgrade that part of your security system.
Rekeying can allow you to use more than one key for a single lock, which means that more than one person in your business can have access to critical areas. This allows you to avoid keeping extra keys or confusing guests by having all your locks rekeyed at once, but only updating a few of them.
There are not many disadvantages with rekeying except for cost – because it requires new keys for any locks being changed, replacing old keys and buying new ones adds up quickly! Another thing to consider is the level of security provided by the locking mechanism. If you have locks that are relatively new and secure, rekeying might not provide enough of a boost for the cost.
Should You Get All Your Business Locks Replaced?
Replacing your business locks means replacing your entire locking system, including the lock and any surrounding hardware (for example, strike plates). The level of security provided by a locking mechanism is determined largely by the lock itself. Even if you have an older technology like a pin-tumbler cylinder on your current locks, you’ll get increased security and safety with locks that have better hardware. Here are some reasons why replacing your locks may be the right choice for your business:
Replaceable locks tend to have better technology designed to protect against break-ins, including improved deadbolts, stronger hinge pins, and reinforced door frames. More secure locks add another layer of protection in case someone does somehow manage to get around your security system.
Getting hardware that is specifically designed for commercial use is important if you want to be sure it will last a long time without problems. Commercial-grade hardware is also more reliable than residential hardware and less likely to fail due to wear and tear or tampering.
As with rekeying, replacing your locks means you can save and use the old keys. This can save you time, money, and confusion when it comes time to change out your locks. If you have a lot of people who have keys to your property and are worried about them getting confused, this might be the way to go.
There are some disadvantages to replacing your locks. One of the main ones is cost – a complete system can be very expensive! Additionally, being able to reuse all the old keys makes rekeying more cost-effective for businesses with a lot of employees or guests. Replacing your doors might add some unnecessary work to your day, too.
If you are a business owner and you don’t know which option is right for you, it’s best to get a locksmith or security professional to evaluate your current locks. They can tell you what will increase the level of security and safety in your place of business. If you choose to replace all of your locks, consider getting quotes from more than one company so that you can choose the most reliable ones based on price and service.
