Frequently Asked Questions
Appointments are booked Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm. Call (07) 3469 5101 if your question is not covered below, or use the contact page.
Common questions
These are the questions that come up most often about locks, keys and access. They are general guidance for deciding what a door needs, not an assessment of your property, and the answer that fits is settled by looking at the door itself.
Repair the lock, rekey it, or replace it?
Start with the fault. If the mechanism is binding, sticking or loose, the lock needs repair. If the lock works but the wrong people hold keys, that is a rekey or a key change. If the hardware is worn, damaged or no longer suits the door, replacement is the honest answer. Which of the three applies is settled by looking at the door rather than by the age of the lock.
Can one key open several doors?
Often, where the locks are compatible and in serviceable condition. Front, back, garage and shed doors installed at different times may not share a brand, a profile or a parts supply. The doors are checked before any keying plan is confirmed, and locks that cannot be brought onto one key are identified rather than forced.
Why has a key stopped working on a door it used to open?
Usually the lock or the key has worn, rather than the arrangement having changed. A worn key can be copied badly, and a worn cylinder stops recognising a key that is technically cut to the right shape. Testing the key in the other doors it should open separates a key problem from a lock problem.
A key has gone missing. What actually has to change?
That depends on what the missing key opened. A single door key means a narrow job; a key that opened the house, the garage and the shed widens the scope, because the same key works on all of them. Work out the reach of the key first, then decide. Rekeying a serviceable lock is usually less work than replacing it.
Can older locks be brought onto the same key as newer ones?
Sometimes. It comes down to the make, the condition and whether the parts are still available. Older or unusual locks may not be able to match the rest of the property, and a lock that is already failing is a poor candidate for more work. This is checked before a keying plan is agreed.
Is it worth keeping one door on a separate key?
It can be, on purpose. A shed, workshop, side gate or storage area used by a contractor, gardener or neighbour can sit on its own key, so giving access to one thing does not give access to everything. Deciding that deliberately is better than discovering it after a key has been handed out.
What happens to the keys when a property changes hands?
The practical answer is to treat any key you did not cut yourself as unknown. A new owner, a new tenant or a landlord taking a property back can have the relevant locks rekeyed so earlier keys stop operating. For a managed property, confirm who is authorised to approve the work before it is booked.
Who authorises work on a shared or managed building?
It depends on the building and on the door. Common property is normally approved by the committee or by a manager acting on its behalf, while a door inside a single lot is usually the owner’s call. Confirm the approver before a visit, and ask whether a written proposal or a resolution is needed first.
Are window locks and padlocks worth adding?
They are a reasonable addition where a window, a shed or a gate is an easier way in than the front door. They can often be supplied to work on the same key as the doors, which keeps the household from carrying a second set. Whether a particular window can take a lock depends on the frame and the opening.
Does the business keep a record of key codes?
For standard locks, no. Key codes are not recorded, which is the safer default. For some controlled or restricted systems, keys are registered, and copies are issued only to people authorised in writing to receive them.
What identification is needed before lock work is carried out?
Expect to be asked for adequate proof of identity, such as a current passport or a photo identity document, with a name that matches the property or the person authorising the work. This protects occupants as much as it protects the business, and it applies whether the property is owned, rented or managed.
Which is better, a key or a code?
A key suits a door where access is stable and a physical key is convenient. A code or fob suits a door where people come and go, where access needs to be withdrawn without changing a lock, or where carrying a key is impractical. There is no universal answer, and a mixed approach across a property is common.
What should I have ready when I get in touch?
The address, the doors involved, what the lock or key is actually doing, and who can authorise the work if the property is not your own. You do not need to identify the lock type or the brand, and there is no need to send photographs of key cuts or any access codes.
Where to go next
The service list describes each type of work in its own page, the suburbs page covers where the service operates, and the about page explains who carries out the work. If the situation is unusual, describe it when you call rather than matching it to a page here.