Can an Emtek exterior door lock be rekeyed to be compatible with the Schlages in our other exterior doors?
The basic shape of the keys look quite similar.
If the key from one goes in the other lock, probably. But not if the side slots are different.
Talk to a locksmith. Replacing some or all of the locksets could be more cost effective.
Can an Emtek exterior door lock be rekeyed to be compatible with the Schlages in our other exterior doors?
Looks like the default Emtek keyway (slot shape) is the same as the standard Schlage.
So should just take a short trip to the locksmith to have them change the bitting of the Emtek lock.
Even if the keyway was different, there are kits to change the cylinders so that you can have all the locks have the same key/keyway. So you could have a Schlage lock that has a keyway/cylinder that takes the default Kwikset key.
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If the key from one goes in the other lock, probably.
Yep, both keys slide into the other brand.
I enjoy easier fix-itsā¦ but this looks like it would take too much research for a job a locksmith could do in minute, in his sleep.
Thanks.
Be sure to use a reputable locksmith. Your lock probably has five cylinders. And easy solution is to remove some of them rather than matching key heights. That makes your lock easier to pick.
Some of my Schlage keys have 5 tumblers, some have 7, the Andersen Door locks have 7, but my entry, side, shop doors are only the lesser 5ās, rarely had the need for key access tot he Andersen doors, so I didnāt bother to re-key them, or the shop either, as I was the only one using it, so I just left a spare key for my DW if she needs itā¦
I think I posted in another thread, I have a pin set kit for locks, and instructions on rekeying, but again, mostly it and the key duplicating machine, (both flea market finds years n years ago), I used it a little rekeying of padlocks, but in the end a local hardware shop had a fellow that was handier to do it for me so it all lives in a cabinet, all dustyā¦ Picked up a couple locksmithing books, too, but today there are so many YouTube videos, other information on about any lock out there, the books are also as dusty as the rest of itā¦ Workplace locks were made by BEST, those DO NOT DUPLICATE ones, turn out they are a bit more precise, like 1/4 or fractional steps for the pins, so then you had to know the right locksmith, And theyās occasionally change the key slotting pattern, but if one was handy, and had the time, a little effort that could be also made to workā¦ I have a peanut butter jar of old BEST and other keys I had over my 40 years, some later ones were for locations that nobody should have access to, so I removed all the tags, identification off of 'em, the BEST keys maybe cut up or at one time I was going to make a globe of them, brazing them neatly, a reminder of all the places I once worked for a bitā¦ One more projectā¦
Local locksmithing has changed, the local old timers have slipped away, our RV trailer has an unusual key, not carried by the auto-bot key duplicators in the big box or local hardware shops, so I had to make an appointment to see the current local guy, young fellow, in a rush, seemed irritated to have a walk=in customerā¦ There is a larger locksmith company up the road 16 miles, they will be my next place if I need anythingā¦ they did our company work for us, ages agoā¦ But then again, I havenāt been in there for years, decades, actually, maybe not thereā¦
Interesting job, I can see where todayās locksmiths have to handle a lot more, electronic locks, security systemsā¦
weco
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My house came with four doors having Schlage, one Kwikset. Two of the Schlage doors have deadbolts as well as keyed knobs. Three of the Schlage doors share a common key. The fourth - the one I use all the time between house and garage - was a different key.
The Kwikset door is between the sun room and family room. From the sun room side the knob is on the right. However there is barely room between the knob and the jam for my fingers, VERY awkward to use. (Being right-handed it would not be an issue if it was on the left side, but it really is a PITA on the right side.) Besides wanting a Schlage keyed like all the rest, I want a lever.
On Friday, after living here for a year and a half, I finally tackled the lock situation. Or at least started to. In the process I destroyed the one oddball lockā¦ Iād rather not explain how, but the cylinder lots the bit that keeps the pins in place and the pins and springs ended up all over the living room, only some found. However I wanted to change that from a knob to a lever anyway.
I spent a bunch of time on the HD and Loweās web site and just googling around. It turns out that Loweās will re-key a lock at the time you buy it to a key number you specify. So I picked out a lever entry set (deadbolt and handset) for the sun room door and the same entry set (no deadbolt) for the odd-ball door from the garage. I called Loweās. The gentleman in hardware told me the person who could rekey would be in on Saturday. Saturday morning I went there and found the locks, but discovered that the key individual (sorry) would not start work until 2. I put the locks back, returning after 2, and pulled them out again, only to learn that she had had to call out with a family emergency. So the guys I spoke with pulled out the schedule for the week and told the the other guy was the real expert and he would not be in until Monday, 1 pm to close. (One of the employees insisted on putting the locks back on the shelves, getting at least one wrong, which I pointed out. I hope I can find them this afternoon.)
Iāll have both the key number and one of my keys with that number with me so I can make sure it all works.
Aside #1, the new automated key making machines are really cool. Tell it the brand and numberā¦ Bingo!
Aside #2, when I needed a duplicate key for an Overhead garage door the locksmith I went to did not have a matching blank. It was a proprietary shape only available from Overhead, who charge a bundle. When I lost the only key it was drill-time and a whole new unit.
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Way back in the mid '70s, Kwikset was the choice o fhe builder here and the neighborhood, and we lived with that until I changed out the original entry door, after finding a hardwood, many paneled door blank while we were on vacation in the Southwest, I forget now what we paid, but it seemed really fair for as sturdy, solid it was. Bought a tarp, wrapped it, set in the PU bed under the 5th wheel hitch until we returned home. Then it sat in my workshop a few years until I had the time to find the door stop & threshold, lockset, bearing hingesā¦ For some financial reason, the mill, where I normally bought hardwood, refused to sell me the oak drop I needed, but it was in stock at HD, as was the threshold and I think the Schlage lockset. I have the hinge router jig, a Porter cable setup, so that worked out, had to buy a lockset guide for the lockset & deadboltā¦ Fun project, initially a light stain, but today the outside is painted to match trim, etcā¦
The rest of the locksets was another project after I retired, replacing all the old luan doors with 6 panel versions in various widths and handednessā¦ Locksets all upgraded to Schlage, levered, all new hinges, tooā¦ Another fun project, and a lot of use of the hinge router kitā¦
Overall it made a big difference, glad I did itā¦ Anderson French doors replaced old alum sliders, adding a double for more light in the family room, and a single in the Master BR for better access to the shop & side yard. Single pane window replaced mainly by Anderson double pane, a bow window added in the living roomā¦
Lots of projects, done by me, they do add up I guessā¦
weco
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And easy solution is to remove some of them rather than matching key heights. That makes your lock easier to pick.
If someone really wants into my house theyāll just break a window or jimmy a sliding patio door.
Locks just keep the semi-honest people/teenagers out.
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I have a pin set kit for locks, and instructions on rekeying, but againā¦,
Iāve amassed so many tools I wonāt likely use again. Gear pullers, panel removers, miscellaneous. engravers and ā¦
I looked at re-key kits online but the odds itād probably take me 3 days to figure it out. Thatās 3 days I could have been fishing or surfing, or working down my to-do list ā¦
To do list:
replace funky manufactured flooring.
Install new baseboards all the way around.
finish painting new interior doors and baseboards
re-landscape back yard
new fencing on side and back
repave driveway
kitchen needs 220v
new stove ā¦might even be delivered this year (paid & been waiting since last July) if we donāt go to war with China.
kitchen needs tile backsplash installed
breezeway needs new roof.
french doors / front door need replacingā¦
build partition wall between master bdrm/bath
switch out all the outlets and dimmer switches
switch out ceiling light to LED
replace vanity in guest bath
hot water recirculating pump for master
call city to see why permits taking so bloody longā¦
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It turns out that Loweās will re-key a lock at the time you buy it to a key number you specify.
At no extra charge, which I appreciated. (The key I gave them works fine. I suppose I should try the other three or four I have just to be sure.)
For the door where the existing lock was a Schlage I didnāt even remove the latch as it was the same. Double checking with their video it was simple and quick to put the new mechanisms with levers in place of the old with knobs.
Replacing the Kwikset, both deadbolt and hand set, I wonāt be able to take that shortcut. While most of me doesnāt expect any issues, I confess I harbor some misgivings that it will all go as smoothly as popping one set out and the other in. I probably wonāt begin before tomorrow.
If someone really wants into my house theyāll just break a window or jimmy a sliding patio door.
I did some recent research since I was swapping out all of my exterior locks on my house. Articles would go into which brand was easier to pick. As I read these article, I was thinking who would bother picking a lock when there are a lot of windows on the house. I can visualize someone with 10 locks on a door saying āIām safe nowā.
PSU
I have the hinge router jig, a Porter cable setup, so that worked out, had to buy a lockset guide for the lockset & deadboltā¦Anderson French doors replaced old alum sliders, adding a double for more light in the family room, and a single in the Master BR for better access to the shop & side yard. Single pane window replaced mainly by Anderson double pane, a bow window added in the living roomā¦
You did that yourself? Our new āold houseā has french doors that were badly gouged by dogs, and 300 coats of old paint. Found a pair on craigslist, brand new, for a song. Iām a mediocre finish carpenter and donāt want to mess up this pair of new french doors trying to router jambs and cut in a lockset.
I need to knock out a bottom pane to accommodate a dachshund door, and then decide on paint or a clear pine finish.
Ouch, thatās quite a list. It really makes me appreciate what I got when I bought this house. It looked like it had just been redone, with all those sorts of things already fixed. The AC compressor on the cement slab outside is as old as the house (1989) but the part in the attic is just a few years old. The water softening system isnāt working properly. Iād like two or three new electrical outlets in specific places. Thatās about it. The day of the inspection the guy called it the house of the year, and it sure has seemed like a fine description since I moved in.
The house I sold, howeverā¦ boy am I glad that is behind me!
As I read these article, I was thinking who would bother picking a lock when there are a lot of windows on the house. I can visualize someone with 10 locks on a door saying āIām safe nowā.
Actually, I was surprised how much effort it took to break a pane out of my french doors in the back of the house. Those movie scenes where the actor hits it with his elbow? Pure Hollywood.
I had to remove a bottom pane from our french doors to put in a dog door.
I put the door on sawhorses and tapped it with a ball peen hammer: nothing. I switched to a towel and whacked it with a framing hammer. It shattered, but the molding held most of the glass in place. It was a chore removing that dang 10x12" pane of glass.
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Ouch, thatās quite a list. It really makes me appreciate what I got when I bought this house.
It is. We hire out the big & heavy jobs: new roof, solar system, retaining walls, fogged sliding doors, new decks on the 2nd floor.
ā¦ but I enjoy the small stuff I can easily do; new water heater, switches and outlets, water stop valves, whole house water filtrationā¦ dumb bell carpentry like baseboards and flooring.
We thought we could get it all done in 6 months. That was 15 months ago. Itās hard getting contractors to show up, and materials all have long waiting periods. 3 months for a window, 6 months for corrugated roofing. Even a stupid thing like electrical outlet boxes or 3/4 copper ells; empty bins at the store!
ā¦andā¦ Weāre still waiting for city permits for the big stuff and canāt do things like repaving the driveway until the big exterior deck work is complete.
As long as we get the decks done before its time for my own damn memorialā¦
The house I sold was, I am told, turned into a millenial wet-dream. All the foliage and trees gone, replaced by desert at the beach xeriscaping, all the wood and saltillo flooring replaced with grey faux wood-grain ceramic. Very sterile.
Indeed, so many tools, so little time, projects begun, left behindā¦
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Current project is EBB, Earthquake Brace & Bolt. I applied for, have been grated a $3K refund on getting it done, so through the EBB site
https://www.earthquakebracebolt.com
after being accepted, and a little chat, we sent out 17 requests for bid to contractors in this areaā¦ 3 Responded, 1st fellow was great, straight shooter, but didnāt want to deal with all our new soft furnace ducting, so sadly, he declined to bid. But I kept his card, may call him for other work. 2nd one came by, a lady, she crawled around under there, no problem, and they sent a fair bid shortly afterā¦ 3rd estimate is coming by on the 11th, so weāll see how that goesā¦ -
Then the trailer sealer guy is coming next week, on the 12thā¦
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3 walkway LED lamps need replacing, I have 'emā¦
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DWās gas cap retainer link broke, I have a replacement cap with new linkā¦
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Master bath towel bar is loose water the remodel, so no support behind, need to open the wall, add blocking, and get it back to what itās not noticeableā¦
Need to clean up the shop, toss old stuffā¦ Clean up garage, reorganize, toss stuffā¦
Need to take all the copper wire, bar, waveguide, aluminum scrap to somebodyā¦
Need to sell off Knack box, footlockers, other stuffā¦
And then the day to day stuffā¦ Walk, gym, diet, beer, whiskey, etcā¦
Oh, yes, the RMD game, bad time to Sell, so will wait a bitā¦
The shuffling continuesā¦
weco
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As a new doorbell camera owner, Iāme seeing lots of stuff triggering it, neighbors baby-sitting the GK, various cats, trucks, cars, UPS, Amazon drivers, my own self getting the papers in the morning, the delivery guy at way early hoursā¦
Video storage on their is in my Apple iCloud space, sees 10 days of stuff that doesnāt count against the 200Gb space I pay $2.99 a month forā¦ So an interesting thing, even if Iām across town walking, I still get the notification, can see who it wasā¦ Even talk to 'emā¦ So even trashing the house wonāt kill the videosā¦ Took some playing around to get both my & DWās iPhones and computersā¦ Worked out better than I expected, actuallyā¦
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You did that yourself?
Yep, but over a long time frame, economics and working out of town a lot, so sandwiched between all thatā¦ The double French Anderson doors were a serious challenge, I had my elder brother or whoever was near, help lift them into placeā¦ The Anderson bow window was also a challenge, large, wide, heavy, but I got it near by using stools, blocks and ropes to keep it from tipping, then my neighbor helped with the final liftā¦
As a WeCo Installer I was used to handling heavy stuff, just be careful, know your limitsā¦ Iād already built my 16x24 workshop, 95% by myself, inlaws helped with the slab floor finishing, another HS buddy help with the roofing, but all the stick built 9; walls I built in the floor, tipped up, engineered racers, set up 2x4 temporary supports on the ends, then 1x4s tased to hold things where they belonged unto the plywood decking stabilized itā¦ Siding, a 4x9 sheet at a timeā¦ BIL & I had built a similar building as a garage at our MILās place a couple years before, so I used those plans, shuffled the doors a bit, and went to 9ā studsā¦ Did all the 120/240vac wiring, etcā¦
Weāve been here since about '74, so it all just happened as we had time, cash to cover itā¦
But, time to downsize someā¦
weco
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Our small town is so small the code enforcement seems to know everything and take action immediately.
I have a hunch if I did 240 wiring without the permit theyād find out and declare the house unsafe to inhabit.
If only the planning/permit department was as quick as code enforcement weād have our new decks (the house was built on the hill overlooking coast in 1959, so the foundation for the carport and deck on top doesnāt meet code. New slab, new foundation, then new deck. tick tock. maybe next month on the planning commission agenda. Maybe.