Cold mornings in Centennial are hard on tired brass, and a key that has been bending for years finally lets go inside the lock. We remove the snapped piece without harming the cylinder, look at why it failed, and cut a fresh key from the code or the remaining half before we leave.
Toronto, Ontario
2021 census · what it means at the door
58%Older homes
About 58% of homes in Toronto were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.
Where most homes were built decades ago, doors often still carry their original mortise locks and brass knobs. That hardware can usually be cleaned, re-sprung and kept in service, with a modern deadbolt added above it for strength without losing the look.
23%
Single-detached houses make up about 23% of homes in Toronto (2021 Census).
In a building, a lockout happens in a hallway rather than a porch, and the neighbours notice. A locksmith confirms you belong to the suite, opens the door with the least fuss the lock allows, and leaves the door and cylinder intact for the night.
Locksmith services
This is the working list of services for Centennial: the jobs a locksmith gets asked to do week in and week out. Lockouts and broken keys. Rekeys and lock changes. Deadbolts, high-security cylinders and smart locks. Commercial hardware and master key systems. Safe opening. And key cutting, house and vehicle alike.
Centennial
Home Lockout ServiceThe moving truck has left, half the boxes are inside, and the single key the previous owner handed over turns the knob but not…
Business Lockout ServiceYou signed the lease on the unit last week and the landlord handed over possession, but the previous tenant's locks are still on…
Seized & Jammed Lock OpeningThe old mortise lock on the front door of the house turns the key halfway and stops with a dull clunk.
Lock RekeyingEvery copy of your house key seems to work a little differently.
High Security LocksAfter the attempted break-in the police officer pointed at your door and said the strike plate was held by two short screws.
Commercial RekeyingA break-in overnight took the cash float and a staff member's bag with her work keys inside it.
Master Key System DesignA dental office wants the front desk to lock up at night without ever holding a key to the room where patient records and…
Access Control InstallationThe back door of the shop runs on one key, and by now it lives on six different rings: yours, two managers, a cleaner, a supplier…
Car Lockout ServiceThe trunk is full of groceries, the cart is back in its corral, and the keys are sitting in the cup holder in plain view.Change or rekey
When you buy a house you inherit its keys, and there is no way to know how many were cut. Rekeying every exterior door in one visit resets that history.
High security
Deadbolts differ in how far the bolt travels, how hard the bolt is, whether the cylinder guard spins free under a wrench and whether the housing shrugs off a hammer. High security deadbolts do well on all four, and we can show you the difference in hand.
Centennial
Home Lockout Service
It is minus fifteen, the wind is coming across the driveway, and the key will only go halfway into the deadbolt. Yesterday's thaw left water in the keyway and overnight it froze solid. Forcing it only makes the metal flex.
Home Lockout Service
Centennial
Older houses in Centennial get a locksmith who respects them. We work around original trim, keep period hardware where it can be kept, and match finishes when something new is needed so the door still looks like it belongs to the house. Modern security can sit behind a hundred-year-old face; that is a matter of choosing parts carefully.
— Centennial Lock Experts
Hours
Open 24/7
A high security cylinder is rated by independent laboratory testing that times how long it holds out against picking, impressioning, drilling, prying and wrenching. The lock body and deadbolt carry a separate hardware grade for strength, cycle life and finish.
1 of 3
We sit down with whoever manages the building and list the doors, the people and the hours. A stockroom key and a front door key are rarely the same conversation.
2 of 3
We rekey door by door in an order that keeps the business open, starting with the entrance a departed key holder used most, and label everything as we go.
3 of 3
You get the new keys, a simple written list of which key opens what, and a suggestion for where to store the record so the next change is easier.
Yes, one way or another. If you choose to rekey, the cylinder is set to a new combination and fresh keys are cut for it on the spot, usually two or three, and tested in each door they should open. If you prefer to keep the existing pinning, a new key can be cut to the lock's code or by decoding the cylinder. Either way you are not left relying on a key that is somewhere else.
It can be. A cylinder that is worn, a strike plate that has shifted, or a latch that no longer seats squarely will all produce repeat lockouts even though the key looks fine. The locksmith checks the alignment of the door and frame, tests how smoothly the latch throws, and looks at wear inside the cylinder before simply letting you back in. If the hardware is the cause, fixing that during the same visit is usually quicker than calling again next month.
Because with the door open the bolt is throwing into thin air, and with the door closed it is throwing into a pocket that has moved. A door that has dropped on its hinges, swollen with humidity or been pushed out by thick weatherstripping lands the bolt against the edge of the strike plate instead of through the hole. A chalk mark on the bolt shows exactly where it hits, and the fix is on the frame, not in the cylinder.
Not a problem, just a detail to plan around. What matters is the keyway, meaning the profile of the slot the key fits, rather than the name on the lock. Different makers sometimes share a profile and sometimes do not. Where two cylinders cannot accept the same key, one is exchanged for a compatible cylinder in the same finish and pinned to match. From the outside the door looks the same and from your pocket it is one key.
Barely. A high security cylinder sits in the same place as the old one and is usually distinguished only by a different keyway shape and sometimes a hardened collar. A graded deadbolt is a standard-looking deadbolt in your chosen finish. The reinforced strike is longer than the plate it replaces and the wrap-around reinforcer, if used, shows as a neat metal band on the door edge. The difference is felt when you lock up, not seen from the street.
On-site assessment preferred
Talk to us about access for your staff. Ask about a spare key before you need one.
Open 24/7 · same fees any hour
On-site assessment preferred · (289) 378-6209 · open 24/7
