High security · The Golden Mile
High Security Locks in The Golden Mile
You have lost count of how many people have had a key to your house over the years: cleaners, a contractor, a former partner, the previous owner's family.
In plain words
Upgrading to high security rarely means new doors or a big disruption. Many high security cylinders retrofit into the existing deadbolt or lever, so the door preparation stays as it is and only the cylinder and keys change. A heavier deadbolt uses the same bore as the old one in most cases. The strike and hinge screws are swapped for long ones that bite into the framing. The visible difference afterwards is small; the practical difference is that the door resists the tools and tricks that defeat ordinary hardware, and that nobody can copy your key without you knowing.
How the visit goesYou have lost count of how many people have had a key to your house over the years: cleaners, a contractor, a former partner, the previous owner's family. The lock still works, but you no longer know who else it works for.
High Security Locks
How the visit goes
Who holds keys and who should
For a business or a rental, the locksmith asks to see the key list, or helps you start one. Which keys exist, who carries them, which doors they open, and what happens when someone leaves. This is where the case for a patented or restricted key system becomes clear, because the system replaces guesswork with a register: every key numbered, every order authorised by a named person, and no blanks available outside the locksmith who manages it. The locksmith also asks how many people need to reach each area so the keying plan reflects the way the building actually runs.
Fitting a heavier deadbolt
When the existing deadbolt is light or worn, the locksmith fits a graded deadbolt through the same bore where possible. The bolt throws a full inch and carries a hardened steel pin that turns under a saw blade, and the housing keeps part of the bolt supported against a kick. The latch is set in the edge bore with the correct backset, the exterior housing and interior thumb-turn are joined through the door with the long screws, and the final tightening is done by hand so nothing strips. The bolt is then thrown with the door open and closed to confirm it extends completely.
Ordering keys the right way
Extra keys are now a small procedure rather than an errand. An authorised person contacts the locksmith, the request is checked against the system record, and the key is cut from code so it works as cleanly as the first. New keys are numbered and added to the register. Businesses often issue keys against a signature and collect them when someone leaves, which the register makes simple. Homeowners typically keep two or three spare keys and hold onto the authorisation card. A key cut from a worn copy would not release the sidebar properly, which is one more reason the code route is the only route.
High Security Locks
In the van
Three-inch strike and hinge screws
Box strike
Code key cutting machine
Key control authorisation card
Wrap-around door reinforcer
High Security Locks
What affects the quote
Documentation and registration
Setting up the key register, recording signatories and providing a written schedule of cylinders and keys is real work on a business system and is listed rather than hidden.
Number of keys cut
Every key is cut from code on a machine that handles side bitting or angled cuts, so the count of keys you want at handover is a real line rather than a rounding error.
Cylinder only or full deadbolt
Swapping the cylinder inside a sound deadbolt is a smaller job than fitting a new graded deadbolt through the door, and a knob-only door that needs a fresh bore is bigger again.
What to have ready
- How many exterior doors do you want included?
- Would you like all doors on one key, or different keys for different areas?
- Is there a window or sidelight within reach of the lock?
High Security Locks: questions
QuestionsIs a smart lock more secure than a high security mechanical lock?
They solve different problems. A keypad or smart lock manages who can enter and when, and many have no keyway to pick. A high security mechanical lock resists physical attack and controls key copying without batteries, apps or connectivity. Many businesses use both: electronic access on high-traffic doors and high security cylinders on rooms that must hold regardless of power. The locksmith helps you match the tool to each door rather than choosing one philosophy.
How long does the installation take?
A cylinder swap with new keys on one door is a short visit. A new deadbolt, reinforced strike and frame repair takes longer, and several doors keyed to a plan take longer again, mostly in bench time pinning cylinders. The locksmith gives you a realistic estimate once the doors have been looked at, because the frame condition and the door preparation matter more than the count of locks alone.
Will the new cylinder fit my existing locks?
Usually. High security cylinders are made in the common formats: key-in-knob and lever, rim, mortise and interchangeable core, and many are designed to drop into popular residential and commercial locks. The locksmith identifies your format and confirms fit before ordering. Where a lock is an odd size or in poor shape, a matching lock body is fitted instead, and the door preparation is reused wherever it is standard.
