Commercial · Toronto
Commercial-Grade Lock Replacement
An inspection report flagged the rear exit as needing hardware that opens with one motion and no key, and that door currently has an ordinary keyed knob on the inside.
In plain words
A great deal of what happens during this service is choosing the right category of hardware before a single screw comes out. Storefront glass and aluminum doors call for a narrow-stile lock or a hookbolt rather than the mortise body a solid wood or hollow-metal door would take, and a door serving a busy exit route may need listed exit hardware regardless of what was on it before. The locksmith identifies which category the opening belongs to, sources hardware built for it, installs it to the door's existing preparation, and confirms the finished lock operates correctly from both the public and the staff side.
How the visit goesAn inspection report flagged the rear exit as needing hardware that opens with one motion and no key, and that door currently has an ordinary keyed knob on the inside.
Commercial-Grade Lock Replacement
How the visit goes
Checking how the current lock fits the business's key system
Every commercial building runs some kind of keying logic, even an informal one, and the locksmith maps it before touching hardware: is this cylinder on the same key as other doors, does it belong to a master or grand-master system, is it a standard keyway or a restricted one that only a specific supplier can cut? Getting this picture first means the new hardware can be ordered to slot into that structure, onto a fresh structure the business wants instead, or left standing alone if that is genuinely what is wanted.
Cutting keys and updating the record
New keys are cut to the agreed system and tested in every door they are meant to open before anyone leaves the site. Where a master or interchangeable-core system is involved, the locksmith updates the business's key-control log with what was issued, what was retired, and which doors now share which key, so the paper record matches the metal. Any key that was reported lost or held by someone no longer with the business is confirmed as no longer functional on the new hardware.
A door rated for the job it does
The business is left with hardware sized to how the door is actually used: a mortise lock body or heavy cylindrical lockset that can take the traffic of a busy entrance, or a narrow-stile lock built for the aluminum frame it is mounted in rather than adapted to it. Staff can be shown how the new hardware feels different from the old one, whether that is a firmer latch, a smoother deadbolt throw, or a different key profile, so nobody is caught off guard by hardware that behaves differently from what they are used to.
Commercial-Grade Lock Replacement
In the van
Narrow-stile storefront lock
Key cutting and coding machine
Mortise lock body
Interchangeable-core cylinder
Electric strike
Commercial-Grade Lock Replacement
What affects the quote
Number of keys cut and issued
Keys are counted individually into the quote. A small office needing a handful of keys is a smaller line item than a multi-shift operation issuing keys to a large staff roster.
Coordination with other trades or systems
Where a door closer, an alarm panel or a building-wide access-control platform is involved, coordinating the lock replacement with whoever manages those systems can add planning time that the quote reflects.
Keying complexity
A single stand-alone cylinder is the simplest keying job. A master or grand-master structure spanning multiple doors, departments or locations takes more planning and more cylinders to combinate correctly, and that planning is part of the quote.
What to have ready
- Who can authorize the work and sign for new keys?
- Do you want a master key system, an interchangeable core, or a stand-alone lock?
- Do other doors on the property share a key with this one?
Commercial-Grade Lock Replacement: questions
QuestionsWhat should I do with the old hardware once it is replaced?
That is entirely your choice. Some businesses keep old hardware briefly in case a spare part is needed elsewhere on the same system, others prefer it removed from the site straightaway, particularly after a break-in where the damaged pieces are no longer wanted around. The locksmith can leave it with you or take it away, whichever you prefer.
Can you replace just the cylinder instead of the whole lock body?
Often, yes, particularly with an interchangeable-core system where the core is designed to be swapped without removing the lock body from the door. Where the lock body itself is worn, damaged or of a grade that no longer suits the door's traffic, replacing the cylinder alone would leave the underlying problem in place, so the locksmith says which option actually fits the situation found.
Do exit devices need any ongoing attention after installation?
Yes. Exit devices and panic hardware are mechanical assemblies that see heavy use on a required exit, so periodic checking that the latch engages fully, the release bar moves freely, and any electrified or alarmed function still triggers correctly is worth building into the same schedule as other fire-safety equipment in the building.
