Change or rekey · Coronation Gardens
Vintage Mortise Lock Service in Coronation Gardens
The interior bedroom doors on the second floor have the original mortise latches, and none of them close any more. The doors drift open, the small brass turn buttons do nothing, and the keyholes have been empty for as long as anyone can remember.
Call now · open 24/7(289) 278-0778In plain words
The trim on the door face is the other half of the lock. The knobs ride on a square spindle that passes through the hub of the case, held by small set screws, and the escutcheons cover the spindle and keyholes. Slack in a knob, a knob that pulls off in your hand, or a thumb-turn that spins without moving the bolt usually traces to a worn spindle, a stripped set screw or a hub whose square has rounded. The service replaces spindle and screws, matches a hub or lever from stock or makes one, and fits everything so there is no free play before the latch starts to move.
How the visit goesThe key turns freely in the round cylinder on the door, all the way around and back, without the bolt shifting at all. The cylinder itself wobbles slightly when you press it, as if it has come loose inside the door.
Vintage Mortise Lock Service · Coronation Gardens
How the visit goes
- 1
Which keys exist and who has them
The locksmith asks to see every key that goes with the door: the one that works, the ones that used to, and the bag of loose bit keys that came with the house. A worn original is still the most useful pattern for a new key, and a bent one explains why the lock has become temperamental. For a cylinder lock, a lost or stolen key is a reason to rekey while the case is out, and a key that only a former occupant holds is worth retiring. The count of keys wanted afterwards is settled now too, so the spares are cut while the lock is on the bench rather than on a return visit.
- 2
Cylinder work on a later mortise lock
A pin-tumbler cylinder on a mortise lock is serviced the same way as a modern one. The plug is pushed out with a follower, the old bottom pins are replaced to a new combination, and keys are cut to match, so a lost key stops mattering. If the plug is worn past rekeying, a new mortise cylinder is selected with the same thread length, the same cam shape and a finish close to the trim, and threaded into the case to the correct depth so the cam swings the bolt without binding. The set screw is seated into the cylinder's groove, and the key is tested with the case in the door.
- 3
Parts, records and the house file
Anything that came out of the lock, a broken spring, a worn lever, the old cylinder, is offered to you rather than thrown away; some owners keep the originals with the house's papers. The locksmith leaves a short account of what was done: the case type and size, what was replaced, whether keys were made or a cylinder rekeyed, and how the strike was adjusted. For a designated heritage property this record shows the original hardware was retained. For everyone else it is simply the sheet you hand to the next locksmith, or the next owner, so nobody has to rediscover what is inside the door.
In the van
- Spindle and knob set screws
- Hardwood dowel and wood glue
- Reproduction mortise case
- Dry graphite or PTFE lubricant
- Deadbolt lever springs
What affects the quote
- 1
Bit key or cylinder lock
A bit-key case has keys filed by hand on the bench, while a cylinder lock is rekeyed or fitted with a new cylinder on a key machine. The two take different time and materials, and the quote follows.
- 2
Replacement cylinder
When a pin-tumbler cylinder is past rekeying, a new mortise cylinder of the right thread and cam is fitted. A standard cylinder and a high-security one are different hardware and are quoted as such.
- 3
Missing or mismatched trim
Sourcing a knob, escutcheon or thumb-turn to match the survivors, from salvage or reproduction stock, is quoted as parts plus the search. Reusing your own trim from another door avoids that line.
Same fees day, night or weekend.
Vintage Mortise Lock Service: questions
How should I look after the lock once it is serviced?
A drop of the right lock oil into the latch and bolt once a year is plenty. If the lock has a pin-tumbler cylinder, use whatever lubricant that cylinder's maker specifies, since some take a dry graphite or PTFE product and others a specified liquid one. Try the latch and deadbolt each spring and fall; if the bolt starts to scrape, the strike wants a small adjustment before anything is strained. Keep bit keys out of a pocket where they bend.
Do I need to prove I own the house before you work on the lock?
Yes, and it is a normal part of any lock or key work. Photo identification together with something that ties you to the address is enough. If you rent, the locksmith will ask who should receive the keys, because landlords and tenants in this province are expected to agree on lock changes and share keys. This check takes a moment and it protects every household the locksmith is asked to work for.
My home is a designated heritage property. Does that change anything?
It reinforces the choice to service rather than replace. Where a property carries a heritage designation, changes affecting listed features can need extra sign-off, and original door hardware is occasionally among those features. A rebuilt mortise case with its original trim is preservation rather than alteration, and the locksmith's written record of what was retained and what was replaced is useful for your file.
Vintage Mortise Lock Service near you
Durham, Ontario
Coronation Gardens information
- Town
- Coronation Gardens, Durham, Ontario
- In business
- 13 years
- Hours
- Open 24/7 · nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
- Phone
- (289) 278-0778
- Visits
- On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.
What the census means at the door
25%
Newer homes. About 25% of homes in Whitby were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.
Where housing is new, garage entries, side doors and the front door were usually fitted at the same time but not always to the same key. Keying them alike is a small job that makes the household's ring simpler from the start.
70%
Mostly houses. Single-detached houses make up about 70% of homes in Whitby (2021 Census).
In areas of single houses, the door nobody watches is the side or back entry. It often has the weakest lock on the property. Fitting a proper deadbolt and a reinforced strike there is a modest job that closes the obvious gap.
Open 24/7
Request a visit
The interior bedroom doors on the second floor have the original mortise latches, and none of them close any more.
Call now · open 24/7(289) 278-0778- On-site assessment preferred
- Same fees day, night or weekend
- 13 years in business