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Residential locksmith for Toronto houses and condos
A residential locksmith in Toronto does four things for most homes: changes locks, installs deadbolts, rekeys what is already on the door, and repairs the doors that have stopped closing properly. We do all four for houses, condos, and rental units across the ten cities we cover.
The most common house call is not a broken lock at all. It is a door that has settled in its frame until the bolt no longer meets the strike squarely, and the answer is an adjustment rather than new hardware.
If this is happening right now
Lock will not turn
Stop forcing the key. A key that turns halfway and stops is usually a worn cylinder or a misaligned strike, and both get worse with force.
House lock change and deadbolt installation
A deadbolt is only as strong as what it goes into. A high grade lock fitted into a soft frame with short screws is easier to defeat than a modest one installed properly with a reinforced strike and three inch screws into the stud. Where a door is worth upgrading, that is usually where the money should go first.
If you are adding a deadbolt where there was none, the door needs boring, which is not reversible. On a hollow core door, on a heritage door, or on a condo door governed by a declaration, it is worth confirming that is the right move before anyone drills.
Getting every door onto one key
In most homes the front deadbolt, the side door, and the garage entry can be rekeyed to a single key. Where a door carries hardware from a different manufacturer, that cylinder may need changing before it will accept the same key.
It is worth counting the doors before you call. A great many Toronto and North York houses have had a side or basement entrance added at some point, and that door is almost always on different hardware from the front. Saying so on the phone is the difference between one visit and two.
Condo and apartment doors
The unit door is yours and the building's common areas are not. You can generally change the cylinder inside your own door, but check the declaration first: some condo corporations specify the finish and the strike on the corridor side, and a few require the door to stay on the building keyway.
Mailbox locks in older apartment buildings are their own small category. They are wafer locks, they seize, and the key snaps in them. They are also usually quick to replace.
Doors that have stopped working properly
Three faults account for most of what we see. A bolt that will not throw is nearly always a strike alignment problem caused by the frame moving. A key that turns halfway and stops is a worn cylinder. A door that will not stay shut is a latch or a hinge, not a lock at all.
Fitting a brand new deadbolt into a strike that is out of alignment gives you a brand new lock with exactly the same fault. Ask which of the three you have before you buy hardware.
Residential locksmith across the GTA
This is one of the jobs we are called for most in these cities. Each page covers the doors and the property stock you actually find there.
- Residential locksmith in North York
- Residential locksmith in East York
- Residential locksmith in Scarborough
- Residential locksmith in Richmond Hill
All ten cities we cover or call (289) 460-1916 to check your address.
Request a call back
For anything that is not urgent, leave your details and we will call you. For anything that is, the phone is faster.
Toronto Prime Locksmith
287 Bridgeland Ave Ste B, North York, ON M6A 1Z4, Canada
Open 24 hours, 7 days, including holidays
What happens next. Your details go to the shop and somebody calls you back on the number you give us, {{TBD: how quickly someone calls back}}. Nothing is booked and nothing is charged until you have spoken to a person and agreed a figure.
If you are locked out right now, do not wait for a call back. Ring (289) 460-1916 and we will start straight away.
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Residential locksmith: common questions
Can all my doors be put on one key?
Usually yes, if the cylinders are compatible. Front deadbolt, side door, and garage entry can normally be rekeyed to a single key. Where a door has hardware from a different manufacturer, that cylinder may need changing before it will accept the same key, and we will tell you which doors those are.
Is a more expensive deadbolt actually better?
Sometimes. Grade rating and cylinder quality do make a real difference to how a lock resists forcing. But a good deadbolt in a soft frame with short screws is easier to defeat than a modest one fitted properly, so fitting and strike reinforcement matter at least as much as the price on the box.
Do you work on condo unit doors?
Yes. The building controls the lobby and common area hardware, but the unit door is yours. Check your declaration first, because some condo corporations specify what may be fitted on the corridor side of the door.
Something not covered here? Call (289) 460-1916 and ask. We would rather answer it on the phone than have you guess.