Running a shop or an office in London means trusting a few people with a few keys. We help you keep track of who opens what: rekeying when staff move on, master key systems that make sense, sturdy commercial hardware on the back door, and exit devices so everyone can leave without hunting for a key.
Middlesex, Ontario
2021 census · what it means at the door
52%Older homes
About 52% of homes in London were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.
Basement and side entries on older homes were often fitted long after the house was built, with whatever lock was on hand. Bringing those doors up to the standard of the front entry, and onto the same key, is a common and satisfying job.
49%
Single-detached houses make up about 49% of homes in London (2021 Census).
Neighbourhoods of houses beside townhouses and low-rise buildings have a range of door constructions: solid wood, steel, fibreglass and metal-clad. A locksmith who works in such an area is used to fitting hardware to all of them without new holes.
Locksmith services
Homes and businesses in London tend to need the same handful of things from a locksmith, so that is how the list is arranged: emergency openings, changing or rekeying locks, stronger hardware for people who want it, commercial doors and access, and safes. Car keys sit at the end for the households that need them.
London
Home Lockout ServiceAfter a week of humid weather the back door has swollen in its frame.
Mailbox Lock ReplacementSomeone tried to pry the little door on the mailbox open with a screwdriver, and though the mail sitting inside is untouched, the…
Safe Opening & Combination ChangePry marks circle the dial after an overnight break-in attempt, and the safe now refuses every number that used to open it, as if…
Safe Installation & ServicingThe keypad on the office safe blinks a low-battery warning every morning now, and whoever notices it first quietly hopes someone…
Access Control InstallationYou just leased the empty unit next door and want the new tenant to open their own suite without a key to yours, to the loading…
Panic & Exit HardwareSomeone at the front counter always has to unlock the side door by hand before the lunch rush, because the round doorknob out…
Car Key ReplacementMinus twenty outside, the fob button does nothing, and the door keyhole has a crust of road salt over it because you have not…
Vehicle Lock RepairThe car came with a second key that grinds and catches in the rear door, unlike the smooth key you use every day on the front two.
Motorcycle & Scooter KeysYou dig through every jacket pocket and the tank bag twice, but the ignition key that always sits on the same ring is nowhere to…Commercial
A shop key that walked out with a former employee is the classic commercial call. Rekeying the cylinders puts an end to it, and it is often the moment a business sets up a master key plan so the next departure is a matter of one key, not all of them.
Lockouts
A lockout is stressful in proportion to how long it drags on. We keep the phone questions to the essentials, ask you to have identification or a document showing the place is yours, and explain the opening method before touching the door.
London
Home Lockout Service
You stepped out to grab the recycling bin and the door swung shut behind you. Through the glass you can see your keys hanging on the hook by the stairs, exactly where they always are, and the latch has caught.
Home Lockout Service
London
In London we think about how a door is actually used before choosing hardware. A back door staff prop open needs a different answer than a front door a family uses twice a day. A side entry for a teenager who forgets keys may want a keypad. We ask those questions first, then match the lock to the habit.
— Huron Heights Lock & Key Co.
Hours
Open 24/7
The visit follows a steady order. On the phone you describe the door, the lock and where the key went, which tells the locksmith what to bring.
1 of 3
Before touching the lock we ask for identification or another way to show you live or work there. It protects you as much as anyone.
2 of 3
Most doors can be picked or bypassed with no damage. We start there and only move to a firmer method if the lock leaves no other choice, explaining as we go.
3 of 3
Once you are inside we check the lock still turns properly and that you have a key that works. If the lock was the reason you were stuck, we say so.
A little attention twice a year is enough. Follow your lock's own care instructions: many take a puff of dry graphite or PTFE lubricant worked in with the key, some a specified liquid product instead; general-purpose oils collect grit. Retire keys that have worn thin and cut fresh ones from a crisp original or the code. Snug up hinge and strike screws each spring and fall as the door moves with the humidity. A key that starts needing a wiggle is an early warning worth acting on.
Yes, and it is a common reason for this visit. Ownership or a lease showing the address, plus photo identification, is generally enough to confirm the compartment is yours to change. The old lock is opened without a key using the same techniques used elsewhere, then swapped for a new one, so whoever held the previous key no longer has any use for it.
The opening and combination work proceed the same way regardless of how the safe is mounted; access to the lock face, dial or keypad is what matters, not whether the case itself can be moved. A built-in or bolted safe simply means the locksmith works around its fixed position rather than moving it to a more convenient spot.
A mechanical dial has no battery and is set by hand to a private combination, turning through a sequence to release the bolt; it never runs out of power but takes a little practice to open. An electronic keypad accepts a numeric code and can support several separate codes for different people, but it depends on a battery that eventually needs replacing. Many owners choose based on how many people need access rather than one being simply superior to the other.
It helps to know which doors should be controlled, roughly how many people will need a credential, whether any of those doors are also fire exits, and who in the business will administer the system afterward. A floor plan or a walk-through on site fills in anything easier to show than describe, and neither is required in advance.
On-site assessment preferred
Describe the problem; we'll take it from there. Talk to a locksmith about it.
Open 24/7 · same fees any hour
On-site assessment preferred · (226) 777-0127 · open 24/7
