Handheld diagnostic unit with a screen and buttons lying on a dirty car floor mat, cabled to a port under the dash. — Peterborough

High security · Peterborough

High Security Locks

Open 24/7

After the attempted break-in the police officer pointed at your door and said the strike plate was held by two short screws. Nobody got in, but you have looked at that door differently every evening since.

Request a visit

In plain words

A high security cylinder is rated by independent laboratory testing that times how long it holds out against picking, impressioning, drilling, prying and wrenching. The lock body and deadbolt carry a separate hardware grade for strength, cycle life and finish. A locksmith reads those ratings for you and matches them to your door, because a rating on the box means nothing if the door frame is thin or the bolt barely enters the jamb. The visit usually ends with a heavier deadbolt, a reinforced strike fastened into the framing and a cylinder whose keys cannot be copied at a kiosk.

Sound familiar?Peterborough

The call: You run a home office with client files and equipment, and your insurer has asked what kind of lock is on the door. The honest answer is the builder's knob lock and a light deadbolt from when the house was new.

NextHow the visit goes

High Security Locks · Peterborough

How the visit goes

Person in an apron holding a car key fob beside a key-cutting machine, with rows of key blanks on the wall. — Peterborough

Scene 1
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.
Scene 2
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.
Scene 3
Fewer keys, clearer purpose
Many customers finish the visit carrying fewer keys than they started with. Exterior doors keyed alike mean one key for the house; a small master system means a manager carries one key for the whole premises. Each key has a known job. The locksmith explains which key opens which door and leaves that in writing, so the tenth person to ask does not get a shrug. Should you add a door later, a gate, a garage entry or a new office, it can join the same system so you keep the single-key convenience without opening a fresh keyway.

In the van

Wrap-around door reinforcer
Reinforced strike plate
Graded deadbolt with hardened bolt
Commercial mortise lock body
Hardened cylinder guard ring

What shapes the quoteAshburnham Lock Experts

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 rating and format: A patented residential cylinder, a laboratory-rated commercial cylinder and an interchangeable core sit at different points on the scale, and the format that fits your present hardware decides which lines are available.
Number of doors: Each door gets its own cylinder or lock, strike work and testing. Several doors on one keyway share the setup cost of the key system but add hardware and time per opening.

FeesSame any hour

Have it ready

Before you call · 0 / 3

Is this a house, condo, rental unit or business premises, and do you own or manage it?
Which locks are on the door now: knob only, knob and deadbolt, a mortise lock or a lever?
How many keys exist today, and are you confident of that number?

(249) 494-7410

Questions we hear most

What is the difference between restricted and patented keys?

A restricted keyway is one the manufacturer supplies to a limited set of dealers, so blanks are harder to obtain but not legally protected. A patented key design is protected by a patent for a fixed term, and making or selling the blank without permission is unlawful during that time. Patented systems give the firmer control; restricted ones give a useful step up. The locksmith explains which your chosen line uses and when any patent expires.

What should I do when a controlled key is lost?

Tell your locksmith so the register is updated, then decide together what the loss means. If the key was lost with nothing identifying your address, the practical risk is low and many people simply strike it off. If it went missing with identification or from a known person, the affected cylinders can be repinned so that key stops working while the rest of the system continues. Because the keyway is controlled, you know that no further copies exist.

What information helps before the visit?

A photo of each door's lock from inside and outside, the type of door, whether there is glass nearby and roughly how many keys are in circulation. For a business, a sketch of the doors and who needs to reach each area saves a great deal of time. Mention any door that sticks, has been forced or has a closer or push bar on it. With that, the locksmith arrives with the right formats and a plan to discuss.