What is the difference between a rekey and master keying?
Whether you have recently purchased a new home or car or you are simply interested in what locksmiths do, you may want to get better acquainted with the terms. As a customer or as a budding locksmith, you want to understand the concepts, such as the difference rekey master keying
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The Rekey Process
The rekeying process is one where a lock is changed. In other words, the key or keys that once opened this door will no longer door so. For example, when you move into a new house, you probably want to have all of the doors rekeyed. This step is a common one so that the previous owners cannot gain entry to your house. You may also find that office in a company are rekeyed when previous employees move out. Rekeying can happen for a variety of reasons. No matter what the reason is, the old keys will no longer work in the door.
Master Keying
A master key is one that works for a variety of doors. For example, Queens and New York City in general are home to many apartment buildings. Inside of those apartment buildings lie separate residences. The residents cannot open the doors to one another’s apartments. However, the landlord of the building likely has a key that will open all of the doors. Master keying is a process where one key is made that will open more than one door. In many cases, master keying takes place in tandem with the rekeying process.
Why Rekeying and Master Keying Belong Together
Envision a building with many rooms in it. Each of those rooms has its own door, and in order to gain access to the rooms, individuals need to use keys. If a master key has never been involved with those doors, it is difficult to imagine that one would be created that fits all of the current locks. The locks would likely need to be rekeyed so that they are all capable of receiving both the individual keys that open them and the master key.
When Rekeying is Separate
Even though those two processes usually work together, that doesn’t always have to be the case. While individuals in apartment buildings generally know that someone has a master key, the same expectation is not present when it comes to privately owned houses. Rekeying may happen without master keying when an office for an executive of a company is created. Rekeying can happen without master keying when a master key is not desired for the locks that are undergoing the current work. Therefore, the chosen process depends upon the demands of the project.
Master keying and rekeying can happen together, or they can occur independently from one another. It is more likely for rekeying to happen without master keying than the other way around. If you are struggling to determine the appropriate plan for your needs, you should speak with a representative.
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