High security locks in Vancouver
Keys nobody can copy at the hardware store.
Anyone holding your standard key can have it copied at a hardware counter. A high security cylinder resists picking, bumping and drilling, and its keys are cut only for the people on your signed list.
Pins, sidebars and patented keyways. What makes a cylinder high security.
A forced or covert attack on your door goes after the cylinder, the part the key turns. Here is what separates a high security one from the hardware store kind.
Hardened pins and anti-drill inserts
An ordinary brass cylinder gives way to a drill. A high security cylinder puts hardened steel pins and inserts where the drill bit has to go.
Sidebars and tight tolerances against picking and bumping
A bump key works by jolting every pin at once. A sidebar adds a second locking check the bump does not address, and tighter machining leaves far less play for a pick.
Patented keyways with blanks not sold at retail
The key profile is protected, so the blank is not sold on the open market. If someone takes the key to a kiosk or hardware counter, there is nothing to cut a copy from.
Restricted keyways on systems you already have
Your building may already run a restricted keyway set up by a landlord or another company. We identify the system first. Adding keys or cylinders then needs sign-off from whoever controls it.
Who can copy a high security key. Short list, and you write it.
A drill-resistant cylinder still opens for every key you have handed out. Key control, knowing who holds those keys and who can copy them, is the other half of the job.
Do-not-duplicate authorization cards on file
A "do not duplicate" stamp on an ordinary key is only a request. With a restricted keyway, the signed card on file decides who can order a copy.
A signature before any high security key is cut
Extra keys are cut when you need them, against a signed request from someone on your list. We do not cut a spare for a departing employee or a curious tenant without that signature.
A key-control register that stays current for your building
Each key is logged against the authorization that approved it, so you can see who holds what. If your list changes every week, access control may suit better than keys.
A keyway registered to your business
Your key profile is filed to your business, so keys for your site are not cut for another customer. Every future request is checked against that record first.
High security cylinders fitted by a licensed locksmith, into the door you already have.
Your storefront, mortise or deadbolt hardware usually takes a high security cylinder without swapping the whole lock. We supply and install them for offices, retail units and multi-tenant buildings. The work runs in three steps.
We assess each door and who needs access
A glass storefront door, a stock room and a strata electrical room have different needs. We check each opening and its hardware, then recommend a cylinder grade and keyway to match.
You approve the schedule and sign the key-control authorization
You get an itemized schedule of cylinders and keys. No cylinder is fitted and no key is cut until you approve it and sign the list of people allowed to request keys.
We fit the cylinders, then cut and label your keys
The cylinders go into your existing storefront, mortise or deadbolt hardware. Keys are cut, labelled and handed over, and the control record is filed for future requests.
What you are paying for with high security locks, cylinder by cylinder.
The $75 mobile service call is never the whole bill. The cylinders and keys are quoted on top, and the commercial walk-through costs nothing.
Starting figures are on the price guide.
See starting pricesBrand and grade of high security cylinder chosen
Systems differ in drill and pick resistance, and in how tightly blanks are controlled. We match the level to each door rather than fitting the top tier everywhere.
Number of doors moving to the restricted keyway
Every cylinder on the system is a part plus fitting time. You can start with the entrance, the stock room and the office, and bring other doors onto the keyway later.
Quantity of controlled keys issued at setup
Restricted blanks cost more than ordinary ones, and each one is logged. Issuing keys only to the people who need them keeps the setup cost down and the register short.
Retrofitting high security cylinders into existing hardware
A cylinder swap into sound hardware is the simple case. Worn, loose or mismatched hardware may need attention first, and you hear that before any work begins.
Straight answers on high security locks for Vancouver businesses.
Can a restricted keyway be added to our current deadbolts?
Often, yes. If your deadbolt accepts a replacement cylinder, the high security cylinder goes into the existing body. If it does not, we tell you what the door needs before any work begins.
Which high security cylinder is the better fit for a small office?
It depends on the doors and who holds keys. For most small offices, controlling who can copy the entrance and office keys matters more than maximum drill resistance on every door.
What happens if we lose a high security key?
Tell us which key it was. The blank is not sold retail, so whoever holds it cannot easily have it copied. The register shows which doors it opened. Rekeying or replacing those cylinders retires it.
Can high security cylinders be rekeyed later, or do they need replacing?
It depends on the system. Some can be rekeyed by a locksmith. Others need new cores or parts ordered in. You hear which applies before you choose one.
Will a high security cylinder still work with our panic bar?
Usually. Many exit devices take a standard rim or mortise cylinder on the outside trim, and a high security cylinder of the same type can replace it. See panic bars and door closers.
Can restricted keys be part of a master key system?
Usually, yes. Most restricted keyways can be master keyed, so each person carries one controlled key for the doors they need. See master key systems.
Drill and bump resistance is built into the high security cylinder, not bolted on.
You can bolt on guard plates and heavier handles, and they help at the edges. In a high security cylinder the resistance sits inside, in hardened parts and a sidebar, where the attack happens.
Non-destructive work first, wherever the lock allows. If the doors only need old keys retired rather than a new keyway, a commercial rekey may be all you need.
Our shop at 929 Drake Street opens soon, and every job is mobile until then, anywhere in the Lower Mainland. Evenings, weekends and holidays are by appointment, so cylinders can be swapped after you close.
Tell us what is going on, and we will price it first.
Call or book online. You will have the cylinder schedule and the number before any work begins.