Just Moved to Augusta? A Lock Security Checklist for Your New Home

The very first thing to do after receiving your keys at closing — before you bring in a couch, before you order pizza — is to rekey a lock on every exterior door. What does it mean to rekey a lock? It means a trained locksmith changes the internal pin configuration inside your existing lock cylinder so that only your new key works. The old keys, including every copy ever made, become useless. You keep the same hardware; only the internal tumbler pattern changes. This is the fastest and most practical security upgrade you can make, and it costs far less than replacing all your hardware outright. How do you rekey a lock? A professional removes the cylinder, replaces the pins to match a new key code, reassembles the lock, and tests it. It takes minutes per door when done by an experienced technician. If you want all your doors to respond to a single key — a major convenience upgrade — ask about how to rekey a lock to match existing key, a process called keying alike. Our team at Pro Augusta Locksmith carries the parts to handle Schlage, Kwikset, and most major residential cylinders on the spot.

New homeowners sometimes wonder whether they can handle this themselves. Technically, rekey kits exist for some hardware brands, but the process requires the correct pinning kit for your specific lock brand, a plug follower tool, and familiarity with cylinder mechanics. One small mistake — a dropped spring, a mismatched driver pin — means a lock that binds or fails. For a task this foundational to your family's safety, our recommendation is always to have a qualified locksmith handle it on move-in day. If you're already juggling a move, the last thing you need is a half-disassembled front door lock. Call (704) 850-6756 and we'll meet you at the property — we're mobile and serve the Augusta area around the clock.

Start at the front door and work your way around the exterior methodically. Front door: Inspect the existing door knob lock and deadbolt. A door knob lock alone is not sufficient security — the latch can be defeated with a credit card or shimmed in seconds, which is exactly why security experts treat the deadbolt as the true barrier. If your front door has only a knob lock, upgrading to a Grade 1 deadbolt is non-negotiable. If the door frame itself looks splintered or the strike plate is held by short half-inch screws, that's your next fix — a solid strike plate with three-inch screws anchored into the stud is one of the highest-impact upgrades you can make for almost no cost. Back door and side entries: These are statistically the most common points of entry for break-ins because they're less visible from the street. Check for solid-core doors, functioning deadbolts, and no exposed hinge pins on the exterior side. Sliding glass doors: A basic pin or bar in the track channel is a start, but adding a secondary sliding door lock or a loop lock prevents the door from being lifted off its track — a technique burglars know well. Garage entry door: The door between your garage and living space is often the weakest link in Augusta homes because homeowners treat the garage door as the real barrier. It isn't. Treat that interior garage door like a front door: solid core, deadbolt, and rekey it along with the rest.

Older Augusta homes — especially those built before the 1980s — sometimes feature mortise locks on interior and exterior doors. A mortise lock is a full-body lock mechanism that fits inside a pocket (mortise) carved into the door edge, integrating the latch bolt and deadbolt into a single cast-metal unit. These locks are exceptionally strong and were considered premium hardware for decades. If your new home has original mortise locks, have a locksmith inspect the mechanism. Worn internals can make the lock easy to manipulate, but a properly serviced mortise lock is among the most secure options available. Pro Augusta Locksmith specializes in mortise lock service, repair, and cylinder replacement — we stock the specialty parts that most hardware stores don't carry, so we can restore your vintage hardware rather than forcing you to replace beautiful original ironwork.

When our technicians arrive for a move-in security assessment, they bring a professional toolkit that includes plug followers, pinning trays, key gauges, tension wrenches, pick sets (used legitimately to test lock resistance — we never provide pick techniques to the public), deadbolt alignment tools, and strike plate hardware. Understanding what tools do locksmiths use helps you appreciate why a trained professional produces a result that a DIY kit cannot match: precision matters when you're aligning a deadbolt throw with a strike plate mortise, or when you're resetting a mortise lock cylinder that hasn't been serviced since the Carter administration. When you're evaluating what upgrades to request, focus on three things: lock grade (ANSI Grade 1 is the highest residential standard), bolt throw length (a one-inch throw deadbolt resists kick-in far better than a short throw), and cylinder quality (ask about pick-resistant and bump-resistant cylinders if you want maximum protection).

One question worth asking during your assessment: is the door itself the vulnerability, or is it the lock? A high-quality deadbolt on a hollow-core door is still a weak system. Similarly, an original mortise lock on a solid mahogany door with a reinforced frame is extraordinarily secure. A good locksmith Augusta homeowners trust will evaluate the entire door assembly, not just the cylinder, and give you an honest priority list rather than upselling hardware you don't need. Our team will walk you through exactly what we find and confirm an exact up-front price before any work begins — the quote factors in lock type, hardware needed, number of doors, and our travel to your location.

Detached garage and outbuildings: A detached garage on a property near the Augusta Canal, a workshop in a backyard shed, or a standalone carriage house — these are goldmines for a burglar looking for tools to break into your main house. Rekey or replace the padlocks and hasps. A hardened steel shackle padlock paired with a closed hasp (so the screws are hidden when locked) dramatically raises the difficulty level. Interior doors to sensitive rooms: If you run a home office, have a gun safe room, or store medications, consider rekeying or adding a lock to that specific interior door so it operates on a different key from the main set. Window locks: Augusta's older neighborhoods have single-hung sash windows with worn original latches that can be jiggled open. Auxiliary window locks — sash locks, pins through the meeting rail, or keyed window locks — are inexpensive and highly effective. Smart locks: If the previous owner installed a smart lock with a keypad or app control, a factory reset is essential. Changing the code is not enough — the lock's administrator access may still be tied to an old account. Our technicians can reset, reprogram, or replace smart lock hardware. Mail slot and pet doors: Large mail slots and pet doors on or near exterior doors can potentially allow someone to reach through and manipulate an interior thumb-turn deadbolt. A double-cylinder deadbolt (keyed on both sides) eliminates this risk, though you should always keep a key accessible from inside in case of emergency egress.

For homeowners moving into a property in the South Augusta or Harrisburg areas — neighborhoods with a mix of older rental stock transitioning to owner-occupied homes — this checklist carries extra urgency. Rental properties accumulate key copies over years of tenant turnover, and it's common for five or more copies to be unaccounted for at the time of sale. A full rekey on move-in day is the single most impactful security step you can take. If you have questions about a specific door or lock type you've found in your new home, call (704) 850-6756 — we answer 24/7 and can often walk you through a basic diagnosis over the phone before scheduling a visit.

Security doesn't stop at move-in day. Over the life of your homeownership, you'll face situations that call for an emergency locksmith: a lockout after a long day, a broken key extracted from a cylinder, a lock that suddenly won't turn in January cold, or a door that needs to be re-secured after a forced entry. Pro Augusta Locksmith is a 24/7 mobile operation, which means we come to you — whether that's your front porch off Walton Way at 2 a.m. or your back gate on a Sunday afternoon. Our response isn't limited to residential calls either. We handle commercial locksmith work for Augusta-area small businesses, including master key systems, panic bar installation, access control, and high-security mortise lock fitting for storefronts and office suites. If you own a business or work from a home office that needs separate access management, we can build a layered system that keeps different areas accessible to different keyholders without multiplying the number of keys you carry.

A note on pricing transparency: our quotes are based on the specific work involved — lock type, cylinder brand, number of doors, time of day, and travel distance to your location. We confirm an exact price before any work starts. There are no surprise charges added after the fact. Whether you need a single rekey or a whole-home security overhaul, you'll know the full number before our technician picks up a single tool. We are insured, and our team brings years of hands-on experience with the full range of residential and commercial lock hardware found in Augusta-area homes. When your move-in security checklist is complete, you'll sleep easier knowing the only keys that work on your doors are the ones in your hands.