The Benefits of Owning Multiple Keys

There's a line of reasoning that you should change (or rekey) the locks anytime you move to a new home. You don't know how many duplicate keys are out there, nor do you know who might have one. What you should never do, as strange as it might sound, is post a photo of your new home's front door key on social media. But why?

Moving to a new home is a major life event, especially if it's the first home you've bought. As such, taking a photo of the new key that unlocks your new door to your new life can make sense for anyone who likes to use social media. Why is this a potential security risk?

Unique Notches

The risk is low, but it's there. If you look at a key, you'll see that the blade (the portion of the key inserted into the keyway) contains a series of unique valley-like notches. The placement of these notches along the blade, along with their depth, creates a unique configuration that must match the lock's internal cylinder, where its pins are located.

Lock Pins

A cylinder lock contains a number of shafts, which feature spring-mounted pins. The insertion of a key permits movements of these pins, which press downwards into the notches contained in the key's blade. Essentially if the placement and height of these notches don't correspond to the lock's internal configuration, a pin (or pins) will be out of place, and will prevent the lock's cylinder from turning. It's quite a simple process, yet it's remarkably secure. 

Replication

However, because the design of a key is relatively simple, it's easy to replicate. Most locksmiths use an existing key as a template to cut a new key. It's not impossible for someone who knew what they were doing to cut a key from scratch, using a photo as a guide. By posting a photo of your new key for anyone to see, you're creating the risk that someone can make a functional copy of your key without ever having possession of the original key.  

Rekeying

If you've posted photos of your key, or if you really don't like the possibility of there being duplicate keys out there, should you change your lock? You don't need to do anything quite so definitive (or expensive). Rekeying is one of the more common home locksmith services. A locksmith simply resets the configuration of the pins inside the lock, so that a new key (with new positioning and depth of notches) is needed to open it. 

Rekeying is an effective way to ensure your lock is secure—but make sure to keep photos of your new key away from social media. Contact a local locksmith service, such as Cohen's Key Shop Inc., to learn more.