Most home lock work is scheduled.
A Big Plan, a Smaller Job and a Stronger House
People often expect a big bill. Here's a typical example of how the real job turned out.
A couple bought a 1960s ranch house in Nottingham Forest. The number came back high: new handle sets, new deadbolts, new knobs on six exterior doors, all installed.
The wife called us for a second opinion. The dispatcher asked how many exterior doors, what the locks looked like, whether they worked, and what worried them most. Six doors, mostly brass, mostly working, and they didn't know who had keys. He said a technician would walk the house and tell them honestly whether they needed new locks or not, and booked a morning.
A uniformed technician arrived and showed his photo ID first. He checked the closing papers against her license and walked the house with them. What he found: Five of the six locks were good quality and in good shape. They didn't need replacing. They needed rekeying. The strikes, on the other hand, were held by short screws in old jambs, which is where doors actually give way. The sliding door to the patio didn't latch fully, so a hard pull opened it. And the door from the garage had a knob and no deadbolt at all. The sixth lock, on a side door, was rusted and loose.
He laid it out. Rekey five locks to one key. Replace the rusted side-door lock. Fit heavy strikes with 3-inch screws on every exterior door. Adjust the slider's latch and add a pin lock. Add a deadbolt to the garage entry.
They had expected to spend far more and get far less. He did the work that day with his pinning kit, drill and a box of long screws, then tested every door with the door closed. He also showed them how to feel for a loose strike by pushing on the latch side of the door with the bolt thrown. If the door moves, the screws are too short. The couple walked the house with him afterward and wrote down which key opened which door.
His advice: don't judge a lock by how old it looks. Judge it by how it works and how it's mounted.
Home Locks, Straight Answers
Rekey or Replace?
If the lock works and looks fine, rekey it. If it's rusted, loose, worn or low grade, replace it. Most older Memorial homes have a mix. See rekey service and lock replacement.
Strikes Are the Weak Point
Most forced doors fail at the frame. A heavy strike plate fixed with 3-inch screws into the stud does more for security than a fancier lock held by short screws.
Fix the Door, Fix the Lock
Residential lock repair often starts with the door. Sticky deadbolts, loose knobs and latches that don't catch are often door problems: a sagging hinge, a swollen frame, a strike out of line. A longer hinge screw or a strike adjustment fixes a lot.
Sliders and French Doors
Slider latches wear out and don't catch fully. A new latch, an adjusted roller and a secondary pin lock or bar fix most of them. French doors need solid top and bottom bolts on the inactive leaf.
The Security Basics
The home security locks that matter most are simple. Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolts on every exterior door, heavy strikes, secured sliders and a deadbolt on the garage entry. That covers the basics for most houses. See deadbolt installation.
Before You Unpack
A locksmith for new homeowners starts with one assumption. Assume many people have keys: previous owners, their family, cleaners, contractors and agents. Rekey every exterior lock before you move your things in, reset garage and keypad codes, and check the slider.
Rental Houses
Landlord locksmith work in Texas has a legal side. Texas landlords must rekey or change security devices within a set period after a tenant moves out. We work with owners and managers of rental houses and townhomes in Memorial.
Older Ranch Homes and Mid-Century Moderns
Original 1950s and 1960s hardware is often better made than people think. Mid-century homes in Memorial Bend may have unusual hardware worth keeping. We repair and rekey before we recommend replacing.
After a Flood or a Big Storm
Homes near Buffalo Bayou and the reservoirs have taken water in big storms. Wet doors swell, latches rust and strikes shift. Once the house is dry, have the doors checked. Some locks only need cleaning and adjusting; others won't recover and should be replaced before they fail.
Garage Keypads and Openers
The garage is the main entrance for many Memorial families. Change keypad codes when you move in, replace keypad batteries every year, and treat the door from the garage into the house like a front door, with a deadbolt and a heavy strike.
New Builds
Tall doors, multipoint locks and keypads need parts from specific makers. Builder-grade locks on secondary doors are often worth upgrading.
Who Can Approve Work
Owners, or tenants with landlord approval. We check ID against a deed, closing papers, a tax notice or a lease.
Service Across Memorial
A technician drives to you in Memorial; there is no counter to walk up to and no shop to visit. Planned work is booked when it suits you. The Katy Freeway and Memorial Drive at school times are the slow parts of Memorial. Residential streets are quick most of the day.
Honest Advice, Careful Work
Uniform. ID shown first. A walk around the house before any recommendation. Plain talk about what's worth doing and what isn't. Floors and finishes protected. Every lock tested with every key, door closed.
Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured. Homeowners rate us 5 stars on Google.
Residential Locksmith Work Across Memorial
Memorial's housing spans seventy years. Ranch homes from the 1950s and 1960s in Nottingham Forest and Fonn Villas, mid-century moderns in Memorial Bend, townhomes near the freeway and big new builds where older houses came down. Tall trees, humidity and the occasional flood near Buffalo Bayou take a toll on doors and frames. A home locksmith in Memorial spends as much time on strikes, hinges and sliders as on the locks themselves. As a residential locksmith in Memorial, we'd rather fix what's there than sell you a box of hardware you don't need.
Residential locksmith work in Memorial often means older houses with newer needs. The doors are solid and the frames sound, but the hardware may be thirty years old and the strikes held by short screws. Those are small fixes with a big effect.
A walk through with the technician is the best way to see what the house needs. Front, back, garage, patio and side gate each have different demands.
Think about who has keys. Contractors, cleaners, dog walkers, past owners and relatives pile up over the years. A rekey closes that list in one visit.
Tell us what bothers you about your locks. Looseness, sticking, an old look and a feeling of insecurity are all good reasons to call.
Houses that sit empty for a stretch, because the family travels, deserve extra thought. Neighbors, lights and sturdy locks do more together than any one of them alone.
Look at the exterior lighting too. A well-lit entry deters more break-ins than any lock, and a technician can often suggest simple changes, like a motion light or a keypad that lets you in without fumbling for keys.
We never push upgrades you do not need. If your locks are fine, we will say so and leave it there.
We also provide residential locksmith service in Spring Branch, River Oaks and Hunters Creek Village.
Get a Straight Answer About Your Locks
Call Fast Locksmith 24/7. Tell us how many outside doors you have and what's bothering you.
Estimated Technician Arrival Time
Arrival times vary depending on your location and technician availability.
Actual arrival time may vary depending on your exact location, traffic conditions, time of day, current demand, and technician availability.
Providing your exact vehicle location when calling allows us to give you a more accurate estimated arrival time.