Straight answers about locks, keys and security in Vancouver, written by the technicians who do the work at 4105 Macdonald St.
The questions Vancouver readers open most often, with the prices kept in step with the shop price list.
Guides on smart locks, key types, lock changes and the questions our Vancouver customers ask most.
Deadbolts do the security work, knobs and levers run the latch, mortise cases live in older doors, and the ANSI/BHMA grade says how much abuse a lock survives.
The free things to try first, the four things not to do, what a lockout costs at every hour of the day, and the ID a locksmith has to ask you for before opening your door.
A slider gets opened three ways: shifted, lifted, or broken. Pin locks, anti-lift screws, bars, film and sensors, in the order a Vancouver locksmith would spend the money.
The three measurements to take before you buy, the swap itself step by step, the strike plate fix that matters more than the lock, and when rekeying is the job you actually wanted.
Box stores cut plain house keys and nothing with a chip, a restricted keyway or a code in it. Here is what each one can do, what it costs, and why a store cut key sometimes sticks.
Eleven ready to run security safety moments for team huddles: key holders, tailgating, propped doors, master keys, lockup checks, and the rekey rule.
Mechanical, transponder, or proximity: what a car key copy really costs in downtown Vancouver, what you have to bring, and why a spare beats an all keys lost call.
The scam has one shape: a low phone quote, an unmarked car, and a much larger number once the lock is drilled. Six questions on the phone stop all of it.
A standard-hours lockout is $80 to $160 on top of a $75 service call. Overnight the labour rate changes. Here is what sets your number, and the seven things that cause lockouts.
Most break-ins are a kick at a door frame or an unlocked window, not a picked lock. The fixes that matter cost less than the lock you were about to buy.
Fire rating protects paper. Cash rating resists attack. Bolting is what stops the safe being carried out. Most safes sold to households get at least one of these wrong.
Not on a calendar. On events: someone leaves, a key goes missing, a contractor finishes, a tenant moves out. Here is the schedule that actually reduces risk.
Home, auto or business: pick a service and a time that works for you. Licensed Vancouver shop, upfront pricing, 24/7 phone.
or call 604-734-7233
Home, auto or business: pick a service and a time that works for you. Licensed Vancouver shop, upfront pricing, 24/7 phone.
Locked out right now? Calling is fastest, 24/7.
Tap a service to start. The booking popup opens with it already selected.
One licensed Vancouver team for homes, cars and businesses. Call now or book online, and we confirm within the hour.
Pick-, drill- and bump-resistant cylinders with keys that can’t be copied at the hardware store. Cut, pinned and registered in-shop.
1/2" steel door, digital keypad, fitted and bolted on site.
Car keys are priced by vehicle. Pick what you need and we’ll collect your make, model & year to text you an exact quote.