Changing a lock
Lock change Guardamar, booked for a day that suits you
A cylinder that grinds with sand, a multipoint lock that has to be fought with, or simply too many keys out there. A lock change is planned work: booked on a day that suits you, priced before it starts, and the old keys are dead as soon as the new cylinder goes in.
- Booked on a day that suits
- Measured at the door
- Old keys stop working at once
Why people change them here
Three reasons a lock in Guardamar needs changing
Sand and salt have worn it
The pinada was planted between 1897 and 1929 to hold dunes that were moving into the town, and fine sand still blows. Near the beach it works its way into cylinders, and salt from the sea does the rest. A key that has to be wiggled is a cylinder near the end of its life: the guide on sand in a cylinder explains what can still be saved.
Nobody knows who has keys
Only about one home in four in Guardamar is lived in all year (INE Census 2021). The rest pass keys between owners, agencies, cleaners, tenants and neighbours, and over a few years they stop coming back. Read who else can open your door before deciding.
You have just bought the house
A resale bungalow in El Raso or a flat behind the beach comes with keys you have never seen. The front door and the street gate first; the storeroom and the garage can follow.
The lock fights you
A multipoint lock that only throws when the handle is lifted hard, a key that turns twice before it catches. Often an adjustment, sometimes a new gearbox, rarely a whole new lock.
Choosing
Which cylinder, for which door
| Cylinder | What it is for | Where it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Standard euro cylinder | Replaces a worn one like for like, with new keys | Storerooms, inner doors, gates behind another locked door |
| Anti-bump cylinder | Resists being opened with a bump key | Front doors of flats and bungalows |
| Keyed-alike set | Several doors, one key | Gate, front door and storeroom of the same house |
| Cylinder with a thumb-turn inside | Opens from inside without a key | Homes where a quick way out matters |
For a door that has been forced, or a house that will stand empty for months, the stronger options are on the page about repairs after a break-in. Terrace and patio sliding doors are a different mechanism: sliding door locks.
The visit
A booked cylinder change, visit by visit
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Photo and a day
Send a photo of the lock and the edge of the door. A day is agreed that suits you, or the agency if you are away.
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Measured and priced
The cylinder is measured at the door and the price is agreed before anything is removed.
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Fitted and tested
The new cylinder goes in and every new key is tried, from both sides, with the door open and closed.
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Keys counted into your hand
You get every key and the card if there is one. Anyone with an old key is locked out from that moment.
If the house is usually empty, the change can be arranged around your trip: see second homes. If you are locked out today, that is opening the door first, and the lock afterwards.
Asked often
Cylinders, keys and multipoint locks
Do I have to measure the cylinder myself before booking?
You do not need to. It is measured at the door, from the screw in the edge of the door to each face. If you want to know in advance, a photo of the edge of the door with a ruler against the cylinder on WhatsApp is enough.
Can one key open the street door, the gate and the storeroom?
Yes, if the cylinders are of the same make and fitted together as a keyed-alike set. It is worth doing in a bungalow or a ground-floor flat with a gate, where one bunch of four keys becomes a single key.
Our door locks only if I lift the handle hard. Does the whole lock need replacing?
Not always. On a multipoint lock it is often the door that has dropped or the keeps that have moved, and adjusting them sets it right. The gearbox is replaced only if it is worn or broken.
Should I change the locks after buying a resale flat?
Yes, at least the cylinder of the front door and of the street gate if there is one. You cannot know how many keys the previous owners, their tenants and their agency handed out.
Often needed next
Other work that goes with a new lock
Guides that lead here
- A low house in the 1829 grid: street door, patio and back gate · 4 min read
- Reopening a beach shop in spring, and the shutter will not budge · 4 min read
- Sand in the cylinder: what helps, and what turns it to paste · 4 min read
- Three homes in four stand empty: what the winter does to their locks · 5 min read
- Who else can open your door? Counting the keys you have lost track of · 4 min read
Pick the day, send a photo of the lock
Send a photo of the lock and say which day works. The price is agreed before anything is removed.