Lock Installation in Encino, CA

What counts as a lock installation, and when do Encino homes need one?

Lock installation means fitting a lock where none exists, or fitting a new lock set into a door prepared to take it. It is not the same as swapping a worn lock for an identical one, and it is not the same as changing the internal pins of a lock you already own. In Encino it usually comes up when a door has only a knob latch and no deadbolt, when a remodel or addition adds a new door, when a side, service or casita door was never secured, or when a move-in turns up hardware that is mismatched or missing.

Good installation is mostly about the door, not the lock. A strong lock in a sloppy bore sticks, wears early and fails sooner than a plain lock fitted cleanly. So before we choose hardware we look at the door's material, thickness and condition, and at the frame it closes into.

Which kinds of lock installation do we handle in Encino?

Most calls fall into a few groups. Here is what we fit, on doors of every type:

• Front door lock installation: entry handle sets, knob and lever sets, and a separate bolt above them. If you only want the bolt, see our deadbolt installation service.
• Door lock installation on side, back, garage-service and interior doors, including keyed-entry and privacy sets.
• Mortise lock installation on older solid doors and heavier entry doors, covered in more detail below.
• Lever lock installation for homes and offices where an easy-to-grip handle matters.
• Security lock installation: higher-grade cylinders, reinforced strike plates and longer screws. For pick- and drill-resistant cylinders, look at high-security locks.
• Residential lock installation for houses, condos, casitas and guest houses.
• Commercial lock installation for office suites and business doors, using commercial-grade lever and mortise sets. Related hardware such as closers and exit devices falls under commercial door hardware.

How does a new lock installation go, step by step?

Every door is a little different, but the sequence we follow is the same whether it is a front door in a ranch house or a suite door on a commercial floor.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us the address, the door material (wood, metal or glass), and either the lock you want or the problem you are solving. We answer at any hour, and a mobile van comes to you.
2. We inspect the door and the frame: thickness, condition, any existing holes, wear around the strike area, and how the door sits when it is closed.
3. We agree on hardware with you: lock type and grade, finish, and whether the new lock should be keyed to match other locks you already use. You hear the cost explained before we cut anything.
4. We prepare the door. If it is already bored, we verify the hole sizes and backset. If not, we mark and cut the cross bore and edge bore with a template so the holes are square and centered.
5. We fit the latch, lock body and trim, then set the strike plate. On deadbolts we use long screws that reach the framing, because a strike held by short screws is the weak point on a lot of doors.
6. We test it: key and thumbturn from both sides, with the door open and closed, checking that the bolt throws fully with no binding or rubbing. We adjust until it runs smoothly.
7. We hand over the keys, show you how the lock operates, and clean up the shavings and dust we made.

What is different about mortise and lever lock installation?

A mortise lock sits inside a rectangular pocket cut into the edge of the door, rather than in two round holes. The steel case holds the latch, the bolt and often the handle spindle in one body. Mortise sets are common on older solid-wood doors and heavier entry doors, and in some commercial and multifamily buildings. They are strong when fitted properly. Mortise lock installation is slower, precise work: the pocket has to match the case, the faceplate must sit flush, and the cylinder, trim and strike must line up so the bolt moves freely. A pocket cut too wide weakens the door edge, which is why we do not rush it.

Lever lock installation is usually simpler on a standard prepared door, because lever sets use the same two-hole bore as knobs. Levers are easier to work with wet hands, full arms or limited grip strength, which is why many owners choose them for front and interior doors. What we check is the backset and the lever's return spring, so the handle does not droop and the latch reaches the strike fully.

Not every door accepts every lock. Thin hollow-core doors, glass doors and narrow-stile frames each have limits, and we will tell you plainly when the lock you picked does not suit the door, and what will.

What affects the cost of lock installation in Encino?

We do not put numbers on a web page, because the real figure depends on your door. These are the factors that move it:

• Whether the door is already bored for the lock or needs new holes or a mortise pocket cut.
• Lock type and grade. A basic deadbolt, a commercial-grade lever set, a mortise set and a smart lock sit in very different places.
• How many doors we are doing in one visit.
• Keying: one key for several doors, or matching locks you already have.
• Door and frame condition, including reinforcement, filling old holes or repairing a splintered edge.
• Commercial or building requirements, such as a specified keyway or finish.
• Whether you supply the hardware or we do.
• Time of day, since an after-hours call is scheduled differently from a planned daytime visit.

What does lock installation look like across Encino?

Encino's housing varies enough that the same service looks different from street to street. Our storefront is in Westwood, about 11 miles away, and our mobile vans serve addresses in both 91316 and 91436.

In the postwar ranch tracts north of Ventura Boulevard, including Encino Park, we are often fitting a deadbolt to an older entry door or adding a lock to a side door. Older frames deserve a careful look, so we check the strike area before drilling. If you have just bought one of these homes and the locks work, a rekey may suit you better than a new installation.

The estate neighborhoods are another matter. Royal Oaks, Lake Encino and Amestoy Estates have large lots and more doors to secure: front entry, service door, side doors, a pool-side or guest-house door. Driveway gate and smart-lock work is a regular scenario at estates in Royal Oaks and Amestoy Estates. For installation, that usually means fitting a keypad or app-controlled lock on the entry doors, which we cover under smart lock installation. The door still has to be bored and aligned correctly before any electronics will behave.

Hillside homes south of the Boulevard often sit behind driveway gates with intercom and access-control hardware, but the house doors still need proper locks of their own. Those doors take more direct sun and canyon wind, and Encino's hot summers expand wood entry doors. So we leave sensible working clearance and check that the bolt throws freely when the door is warm, not only on a cool morning.

Along the Ventura Boulevard corridor you will find condo towers and HOA-managed apartment buildings, among the denser multifamily housing in the south Valley. If you want a new lock on a unit door, ask your HOA or building management first about approved hardware, finish or keyway. Near Encino Hospital Medical Center, suite doors more often need rekeys, but a new build-out or a change of tenant can mean a fresh commercial lock installation instead.

Do you need installation, or a rekey or replacement?

Many people call for installation when they need something else, so a quick check saves time. If the lock works but you are worried about who holds keys, you probably want lock rekeying, which changes which key operates the lock without changing the hardware. If the lock is broken, worn out or outdated and the door already has a good bore, you want lock replacement. If the door has no lock, the wrong kind of lock, or needs a different category, such as a mortise set, a bolt where there was only a latch, or a commercial set on a new door, that is installation. Describe the door to us and we will tell you honestly which of the three it is.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a new lock?

We have been in business since 1987, with a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile locksmith vans covering 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Encino included. When you call, you reach our own company, not a dispatch middleman who passes the job to whoever picks it up. The phone, (213) 577-1366, is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.

David, our owner and lead technician, oversees the work. That matters on installation, because it is a craft job: a cut made in a door cannot be undone, so it has to be measured and made right the first time.

On credentials: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for that license number before they start work, including us. It is a fair, ordinary question, and a company that dodges it is telling you something.

What should you have ready when you call?

A little information lets us bring the right hardware on the first trip:

• The door material and, if you know it, its thickness.
• What you want: a front door lock, a mortise set, a lever set, a higher-security lock, or advice.
• A photo of the door and the edge where the lock will sit, if you can send one.
• Any HOA, landlord or building rules about hardware, finish or keyway.
• Whether the door must stay secured tonight, so we plan around it.

More locksmith help in Encino

• Change Locks in Encino
• Deadbolt Installation in Encino
• Gate Lock Repair in Encino
• High Security Locks in Encino
• Key Duplication in Encino
• Lock Rekey in Encino
• All services in Encino

Lock Installation near Encino

• Tarzana
• Lake Balboa
• Sherman Oaks
• Reseda
• Van Nuys
• Woodland Hills