What makes a lock high security and not just a nicer deadbolt?
A high security lock is built to resist the quiet ways doors get defeated: picking, bumping, drilling, and unauthorized key copying. A standard hardware-store cylinder uses simple pins, loose tolerances and a key that anyone can duplicate at a kiosk. A high security cylinder tightens every one of those weak points, and the difference shows up in how the lock is made, not in how shiny the finish looks.
These are the features that actually matter when we compare cylinders:
- Pick resistance: security pins such as spools and serrated pins, tighter machining tolerances, and sometimes a second locking element like a side bar that a pick cannot reach the same way.
- Bump resistance: internal designs that blunt the effect of a bump key, so the common trick of rapping a filed key into the lock does not set the pins.
- Drill and force resistance: hardened inserts and guards around the parts a drill or punch would target.
- Key control: restricted keyways and key blanks that are not sold over the counter, so copies come only through an authorized channel.
- Rated hardware: independent grades, such as ANSI/BHMA grades for the lock body and UL 437 for certain cylinders, that tell you the lock was tested against something.
Why do Reseda homeowners and building owners ask for high security locks?
Reseda was one of the Valley's first mass-built postwar suburbs, and most of its housing is 1940s and 50s single-story stucco tract homes on uniform lots. Those houses were built with basic hardware, and over seventy-odd years the original locks have usually been replaced, mixed and matched, or left alone. Older apartment buildings along Sherman Way, Vanowen and Saticoy add another layer: shared entries, security screen doors, and keys that have passed through many hands.
Many buildings here also date to before the 1994 Northridge earthquake and have had repairs and hardware swaps since. When a door has been patched that many times, it is common for nobody to know how many keys are out there or who holds them. That uncertainty, more than any single scare, is what usually starts the conversation about restricted keys and pick-resistant cylinders.
Some people call after a break-in or an attempt. Others call because a tenant moved out, a business changed hands, or they simply want a front door that does not rely on a cylinder anyone can copy a key for. All of those are reasonable reasons, and none of them requires the most expensive hardware on the shelf.
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Call (213) 577-1366How do we install or replace a high security lock, step by step?
Whether it is a single front door or a row of storefront doors, the job follows the same order. We would rather spend a few extra minutes up front than install a good cylinder in a bad door.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and describe the door: house, apartment or business, what lock is on it now, and what prompted the change.
- We look at the door, frame and strike plate before touching the lock. A bolt that drags or a strike that has drifted gets sorted out first, because a precision lock should not be fighting its own door.
- We recommend a level of protection and explain the options in plain terms. Sometimes that is a full high security deadbolt, sometimes only a high security cylinder in your existing hardware, and sometimes a standard quality deadbolt is honestly enough.
- We settle the key system: which keyway, how many keys, and how future copies get authorized. This is where restricted keys earn their keep, so it is worth thinking about who should be able to order more.
- We install the lock or cylinder, and where the frame calls for it we reinforce the strike with longer screws that reach the framing rather than only the door jamb.
- We test every key, cycle the bolt with the door open and closed, and confirm the latch catches cleanly.
- We hand over the keys and any key authorization paperwork, and explain how to get additional copies the right way.
What affects the cost of high security lock installation in Reseda?
We do not quote numbers in a web page, because the honest answer depends on the door in front of us. What we can do is tell you exactly which factors move the cost, so a quote from anyone makes sense to you.
The usual usually more economical route is to upgrade only what needs upgrading. A high security cylinder dropped into a sound deadbolt body costs less than replacing the whole lock, and a rekey of existing hardware costs less than either. The higher-cost end is a fully rated lock set with a restricted, controlled key system across several doors.
- Cylinder only versus full lock replacement: swapping the cylinder is usually lighter in cost than replacing the entire deadbolt or handle set.
- Level of key control: a restricted keyway with controlled copying costs more than a simple pick-resistant cylinder with a standard key.
- Number of doors and keys: matching several locks to one key, or cutting a set of restricted keys, adds up differently than a single door.
- Condition of the door and frame: strike reinforcement, bore adjustments or repair of an old, worn door add labor.
- Certifications and finish: rated, certified hardware costs more than uncertified, and finish matters on visible hardware.
- Ordering lead time: some restricted systems are ordered rather than stocked, which can affect timing and the process.
- After-hours or urgent calls: a late-night emergency is handled differently than a scheduled appointment.
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Call (213) 577-1366Home security locks or commercial security locks: what changes?
The cylinder technology is related, but the priorities are not. For a house, the main concerns are a strong front and back door, a keyway your neighbors' keys will not fit, and not having to hand out a copyable key to every contractor. A pick-resistant, bump-resistant deadbolt with a reinforced strike takes care of most of that, and our deadbolt installation page covers what the hardware itself involves.
A business has a different problem: more people, more keys, and more turnover. Commercial security locks need durable bodies, high cycle ratings, and key control that lets the owner say who can and cannot make copies. On a shop front the question is often a master key hierarchy, so the owner opens everything, a manager opens some doors, and staff open only theirs. That is a separate design job, covered under master key systems.
If the lock on a commercial door is damaged or the door will not latch right, that is a repair question before it is an upgrade question. We cover that on the storefront lock repair page, and in practice the two jobs often happen on the same visit.
What will pick-resistant and bump-resistant locks not do?
This part matters, and a lot of sales pitches skip it. A high security cylinder protects against covert entry through the lock. It does nothing for a hollow door, a thin frame, a weak strike or a window next to the handle. If someone kicks the door and the frame splits, the finest cylinder in the world is still on the floor.
It also does not fix a key you hand out freely. Restricted keys only help if the people who control the authorization actually keep it. If you lose the card or let it float around, you have bought a good lock with a copyable key again.
And a bump-resistant lock is not a magic label. Resistance varies by design, and the strongest protection comes from a cylinder built for it, not a standard one with a sticker. That is why we talk through the specific cylinder you are getting rather than a generic promise.
If you are also considering keyless entry, that is a different decision with its own tradeoffs. Our smart lock installation page covers it, and a smart lock with a weak mechanical override defeats the point of doing any of this.
Where in Reseda do we install high security locks?
Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, about 17 miles from Reseda, and our mobile vans serve ZIP code 91335 and the surrounding blocks. The work tends to follow the way the neighborhood is built.
In the tract-home streets of Reseda Ranch, the typical call is a single-story stucco house whose original hardware has been replaced several times. The owner wants one good front door lock, often at sale or tenant turnover, and a restricted key so spare copies do not multiply. Those are the same postwar homes where the hot, dry summers and cool winter nights make wood doors and frames shift, so sticking latches and strike misalignment are common. A tight-tolerance lock on a binding door is a frustrating combination, so we check alignment first and fix it as part of the job. Older homes with a security screen door often want the inner door upgraded too, and the screen door's own lock is a separate repair.
Along the Sherman Way and Vanowen corridors, the older apartment buildings bring shared entries and frequent resident changes. A building owner there may want a high security cylinder on a common door or on unit doors, and our locksmith for landlords service is designed around exactly that kind of turnover.
In Downtown Reseda, around Sherman Way and Reseda Boulevard, and along the Reseda Boulevard commercial strip, small businesses are the main customers. A storefront there often wants a high security cylinder on the front door and a controlled key for the back, so a former employee's old key stops working.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for high security locks?
We have been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Reseda among them. We are a real storefront with mobile vans, and the same company that answers your call does the work. There is no dispatch middleman reselling your job to whoever is closest.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. That matters on a high security job, because the decision about which cylinder fits which door should come from someone who has installed, repaired and defeated plenty of them, not from a catalog.
We also tell you when you do not need the upgrade. If a rekey would solve your problem, we say so. If you already have a good deadbolt and only need a restricted key, we say that too. If you want to compare, our 24-hour locksmith page explains how our round-the-clock line works, and you can reach us any hour at (213) 577-1366.
What should you ask any locksmith before a high security install?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Ask any locksmith for it before they start work, whether it is us or someone else, and confirm it before you pay.
Beyond that, a few questions will sort the careful installers from the careless ones:
- Which exact cylinder are you installing, and what does it resist?
- Who controls key copying, and how do I order more keys?
- Will you check the door, frame and strike, or just swap the lock?
- What happens if I lose the key authorization card?
- Is the quote for the cylinder, the full lock, or the whole door?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between pick-resistant and bump-resistant locks?
Pick resistance is about making the lock harder to open with picking tools, usually through security pins and tighter tolerances. Bump resistance is about blunting a bump key. Many high security cylinders do both, but they are two different protections, so ask what a specific cylinder does.
Can I put a high security cylinder in the deadbolt I already have?
Often yes. If the existing deadbolt body is sound and the cylinder is a compatible type, swapping only the cylinder is usually the lighter-cost route. We check the lock when we see it, because a worn body or a damaged door may mean a full replacement is the better answer.
Are restricted keys really harder to copy?
Yes, as long as the authorization is kept under control. Restricted key blanks are not sold over the counter, so a copy normally requires going through the authorized dealer. If the authorization card gets shared around, that advantage shrinks, so we explain how it works when we hand over the keys.
Do high security locks stop a break-in through the door frame or a window?
No. They protect the lock itself from covert entry. A weak frame, a short strike screw or an unsecured window is still a weak point. That is why we look at the door and strike when we install, and we will point out other weak spots we notice.
I rent my Reseda apartment. Can I install a high security lock?
Check your lease and talk to your landlord first, since many leases require permission and a copy of the key. If you are the owner of the building, we can install high security cylinders and set up a key system that fits tenant turnover.
Will a high security lock work on my older tract-home door?
Usually yes. Many 1940s and 50s doors in Reseda accept a standard deadbolt bore. If the door has shifted from years of hot summers and cool winters, we correct the latch and strike alignment so the new lock operates smoothly.
Is it worth getting commercial security locks for a small shop in Downtown Reseda?
It often is, mainly for key control. If you have employees or have had staff changes, a restricted keyway and a controlled copy process mean old keys do not linger. For some shops a simpler rekey is enough, and we will say so.
How do I get a call or an appointment for high security lock installation?
Call (213) 577-1366 at any hour; the line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Describe the door and what you want to protect, and we will tell you what we recommend and what the job involves. You can also use our contact page.
More locksmith help in Reseda
High Security Locks near Reseda
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.