FAQ's

Check to see if it is Grade 1 or Grade 2. Grade 1 is excellent for outer parimeter locks due to its high strength and durability, as well as its security value. Grade 2 is great for interior doors, such as storage closets where you are looking to just keep the general public out.

Yes we can but your proof of ownership must be readily available upon unlock. By law, we are required to call Authorities upon any raised suspicion.

We handle many types of "Nanny Cam" and Spy Cam devices. Call, come by our store, or fill out our contact form for more information.

Yes, we can get replacements keys as well as car remotes for most vehicles. Our prices always beat the price you will get at the dealership.

Keys marked" Do Not Copy", "Do Not Duplicate" or "Unlawful to Copy" can be duplicated only if a letter of authorization from the owner or supervisor is presented with the request for duplication. The letter should be on company letterhead and identify the key to be produced, the number of keys, the name of who will be picking up the keys, and the name and number of the person writing the letter. The person picking up the keys will be required to fill out a "Request for Restricted Keys" form. We reserve the right to refuse to duplicate any key marked "Do Not Duplicate."

After you have been struggling with the following problem, check to see it the lock operates smoothly with the door open. If it does, your lock problem is notwith the lock, but rather in the alignment of the door and frame. Look for obstructions at the threshold and in the door jamb. Also check the door and frame for twists and warps. The door should completely rest against the door stop and stay there. If the door rests at the stop at the top or bottom only then the door or frame is twisted. If the door springs open then the hinges are probably binding. If you have weatherstrip on the door, it could be obstructing the path of the door. Keep in mind, wooden doors and frames will warp and swell with temperature and humidity, and metal doors and frames will twist and rust with age.

With our experience we have found that a key code is available sometimes. You will only have access to this code if you are the original buyer of the car. This code is typically written on the original bill of sale which you may have or the car dealership may have. Rarely, these codes are written on the cover of the owner's manual. So check there as well. A key by code can save you money over having a key fitted to the car on-site. Expect to pay from fifteen to fifty dollars for a key by code.

Re-keying means adjusting the tumblers in an existing lock so that only new keys can open it.
For those who continue to use the same key that they got when they bought their home, have no idea of how many people such as tradesmen, neighbors and friends etcetera, who are no longer relevant, have had access to that key. For a small fee Locksmith Depot will re-key your locks and give you the security of knowing that only you and the people you trust will have access to your domain.

No. While we respect the "Do Not Duplicate" marking on a key, many discount stores do not. To effectively prevent unauthorized key duplication, a restricted key lock should be used such as Medeco or Mul-T-lock Locks.

It's your posessions and property!
Ask yourself: "When was the last time the locks were changed"? If you don't know the answer then you and your company are potentially at risk. Some property management companies in an effort to save money simply swap the locks from one unit to another and have a brand new set of keys made. A previous tenant with some time to kill could simply try his key in each door in the complex until he finds one that works.

Mercury Lock & Safe is licensed bonded and insured. Our technicians are experienced, well-trained and professional. they are all fully licensed and equipped with the most advanced key making tools. We operate 24 hours, 7 days a week and will be at your location in less than 30 minutes.

Our clients include:
Commercial and industrial businesses
Franchises
Factory outlet chain stores
Gas stations
Government agencies - Federal, State, and Local
Realtors
Restaurants
Banks and Credit Unions
Churches
Hospitals, health care services, and medical office buildings
Schools
Day care centers
Property management
General contractors and builders
Convenience stores

| Skilled professional locksmiths bring experience and fund of knowledge in lock, safe & security problems and are better prepared to solve security issues to your unique situation. Professional locksmith can prescribe state-of-the-art products that work, and more effective solutions in an efficient manner.

If you have a mobile phone, please don't turn it off. Please ensure that it is not set on silent, and please don't spend the whole time you're waiting for the locksmith actually on your phone.

No. While there are many instances of rendering a lock quite useless in this way, there are no known instances of anyone actually succeeding. And if you do call us to help, please refrain from poking at the broken off part in the key while you are waiting. And please hang on to the other part of the key to show the locksmith.

"Mortice" means that the lock is fitted within the fabric of the door — a mortice is a rectangular hole in a piece of wood — rather than screwed to the face or "rim" of the door. Deadlock means that the lock-bolt is not held in the keep by a spring; in other words it's not "live". A deadbolt is extended manually, usually by a key, and can only be retracted in the same way. Five lever refers to the tumblers that prevent the lock opening in the absence of the true key. A typical "Yale" rim latch lock has pin tumblers, which are not particularly secure, whereas a five lever lock has, well, five levers — a much more secure arrangements.

This will be on a door that is not a final exit door, where bolts operated from the inside can be the main defence. A rack bolt is also mortised (see above). It's a reasonably substantial bolt resting inside the door itself rather than screwed to the face of the door, and extended by winding it up, using a key shaped like an asterisk that operates a rack gear at the end of the bolt.

There are a couple of advantages: it looks cleaner because all you see is the little hole the key goes into; and it's stronger than an ordinary bolt.

There is also a disadvantage: the rack teeth are not infinitely strong. If the bolt begins to bind as the door swells and moves over the seasons, and if you need to exert progressively more force to operate the bolt, the rack will break. And then it's the devil's own job to get the door open again.

So if a rack bolt starts to get stiff to operate, get it seen to before it breaks.

No. Although brass is expensive, you must fit large bolts; and even more importantly, use decent sized screws. Many people don't like the look of traditional steel and japanned bolts. But you are largely wasting your time if you completely abandon strength in favour of looks.

Well, perhaps surprisingly, the unpickability of the locks is of secondary importance, despite what lunatic insurance policies emphasize. The most important thing is the physical strength of the door and frame.

Are there splits in the frame around the strikes or keeps where the bolts go, perhaps where a previous attack has occurred? These must be properly repaired by a carpenter who knows their stuff.

Are there splits in the door around the mortice (the hole the mortice lock sits in)?

Do the hinges have all their screws present and correctly sized?

Very few thieves pick locks, certainly not mortice deadlocks of even fairly minimal quality. (One-lever locks (yes they exist) or two-lever locks would not be of minimal acceptability on external doors.) Most break-ins are literally that — the door being kicked in.

Consider fitting (or getting us to fit) London bar, Birmingham bar and hinge bolts. These are not expensive and strengthen both the hinge side and the lock side of the door.

(If you have an outward opening door, there are slightly different set of criteria. Give us a call; we are happy to spend a few minutes discussing what you (or we) can do.)

(If you are in a flat or apartment and the front door is in a corridor, there are things you should consider. Give us a call; we are happy to spend a few minutes discussing what you (or we) can do.)

If your door has minor cracks around the mortice lock, consider a bolted-through strengthening plate. Again, they are not expensive. (Of course a solid, properly-fitted replacement door would be even better.)

A solid door that is at least 45 mm thick is best. If you fit a mortice lock to a door that isn't thick enough, you will be reducing security rather than strengthening it. And it's no good fitting a nice strong door with poor hinges or in weak frame.

And if you are specifying a door, tell them not to put a fancy molding (architrave) right up the edge of the frame. The frame needs a flat area of at least 17 mm next the door; otherwise the fitting of a latch keep will spoil it and the fitting of a London bar will be impossible.

And if you suspect that your door fitter hasn't actually fitted a door before, and if it is a budget door, make sure that it's fitted with the lock block edge actually on the locks' side and not the hinges' side. (Some cheaper doors only have solid wood down one edge, or even only down part of one edge. This is the lock block and reasonably enough it's where the locks are supposed to go. It might be the case that the corresponding area on the hinge edge is not solid wood.)

I'm afraid you should. If you want to keep the panels or panes, then you should consider the addition of a metal grill. They might not be as intrusive-looking as you think. Give us a call to discuss the possibilities.

Tell your painter/decorator to use masking tape and not to paint over the faces of the deadlocks. Or, indeed, to not paint any parts of any locks or fittings.

Re-keying a lock is basically taking a lock that currently works with one key and reconfiguring it so that it works with a different key hence re-keying.

Key bumping refers to using a basic key that has been cut in a specific way that allows its user to gain access to anything from home locks to commercial grade locks.
A bump key will work on all locks of the same key wave, meaning that a bump key that works on a Schlage lock will work on all Schlage locks with the same amount of pins or less.

Yes we do, we accept all major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

Buildings tend to shift and settle. Wood has a tendancy to expand during humid weather and contract during dry weather. This all affects alignment of the hardware on your door. Our expert staff can determine a remedy that best suits your specific situation.

Exerting force will likely break the key off in your lock. It sounds like the key you are using has gone out of manufacturer's specifications due to excessive wear. Your best course of action is to call a Professional Locksmith to help deal with this situation.

That really depends on if all the locks on your home are made by the same manufacturer. They may be able to be Keyed-Alike even if the manufacturers are different. A good rule of thumb is to take one of the keys you have and attempt to insert it into each keyhole. If it will enter into each lock, without necessarily turning it open, then we can make them all work with a single key. Toronto Locksmith can also determine how many locks are able to be keyed-alike and supply locks to replace those that can't so one key will operate all of your locks. There is no additional risk to family or property in having this done and the convenience factor is excellent for the home owner.

WD40© is ok but most lock manufacturers reccomend dry graphite as a lock lubricant.

The only way to know for sure is to have a Professional Locksmith disassemble the lock in question. Most apartment buildings in Toronto and the GTA are Master Keyed out of convenience to the Landlord or Property Owner. In the event of an emergency only 1 key is required to enter any suite in the building. The problem that exists is that up to 32 different keys could operate a Master Keyed lock. We reccomend adding a second deadbolt to your Apartment door that operates with only one key.