24 hour Locksmith Surry Hills – Darlinghurst
- Locked out? Quick and professional 24 hour Surry hills locksmith for gain entry
- Commercial • Domestic • Automotive
- Rekeys – home – office – car
- Lost keys? We can make a new set and stop the old keys from working
- Keys cut on site
- 24-hour mobile service, quick response Surry Hills Darlinghurst locksmith– extensive stock range
- Replace damaged or burgled locks
- Deadbolts – Deadlatches – wide range of colours – leading brands in stock
- Full range of locks supplied, fitted serviced and rekeyed
- Keying alike – do you have too many keys? We key doors and windows alike
We install restricted master key systems on commercial / residential premises in Surry Hills and Darlinghurst
A master key is a key that will open more than one lock.
In order for a master key to open several locks, each lock in question needs to have the master key combination keyed into it. In a master key system the combination of the master key will be present in all locks enabling access to all rooms, and the combination of an individual key, known as a change key, wil be keyed into specific rooms only. Depending on the size of the system there may be keys higher than the master key running through a single lock, for example, grand master key, or great grand master key. This configuration would be found in large organisations with multiple levels of management. If you are a medium to large commercial premises located in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst you may be eligible for a volume discount on both parts and labour on new restricted master systems, call our locksmith to find out more.
Master keying involves creating a master system on paper firstly that revolves around the number of different people who will be requiring a key. In order to design an appropriate master system we will survey the building in question. A survey includes an inspection of the building, the number of people needing keys and how many doors are to be master keyed. Large master systems will require the use of certain high security cylinders in order to maintain the integrity of the system such as Bi-Lock or Abloy. If a system is not designed correctly security issues can emerge. Our locksmith can survey your premises in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst to determine which restricted key designs best suit your premises.
One of the unwanted consequences of a poorly designed system is interchange. Interchange occurs where a key opens a door that it is not supposed to.
An example of interchange is as follows.
A grand master key and a lower level key are both designed to open office A. The lower level key to office A should not be able to open any other office, whereas the grand master key should be able to access all offices.
If the lower lever key to office A is able to open office B, a door that it was not designed to open, then this is called interchange. The integrity and the security of the key system are now compromised.
Interchange can occur through faulty master keying designs, for example the locksmith responsible for creation of the system may have used faulty codes, or it can occur over time as the locks and keys start to wear.
In order to limit the occurrence of interchange we recommend you use a locksmith that is a member of an approved industry body who can demonstrate a solid understanding of your security requirements and has experience creating and installing master key systems.
It’s also a good idea have your locksmith check your key system every few years.
At Link Locksmiths we perform intermittent checks on our customers master systems to ensure all is operating as intended.
Interchange is more common in large systems that are extensively master keyed due to the large number of different keys working the locks.
At Link Locksmiths, so as to eliminate the possibility of interchange in large systems we only use quality cylinders, which are machined to a high level of tolerance. In our experience quality parts pay off in the long run even though the initial outlay will be a little more. We also provide a bona fide 24 hour lockout service to Surry Hills and surrounding suburbs .
Master keys are not restricted just to commercial and residential applications. They also play a part in automotive security. A master key in this context would be a key that could operate all locks in the car – ignition, glove box, boot, and doors. The change key is typically limited to starting the car and opening the doors. Commonly referred to as a service key because it limits access to the glove box and boot.
Altering the broaching of the key in automotive master key applications creates a master and a change key. For example the master key will have a groove that allows it to fit in all locks whereas the change key would be lacking that groove, limiting it to the ignition and door only. The other way its done is by adding an extra one or two tumblers into the barrel. So for example the ignition and doors might have eight cuts, and the boot and glove box could have ten. The key with all ten cuts would be the master key and the key with eight, the change key.
Some locks are supplied master keyed from the factory.
The benefits that restricted master key systems offer are a tiered level of access throughout a certain building. The tiered level of access allows the holder of the system to choose who has access and to where. A system as such, if it is restricted, also means that the keys cannot be duplicated except by an authorized signatory. If you are located in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst and would like to upgrade to a security key system our locksmith is able to install security cylinders to a wide range of locks – please call us for pricing.