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The keys fell out of a gym bag somewhere between the arena and the parking lot. The ring has a tag from the building with the unit number on it. Whoever finds it has an address and a key that fits.
Locksmith in Markham, OntarioSmall shop.Serious about doors.
Call now · open 24/7(289) 306-0409What's happening right now?
Locked out
Safely, right now
- Wait somewhere safe and warm: a neighbour's, your car, a coffee shop.
- Don't force a window or the door; it only adds a repair.
- Have a photo ID with your address ready if you can.
Key broke in the lock
Safely, right now
- Don't push the broken piece back in or try the lock again.
- Hold on to the half you have; it helps with a new key.
Lock won't turn
Safely, right now
- Don't force the key. A bent or broken key makes it harder.
- Skip the oil, the glue and the hot water. They make it worse.
Lost keys
Safely, right now
- Keys lost together with your address? Assume someone could use them.
- Don't hide a spare key anywhere outside in the meantime, not even under the mat.
Running a business means trusting a few people with a few keys. We help you keep track of who can open what: rekeying when staff change, master key systems that make sense, and exit hardware chosen so everyone can leave without a key.
Request a visit
Same fees day or night · 33 years in business
The fix, explained · Markham
What is the door doing?
EmergencyHome Lockout ServiceYou reached the front step with the groceries, patted every pocket twice, and the house key is simply not there.
The fix
Being locked out is uncomfortable, but it is also the moment most households finally sort out their keys. Once the door is open, the same visit can rekey the locks so a lost key stops mattering, cut properly coded spares to replace worn copies, key the front and back doors alike so one key runs the house, or set up a small…
EmergencyBusiness Lockout ServiceThe key went in stiffly, turned a quarter of the way, and came out in two pieces.
The fix
Businesses are locked out by people as often as by hardware. A keyholder is away, a former employee still has a key, a master key has gone missing, or the only spare lives in a drawer behind the locked door.
EmergencyBroken Key ExtractionThat key had been bending a little for years, and you kept straightening it.
The fix
Freezing is one of the bigger seasonal causes of broken keys here. Meltwater runs into the keyway during a thaw and freezes overnight, so the plug is locked in ice, and most people respond by turning harder.
EmergencyBreak-In Damage Lock RepairThe back door looks closed until you touch it.
The fix
There are really two jobs inside one call. The first is tonight: make the door close and lock so the household can sleep.
Call (289) 306-0409Request a visit Break-In Damage Lock Repair
EmergencySeized & Jammed Lock OpeningThe shop's lever handle goes down as usual, but the latch inside the mortise case never pulls back.
The fix
This service has a season here. The first wet fortnight of winter sends meltwater into keyways that freezes overnight, and doors on the north and shaded sides of a building stay iced the longest.
Call (289) 306-0409Request a visit Seized & Jammed Lock Opening
EmergencyLost Keys — Same-Visit RekeyYour purse was taken from the back of a chair at a restaurant.
The fix
When a key disappears, cutting yourself another copy solves the wrong half of the problem. You can get in again, but so can whoever finds the original.
Call (289) 306-0409Request a visit Lost Keys — Same-Visit Rekey
- 33years in business
- 24/7open, every day
- Same feesday, night or weekend
- On siteassessment preferred
Meet the locksmiths
Not every lock needs to be the strongest one made. A bathroom door, a bedroom closet and a front entry face very different risks, and we say so. Where it matters, we recommend heavier cylinders, reinforced strikes and hardware that resists picking and bumping. Where it does not, we tell you that the lock you have is fine and save the conversation for the doors that count.
Quantztown, Vinegar Hill, Armadale and Milliken
Clear about who can get in. After any rekey or replacement we tell you exactly which keys work and how many copies exist. Key control is the point, and you should have the full picture.
Careful with the building. We protect floors and finishes, work around your day where we can, and treat a shop or office with the same care as a home.
The choice explained in your terms. Rather than product names, we talk about what each option means for you: who has access, how it copes with weather, how easy it is to change later.
Describe the problem; we'll take it from there: (289) 306-0409
Locksmith services
Locks, keys and doors
Choosing a service is easier when you know what each one actually changes. Rekeying changes the key, replacement changes the hardware, repair keeps what you have working, and installation adds something new. The sections below sort our work along those lines.
LockoutsLockout ServicesA key that turns and nothing happens, a door that closed behind you, glass on the floor of the back porch.Services
A key that turns and nothing happens, a door that closed behind you, glass on the floor of the back porch. Emergency calls begin with a plain question about who is standing at the door and end with that door locking properly again.
EmergencyHome Lockout ServiceYou reached the front step with the groceries, patted every pocket twice, and the house key is simply not there.
EmergencyBusiness Lockout ServiceThe key went in stiffly, turned a quarter of the way, and came out in two pieces.
EmergencyBroken Key ExtractionThat key had been bending a little for years, and you kept straightening it.
EmergencyBreak-In Damage Lock RepairThe back door looks closed until you touch it.
EmergencySeized & Jammed Lock OpeningThe shop's lever handle goes down as usual, but the latch inside the mortise case never pulls back.
EmergencyLost Keys — Same-Visit RekeyYour purse was taken from the back of a chair at a restaurant.
Change or rekeyChange or Rekey LocksThe back door is often the weakest one on the house, with a hollow slab, a short bolt and a strike held by two small screws.Services
The back door is often the weakest one on the house, with a hollow slab, a short bolt and a strike held by two small screws. Residential upgrades usually begin there, and this section explains what changes and why.
High securityHigh Security LocksBusinesses use this section for stockrooms, cash offices, server closets and pharmacies: doors that must hold whatever happens to the power, with…Services
Businesses use this section for stockrooms, cash offices, server closets and pharmacies: doors that must hold whatever happens to the power, with keys numbered and issued against a signature. Homeowners use it for the doors they lock every night.
CommercialCommercial LocksA master key system lets the owner open every door with one key while each employee's key opens only what they need.Services
A master key system lets the owner open every door with one key while each employee's key opens only what they need. It is a plan on paper before it is hardware in a door, and the master key page explains how we design it with you.
Car keysCar KeysIgnition problems are often blamed on the key when the cylinder is at fault, and the other way round.Services
Ignition problems are often blamed on the key when the cylinder is at fault, and the other way round. Because we handle both, we can test which one is really wrong before anything is replaced, which is the point of having a locksmith rather than a parts counter look at it.
Bigger photo, sooner job: Emergency Book soon Plan ahead
EmergencyCar Lockout ServiceIt is a January morning, minus twenty with the wind, and the key will not enter the door cylinder.
EmergencyCar Key ReplacementThe fob went through the washing machine in a jacket pocket.
Spare Car Key Duplication
Key Fob Programming
Transponder Key Programming
Ignition Lock Repair
Vehicle Lock Repair
Motorcycle & Scooter Keys
Sound familiar?
Small things. Big difference.
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The old deadbolt has grown lazy. You turn the thumb-turn and the bolt creeps out halfway, then needs a second push with the door pulled tight. Some mornings the key has to be jiggled before it will come back out.
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The renovation is finished and the contractors have gone, along with the loaner keys they used for six weeks. Trades, delivery drivers and an inspector all came through, and the front door still answers to the key that was passed around the site.
Which fix fits?
IfThe old mortise lock on your front door rattles and barely catches.
ThenService the mortise case and reset the strike.
They were built to be opened, cleaned and re-sprung, and most come back to a firm close.
IfYou love the antique glass knobs but the spindle keeps slipping.
ThenReplace the spindle and set screws, keep the knobs.
The wearing parts are still made; the knobs stay exactly where they are.
IfThere is a beautiful old lock and no key for it anywhere.
ThenCut a key by impressioning or from the lock itself.
With the case open we read the levers and make a key to fit.
IfYour toddler is buckled in the back seat, the doors locked when you shut yours, and your keys are on the front seat beside your phone.
Most car lockouts end with nothing to show that anyone was ever there.
IfThe engine cranks, catches for a second and dies, and a small key-shaped light keeps blinking on the dash.
Older vehicles without an immobilizer are a pleasure to key, but whether a given car has one is checked rather than assumed from age, since several early-2000s vehicles already shipped with a factory immobilizer.
IfIt is minus fifteen, the wind is coming across the driveway, and the key will only go halfway into the deadbolt.
Being locked out is uncomfortable, but it is also the moment most households finally sort out their keys.
Answering 24/7 in Markham
How a visit goes
Vinegar Hill Lock & Key Specialists
Job ticket · open 24/7
1 Call
Describe the problem; we'll take it from there.
Describe the property, the hardware and what has changed, and the visit starts from what you have seen.
(289) 306-0409 · open 24/7
2 Questions
Deciding what to replace
We look at the existing lock, the door thickness and the holes already drilled. Sometimes a new cylinder is enough; sometimes the whole lockset has earned its retirement.
3 On the way
In the van
Markham to Quantztown, Vinegar Hill, Armadale and Milliken.
- Replacement cylinder or deadbolt
- Nine-volt battery for smart locks
- Strike plate and long hinge screws
- Lock de-icer
- Latch and bypass tools
4 Fixed
Checking fit and finish
Fitting the new hardware. The new lock goes in with the strike adjusted so the bolt throws fully. If the old holes need filling or enlarging, that is done neatly.
Checking fit and finish. We test the lock with the door open and closed, from both sides, check the key turns without effort and clean up the doorstep before leaving.
Same fees day, night or weekend · on-site assessment preferred
York, Ontario
Markham information
- Town
- Markham, York, Ontario
- In business
- 33 years
- Hours
- Open 24/7 · nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
- Phone
- (289) 306-0409
- Visits
- On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.
What the census means at the door
19%
Newer homes. About 19% of homes in Markham were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.
Recent builds often have steel or fibreglass entry doors rather than solid wood. They resist warping and take hardware well, and a locksmith fitting a deadbolt or reinforced strike works with the door's construction so screws bite into something solid.
56%
A mix of homes. Single-detached houses make up about 56% of homes in Markham (2021 Census).
Where housing types are mixed, the same lost-key call means different things. In a house, rekey every door on the property. In an apartment, rekey the suite door and check with management about the common entrance. The locksmith asks which it is first.
Straight answers
How do I look after a deadbolt once it is installed?
Very little is needed. Each spring and autumn, lock the door from inside and feel whether the bolt still goes home without the door being pulled; if it hesitates, the door has moved with the season and a small strike adjustment restores it. Whatever lubricant the lock's own maker specifies keeps it smooth, often a dry PTFE or graphite type in the keyway and along the bolt, though some cylinders are meant to be serviced with oil. In winter, wipe road salt off the outside trim to protect the finish.
Does the finish of the deadbolt matter beyond looks?
It does on an exposed door. Winter salt spray, summer sun and humid air all work on the outside trim, and residential deadbolts carry a finish grade that reflects how well the coating resists them. A lifetime or PVD-style finish stays bright longer on a south-facing or roadside door, while a sheltered porch door can carry any finish you like. Matching the knob or lever below is mostly a matter of taste.
What happens during the visit, step by step?
The locksmith looks at the door, frame, glass and hinges, measures the bore and backset, and confirms the hardware and key plan with you. The door is bored or the old lock removed, the bolt is set to the backset, and the cylinder and thumb-turn are assembled. The strike position is marked from the bolt itself, the pocket bored, and a reinforced strike fastened into the framing. Everything is tested open and closed, keys are cut and tried, and the area is vacuumed.
Do high security locks need special maintenance?
Only light care. Use the dry lubricant the locksmith recommends once or twice a year, never oil, which gathers grit around the finger pins and sidebar. Keep the keyway free of debris and insert the key fully before turning. In winter, warm a resisting key in your hand or use a de-icer rather than forcing it. Check hinge and strike screws each season so the door stays aligned. Treated this way the cylinder lasts for decades.
Open 24/7
Request a visit
Talk to a locksmith about it.
Call now · open 24/7(289) 306-0409- On-site assessment preferred
- Same fees day, night or weekend
- 33 years in business