This video was filmed on a real Ottawa service call and shows our full locksmith side of the business — key cutting, lock repair and rekeying done on site. A door is only as secure as the lock in it, and getting that lock to turn smoothly and hold reliably is its own craft.
Locks are the part of a door people only think about when something goes wrong — a key that sticks, a deadbolt that needs jiggling, a handle that spins, a lock left behind by a previous owner or a tenant who never returned a key. The locksmith work in this video covers the everyday reality behind all of those: cutting keys accurately, repairing and adjusting the lock itself, and rekeying cylinders so the right keys — and only the right keys — open the door.
Good key cutting is more precise than it looks. A key that is cut even slightly off will turn roughly, wear the pins inside the cylinder, and eventually fail at the worst possible moment. On the bench and on site, we cut to the correct depths and spacing, then test the key in the actual lock and ease it until it turns clean every time. When a key already drags or catches, that is often a warning that the cylinder is worn or contaminated, not just that the key is bad — so we check both.
Lock repair is the next layer. Deadbolts that don't throw fully, latches that don't spring back, loose handlesets, misaligned cylinders and worn internal parts all get diagnosed and corrected. Frequently the lock is fine and the real problem is alignment: if the bolt doesn't line up with the strike, the lock takes the strain every time the door is used and starts to fail. That overlaps directly with our door won't lock service, which walks through why a door stops locking and what each cause needs.
This work is the core of our lock repair Ottawa service. We repair, rekey, replace and upgrade residential and commercial locks — deadbolts, knobsets, leversets, multipoint locks and more. When the goal is a genuine security improvement rather than a like-for-like swap, our high-security doors page covers reinforced hardware, pick- and bump-resistant cylinders, and the door and frame upgrades that make a lock actually hold under force.
Ottawa winters add a problem most cities don't deal with: frozen locks. Moisture works into a cylinder, freezes overnight, and the key won't turn or snaps off in the cold. Our frozen door lock page explains how to thaw a lock safely and, more importantly, how to keep it from freezing again by sealing out the moisture that causes it. We carry the parts to fix a seized or damaged lock on the same visit rather than leaving a door insecure overnight.
Locks also depend on the hardware around them. A door that sags on tired hinges drops the bolt out of line with the strike, so even a perfect lock starts to bind. Our hinge & hardware repair service resets and replaces the parts that carry the door, which keeps the lock aligned and turning freely for the long run. Lock, latch, strike and hinges all work as one system — we treat them that way.
For commercial clients, the locksmith side goes further. Master key systems, multipoint locks on aluminum storefronts, panic and exit hardware, and electric strikes tied into access control all need someone who understands both the lock and the door it sits in. We rekey on staff turnover, repair worn commercial cylinders, and make sure exit hardware releases freely for safe egress while still locking securely from outside. The same care that goes into cutting a clean house key goes into keeping a busy commercial entrance working all day, every day.
We provide lock and locksmith service across Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley, including Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, Orleans, Stittsville and the surrounding communities. Whether it's a single sticking deadbolt at home or a full rekey for a property manager, we come prepared to finish the work on the first visit and leave the door secure.
Filming this work on site shows the part of locksmithing customers rarely see and lets you judge the care before you book. Every job is quoted at a flat rate you approve up front, and the work is backed by a written guarantee — if a lock isn't turning the way it should, we come back and put it right.
To see finished door, frame and security projects across the city, visit our before & after gallery. Locked out, moving in, or just tired of fighting a lock that sticks? Call and we'll get it sorted, same-day across Ottawa and the Valley.
Call for full locksmith service across Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley — key cutting, lock repair, rekeying and security upgrades, same-day available.
Common questions about this project and the service behind it.