Commercial locksmith in Ottawa for master keys, exit devices and safes
Shops, offices, clinics, restaurants and rental buildings. The Ottawa Locksmith plans and keys your locks so each person can open the doors they need, and no others.
At a glance
- For
- Shops, offices, clinics and rental buildings
- Planning
- Master key systems, restricted keys
- Hardware
- High-security cylinders, panic bars, closers
- Also
- Safes opened, serviced and installed
- Price
- Quoted from a site visit
- Experience
- 10 years in the trade, Fully insured
A master key system, explained
In a master keyed building, every door has its own key, and one or more master keys open a group of doors, or all of them. The cleaner can open the hallways, a tenant only their own suite, and the owner everything.
It works because each pin stack in a master keyed lock has an extra pin, called a master pin, that creates a second point at which the stack meets the shear line. One height lets the suite key turn the plug, another lets the master key turn it.
A good system starts on paper: a chart of every door, who needs to open it and how the building is likely to change. It is then built into the cylinders and documented, so that when a key goes missing, only the doors it opens have to be rekeyed.
Sketch your master key system
Move the sliders to match your building. The chart shows how the keys would be arranged, and how few cylinders a lost key would cost you.
- Keys in the system
- 11
- Lost suite key
- Rekey 1 cylinder
- Lost master
- Rekey 9 cylinders
What a commercial locksmith works on
Business locks in Ottawa get far more use than house locks, and they have rules that house locks do not.
Exit doors have to open from the inside
Locks on exit doors are a fire safety question as well as a security one. Building and fire codes generally require that doors on an exit route open from the inside without a key or special knowledge, which is why exit doors use panic bars and lever handles rather than double-cylinder deadbolts.
That rules out some of the quick fixes people try: a hasp and padlock on the inside of a back door, a chain across a push bar, or a keyed deadbolt added to an exit. They may stop a break-in, and they can trap people in a fire.
A commercial locksmith can secure a back door properly: a panic bar with a proper latch, a reinforced frame, a door alarm or, where it is allowed and approved, a delayed-egress device.
Before you change an exit door
- Check the rules
- Your landlord, property manager or the City of Ottawa's building code services can confirm what applies to your door.
- Keep the bar
- Repair or replace a panic bar with another exit device, not with a lock that needs a key.
- Ask about alarms
- A local alarm on an exit door deters misuse without locking anyone in.
General guidance, not a code review. The fire and building code requirements for your premises take priority.
Access control without a key
Not every door needs a metal key. For doors used by many people, other ways in can be easier to manage.
Safes for homes and businesses
Safes have their own locks and their own problems. These are the usual calls.
Rental buildings and property managers
Multi-unit buildings are where good key planning pays for itself.
What commercial locksmith work costs
Business jobs are usually quoted after a site visit, because the doors and hardware vary so much. These are the things that drive the price.
Questions people ask
What happens when someone loses a master key?
Every door that master opens is at risk, so those cylinders are rekeyed. A well-planned system limits the damage, because a sub-master opens only its own group. It is also why masters should be restricted keys that cannot be copied.
Can my existing locks be master keyed?
Often, yes, if they are good-quality cylinders that share a keyway. Mixed brands or worn locks may need some cylinders replaced first.
Can you add a lock to our back exit door?
Only in a way that still lets people out without a key. A panic bar with a proper latch, a reinforced frame and a door alarm are the usual answer. Check your building's requirements before adding anything.
Do you work after business hours?
Commercial work can usually be scheduled before opening or after closing so that customers are not disturbed. Ask when you call.
Other work The Ottawa Locksmith does
For everything else, from a sticking deadbolt to a safe, see the main page for a locksmith in Ottawa.
Tell us what is locked
613-820-5648Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
If you are locked out right now, call, day or night. For anything that can wait, send the form and you will get a call back with a price.