Old mechanisms whose parts no longer exist in any catalogue
In the grid-plan centre and the faubourgs near the quays along the Isle, you still come across rim locks, lever-lock keyholes and door frames that have been planed, repainted and re-drilled several times over. A like-for-like replacement is not always possible: the model is no longer made, the backset matches no current standard, the faceplate leaves a mark the new part does not cover. The job then consists of finding the closest equivalent, even if that means neatly reworking the rebate and the keyhole.
This constraint has a practical consequence: you do not choose a model over the phone. On site we measure the backset, the centre distance, the thickness of the door leaf and the condition of the timber around the strike plate, then we propose a solution that makes sense as a whole. Fitting a high-performance cylinder to a tired door frame achieves nothing serious: better to rework the strike plate and its support at the same time. The quote itemises what is being replaced and what is simply being reworked, before anything is taken apart.
Keys in circulation: lettings, vineyard seasons, changes of occupant
As the employment and services hub of the Libournais, the town has a great many homes that change hands: studios and flats let to commuters around the station, house shares, accommodation for seasonal workers during work in the vines. At every change of occupant, the real question is not the mechanism but the keying: how many copies have been cut, and whose hands they are in. Replacing the cylinder alone answers that, without touching either the lock or the door itself.
For a landlord with several units in the same building or the same neighbourhood, the master key system deserves to be put on the table from the outset: one key for the hall and common areas, a key specific to each home, and the ability to change a single cylinder without redoing the whole set. It is a choice that needs preparing and is hard to put right later. We discuss it before ordering, and the invoice states the exact reference of the parts fitted, which is useful for your records.
How does this service work?
Techniques, typical situations, standards and things to watch out for: it is all on our lock and cylinder replacement page. This page focuses on what the service involves in Libourne.