Hear from Our Customers
Your doors close smoothly every single time. No fighting with latches that don’t align or knobs that loosen up after a week.
The bolt extends and retracts exactly how it should. You’re not jiggling handles or wondering if the door actually locked behind you.
If you’re upgrading to smart locks or electronic entry, the system recognizes you consistently. Poor installation is the number one reason smart locks underperform, with issues like inconsistent recognition and premature wear showing up within months. When the install is done right, your technology works the way the manufacturer designed it to.
You also get security that holds up. A loose or misaligned door knob can be forced open with minimal effort, which defeats the entire purpose of upgrading your hardware in the first place.
We’ve been in the locksmith business since the late 1800s. That’s not a marketing line—it’s fourth-generation owner Tom McCausland and his daughter Chrissy running the largest locksmith operation in the Delaware Valley today.
Families in Ithan and across Delaware County come back generation after generation because the work holds up. Most homes in this area were built between 1970 and 1999, with some dating back to the 1940s. That means door frames that have settled, hardware that’s worn out, and homeowners who need someone who knows how to work with older construction without causing damage.
We’re not a van with a phone number. We’ve got a storefront in Prospect Park, full licensing through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, ALOA certification, and manufacturer authorizations from Kwikset, Medeco, and Schlage.
You call or reach out online. We ask a few questions about what you’re replacing or installing—brand, type of door, whether it’s keyed entry or passage hardware. If you’re not sure, that’s fine. We’ll figure it out when we get there.
We show up with the tools and parts needed to do the job right. Most door knob replacements and lever installations happen on the spot. If your door needs prep work—like chiseling for a new latch plate or drilling for a deadbolt—we handle that too.
The new hardware goes in with proper alignment. We check that the latch engages smoothly, the bolt extends fully, and the knob or lever operates without binding. If you’re getting keyed entry, we can rekey your locks on-site so old keys stop working immediately.
Before we leave, you test everything. We make sure you’re comfortable with how it works, especially if it’s a smart lock with app controls or keypad entry. You’re not figuring this out on your own after we’re gone.
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You’re getting factory OEM parts from brands like Kwikset, Schlage, and Medeco. We don’t use knockoff hardware that’ll fail in six months. If you want smart locks with phone app control, biometric entry, or keypad codes, we install those correctly so they actually work reliably.
The installation includes proper alignment and secure mounting. That means your door closes without resistance, your latch catches every time, and your hardware doesn’t rattle loose after a few weeks of use.
In Ithan, where most homes are large single-family residences with multiple entry points, we often handle several doors in one visit. Front entry, back door, garage access—whatever needs upgrading. If you’re selling your home or just want consistent hardware throughout, we can match finishes and styles across all your doors.
We also handle lever installation and repair for homeowners dealing with accessibility needs or just prefer the ease of a lever over a traditional knob. The process is similar, but levers require precise installation to avoid sagging or misalignment over time.
Most standard door knob installations take 20 to 45 minutes per door, depending on whether we’re replacing existing hardware or installing something new that requires additional prep work.
If your door already has the right holes and the latch plate fits, it’s straightforward. We remove the old knob, install the new one, check alignment, and test operation. You’re done in under half an hour in most cases.
If you’re upgrading to a different style—say, going from a standard knob to a smart lock or a lever—we might need to drill new holes, chisel out space for a larger latch assembly, or adjust the strike plate on the frame. That adds time, but we’re still usually finished within an hour per door. We don’t rush it, because a sloppy install means you’ll be calling someone back in a few months when things start failing.
We install both traditional and smart lock systems. The difference is that smart locks require more precision and an understanding of how the electronic components integrate with your door’s existing setup.
Smart locks fail most often because of poor installation, not defective products. If the latch isn’t aligned correctly or the mounting is even slightly off, you get inconsistent recognition, premature battery drain, and motors that wear out faster than they should.
We’ve installed smart locks from all the major brands—Kwikset, Schlage, Yale—and we know the quirks of each system. Some need specific backset measurements. Others require firmware updates before they’ll pair with your phone. We handle all of that during installation so you’re not troubleshooting on your own later. If you want keypad entry, biometric scanning, or app-based control, we make sure it’s set up correctly from the start.
Yes, and this is common in Ithan where many homes were built decades ago. Older door frames often have settling issues, worn-out strike plates, or holes that don’t line up with modern hardware specs.
We assess the frame condition before we start. If the wood around the latch is splintered or stripped out, we reinforce it. If the strike plate hole is oversized from years of use, we fill and re-drill it to fit the new hardware properly.
Sometimes the door itself has warped slightly over time, which throws off alignment. We adjust the hinges or plane the door edge if needed so the new knob or lever operates smoothly. The goal is to make sure your new hardware doesn’t fail prematurely because the door or frame couldn’t support it. We don’t just slap new knobs onto bad bones and hope for the best.
Yes, and we do it on-site during the same visit. If you’re installing new keyed entry knobs or levers, rekeying makes sense—especially if you’ve just moved in, lost track of who has keys, or want to consolidate multiple locks to work with one key.
Rekeying changes the internal pins so old keys no longer work. You get new keys that fit your new hardware, and we can match other locks in your home to the same key if you want everything on one system.
This is faster and cheaper than replacing every lock in your house. We carry the tools and pin kits to rekey Kwikset, Schlage, and most other major brands on the spot. If you’re concerned about security—say, you’ve had a break-in attempt or just want peace of mind—rekeying ensures that any old keys floating around are useless.
Standard passage knobs—like for a bedroom or closet—typically run between $95 and $135 for installation, depending on the complexity. Keyed entry knobs for exterior doors cost a bit more, usually $110 to $155, because they require more precise installation and often include rekeying.
Smart locks and high-security hardware cost more to install because they take longer and require specialized knowledge. You’re looking at higher labor costs, but you’re also getting technology that needs to be set up correctly to function reliably.
We don’t do hidden fees or surprise charges. If your door needs extra work—like frame repair or drilling for a deadbolt—we tell you up front what that’ll cost before we start. Most homeowners in Ithan are dealing with larger homes that have multiple entry points, so we can often give you a better rate if you’re doing several doors at once.
If it’s an installation issue, we come back and fix it. That rarely happens because we check alignment, test operation, and make sure everything’s secure before we leave. But if something does go wrong, you’re not stuck dealing with it alone.
If the hardware itself is defective—which is a manufacturer issue, not installation—we handle the warranty claim and get you replacement parts. Because we’re authorized for Kwikset, Medeco, and Schlage, we can get OEM parts quickly and install them without you having to coordinate with the manufacturer.
Most problems people have with door knobs after installation come from DIY jobs where the latch wasn’t aligned, the screws were overtightened, or the strike plate wasn’t positioned correctly. When a professional installs it, those issues don’t happen. You get hardware that works the way it’s supposed to, and if something does fail, it’s usually a part issue that we can resolve fast.
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