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Get your free estimateMedeco Locksmith in Kentfield, CA | Cypress Lock & Key
We provide independent Medeco locksmith service throughout Kentfield, from re-keying Biaxial cylinders to rebuilding Maxum deadbolts on original estate gates. We also offer Car Key Replacement in Kentfield for Medeco systems. What makes our Medeco work different here is simple: Kentfield’s older homes and gated properties demand repairs that preserve the hardware, not rip it out. If you have a Medeco lock that’s binding, sticking, or refusing to turn, call us at (877) 265-4385 and we’ll walk through it before anyone drives out.
Why Kentfield Residents Choose Us for Medeco Service
Medeco locks aren’t like the Schlage or Kwikset hardware most locksmiths see every day. They use rotating pins and sidebar tumblers that require specific training to service correctly. We’ve spent years on the bench with Medeco sales & service, cutting restricted keys, rebuilding Biaxial and M3 cylinders, and re-coring Maxum deadbolts to keep them working on original doors throughout Marin County. We’re an independent shop, which means we answer to you and your lock, not to a manufacturer’s warranty department. Noel Carver, our owner and lead locksmith, completed a locksmithing and security systems program at Fresno City College and has been running calls in this part of California for close to two decades. When a Kentfield homeowner has a Medeco cylinder that’s mushing or a gate deadbolt that won’t throw, he’s the one who shows up with the OEM parts and the knowledge of whether to repair or replace.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Medeco Locksmith Problems We Solve in Kentfield
Here’s what we see most often on Medeco hardware in Kentfield, and why each one happens here specifically:
- Seasonal gate and door swell binds the deadbolt. Kentfield’s wet winters soak solid-wood doors and gates, making them expand just enough that a Medeco deadbolt’s hardened steel bolt drags against the strike plate or won’t seat fully. The lock isn’t broken. The geometry around it moved. We adjust the strike, plane the stop if needed, and lubricate the cylinder so the bolt throws clean again.
- Legacy Medeco Original and early Biaxial cylinders start to “mush.” Older Medeco cylinders use sidebar springs that wear out after years of use. Kentfield estates built from the 1920s through the 1970s often still have their original Medeco Original cylinders. When the sidebar springs fatigue, the key turns with sloppy tolerance or refuses to release. We re-core with genuine OEM springs and re-key to the existing restricted key.
- Corroded cylinders in decorative iron gate hardware. Many Kentfield properties have original iron gates with Medeco cylinders installed decades ago. Coastal-marin air works into the cylinder, pitting the pins and seizing the rotating core. The ironwork usually survives. The cylinder doesn’t. We re-core in place so the gate keeps its original look while the lock returns to full function.
- Restricted-key duplication drift. When Medeco keys are cut on worn machines or from aftermarket blanks, the sidebar tumblers wear unevenly. Pretty soon the authentic key needs jiggling to align. We cut factory-spec keys from the original bitting codes, and we stock OEM Medeco blanks for fast Kentfield turnaround.
- Strike alignment after foundation settling. Kentfield homes on hillsides settle over decades. A solid-wood door that’s shifted even 1/8 inch can leave a Medeco deadbolt misaligned with its strike. We re-seat the strike plate and adjust the bolt throw so the lock does what Medeco engineered it to do.
Medeco Service in Kentfield: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Kentfield’s estate gates often carry their original decorative ironwork, and that changes everything about how Medeco service should be done here. A failing Medeco gate cylinder on a 1940s iron gate can’t simply be pulled and swapped for a modern assembly without destroying the entrance’s character. The ironwork, the hand-forged scrolls, the original latch body: you don’t replace those. You re-core the cylinder in place, re-key it to the existing restricted key, and keep the hardware intact. That’s the difference between a locksmith who shows up with a catalog and one who understands what a Kentfield gate actually is. We’ve rebuilt Medeco cylinders on gates off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard where the owner was told by another shop that the whole gate lock needed replacement. While we don’t offer Larkspur Medeco service, our Kentfield work follows the same restoration principles. It didn’t. The cylinder body was sound; the sidebar springs and pins were shot. OEM parts, careful re-assembly, and the gate looked untouched. That’s what this work requires.
A Gate, a Winter, and a Deadbolt That Wouldn’t Move
A Kentfield client off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard had a Medeco Biaxial deadbolt on a solid-wood gate that had swollen shut over a wet winter and seized. The key would enter but the bolt wouldn’t throw. We freed the corroded cylinder, re-cored it with OEM sidebar springs, re-keyed to the existing restricted key, and adjusted the strike so the gate swings without binding. The gate was original to the property, and it still is.
Medeco Models & Products We Service in Kentfield
We work on the full Medeco line you’re likely to have on a Kentfield property. That includes the Biaxial system in both standard and high-security deadbolts, the Maxum deadbolt, the older Medeco Original and Classic restricted-key cylinders, and the commercial M3 rim and mortise cylinders found on service doors and some estate entries. The distinction we hold to: we fit genuine Medeco OEM cylinders, cams, and sidebar springs. Aftermarket Medeco-compatible cores compromise the restricted-key security the brand is bought for, and we won’t install them. We keep common OEM components in stock, which means most Kentfield re-cores and cylinder rebuilds happen in a single visit.
Medeco Service Pricing in Kentfield
Medeco service costs more than standard lock work because the hardware is more precise and the parts come from one source. A typical Medeco re-key with OEM components runs $25-$45 per cylinder plus the service call. Re-coring an existing Biaxial or Maxum cylinder with new sidebar springs and pins usually lands between $85 and $150 per cylinder. If a cylinder is corroded beyond repair and you want to keep the Medeco platform, replacement cylinders with factory-restricted keying generally run $60-$110 plus labor. We quote the full price on the phone before anyone is dispatched, and that’s the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge added on arrival. For an exact number on your specific cylinder, call (877) 265-4385, and we’ll give you a free estimate.
Serving Kentfield, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kentfield area and know this community well, unlike shops providing San Anselmo Medeco service. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Medeco Locksmith in Kentfield
Yes. We cut from the factory bitting code or from the existing key if the cuts are still legible, and we re-key the cylinder to match. If you’ve lost the code or the key is too worn to read, we can re-key to a new restricted key and provide copies. Call (877) 265-4385 and we’ll tell you what your cylinder needs.
Usually the door. Kentfield’s wet winters cause solid-wood doors and gates to swell, which drags the bolt against the strike plate. The Medeco mechanism itself is typically fine. We adjust the strike, check the cylinder for moisture intrusion, and in most cases the lock throws clean without replacement. That said, the cylinder should still be checked for corrosion every few seasons.
We restore whenever the cylinder body and sidebar are sound. That means re-coring in place, fitting new OEM pins and springs, and re-keying to your existing restricted key. We only recommend full replacement when corrosion or physical damage has compromised the security mechanism itself. For Kentfield’s original iron gates, restoration is almost always the better call — a standard we share with quality Santa Venetia Medeco service providers.
For a property with a long gated driveway and limited visibility from the road, Medeco is worth the investment. The restricted key cannot be duplicated at a hardware store, which means you control who has copies. A standard deadbolt offers basic protection. A Medeco Biaxial or Maxum adds key control and drill resistance. For most Kentfield estates, that’s the right tier of security.
The sidebar tumblers are likely wearing, or the key itself has drifted from its original bitting. If an aftermarket blank was used for a copy, that accelerates the wear. We cut factory-spec keys from the original code and inspect the cylinder for sidebar spring fatigue. Call (877) 265-4385 and we’ll diagnose it over the phone before scheduling anything.
Service Areas Near Kentfield
We serve Kentfield and the surrounding communities, including Larkspur, Mill Valley, San Mateo, Hillsborough, and Martinez. If you’re nearby and need Medeco-specific work, we also provide Medeco service in Redwood Shores and Medeco service in Ross. Our full coverage area is on the Kentfield service area page.
Book Your Medeco Service in Kentfield Today
If you have a Medeco lock that’s binding, sticking, or in need of re-keying, call (877) 265-4385. We’ll quote your job over the phone before anyone is dispatched. Same-day service is available for most Kentfield cylinder repairs and re-keys. Know your hardware, know your options. The rest is just turning a key.
Written by Noel Carver, Owner at Cypress Lock & Key, serving Kentfield since 2008.