Commercial Locksmith in Columbus, OH

Storefronts and upper floors on High Street

The Short North runs along High Street from Goodale Street to 7th and King Avenues. The brick buildings packed along that stretch mostly go back to the early 20th century or earlier, and their ground floors are traditional storefronts. Offices or apartments above a shop may have a street door of their own with its own key, so each tenant should know which doors are theirs. Storefront doors often use narrow-stile frames whose lock bodies differ from house hardware, so a photo of the door edge helps.

Newer projects nearby reach ten stories or more and often combine apartments, shops and offices. A tenant there may control its own suite door while the building controls the exterior entrances.

Design review before you change a door

For Downtown, East Franklinton and the University District, design review runs through the Downtown Commission, the East Franklinton Review Board and the University Impact District Review Board, and exterior alterations in those areas may need review. Which board applies depends on the address, so ask the city before replacing a storefront door or adding visible exterior hardware. Changing the key or repairing a lock does not alter the door itself. This is general information, not legal advice.

Staff and tenant turnover

• When a keyholder leaves, rekey the cylinders that key opened. With a master key system, a manager's key opens every door while each staff key opens only what that person needs, so one departure touches fewer locks. Where an upstairs street door serves the floors above a shop, rekey it separately from the storefront.
• Restricted keyways limit who can copy a key, which cuts down on unknown duplicates.
• A simple key log listing who holds which key makes the next change easier.
• A new tenant in a storefront or suite should have the locks rekeyed at move-in and should check whether the lease lets the landlord keep a key.

Details to send

• the address or cross streets, and the type of building
• which doors are involved: front, rear, upper-floor street door or suite door
• the door material and lock type, with photos
• how many people hold keys, and whether you want a master key system

The Columbus page has the wider picture of the neighborhoods named above.