1. Keys
- List everyone who had a key this year
- Rekey if you can't account for every copy
- Bring in any spare hidden outside
- Give one key to the person checking on the place
Seasonal checklist
Closing Up a Cabin or Second Home for Winter in Fremont County: A Lock Checklist
Hunting season wraps up, the road gets snowy, and the cabin near Dubois or the place up the Wind River sits empty until spring. Before you lock the door for the last time this year, here is the lock checklist we walk cabin and second-home owners through: who has keys, the doors themselves, the sheds and gates, and the codes on any keypads.
Closing up for the season?
We come to cabins, second homes, and rentals across Fremont County to rekey, upgrade locks, and set up padlocks before winter.
Call or text 307-206-4218 for a quote.
Why a closed-up cabin needs a lock check
A place that sits empty for months has nobody around to notice a door that didn't latch or a lock that was tampered with. Insurers say the same thing we do: Travelers' checklist for vacant homes lists deadbolt locks, security-type hinges, and sturdy door frames that can't be spread apart. Three things usually come up when we look at a cabin in the fall:
- Keys went around all summer. Guests, renters, family, and contractors may all have had one, and not every copy came back.
- The doors are the original hardware. Knob locks with no deadbolt, or a deadbolt held by a thin strike plate and short screws.
- Outbuildings have light padlocks. A thin shackle on a shed or gate that sits out in the weather all winter.
Your close-up lock checklist
2. Doors
- A deadbolt on every outside door
- Each door latches and locks without lifting or pushing
- A reinforced strike plate on the doors that matter most
- Throw every deadbolt before you leave
3. Sheds, shops, and gates
- Solid steel or shrouded padlocks on outbuildings
- A weather-cover lock where snow and ice blow in
- Everything keyed alike, so one key goes to the caretaker
4. Codes
- Delete smart lock codes for summer guests and renters
- Give the caretaker or plow driver their own code
- Change the garage keypad PIN
Rekey before you leave
Rekeying changes the pins inside your locks so the old keys stop working, and we cut new keys for the locks you keep. It is the simplest way to start the winter knowing exactly who can get in. We can key the cabin doors and rekeyable padlocks alike, so the person checking on the place carries one key. More on our rekey and lock change page.
Deadbolts, strike plates, and smart locks
If a door only has a knob lock, or the lock sticks or wobbles, winter is a long time to leave it that way. We sell and install Schlage and Kwikset deadbolts, knobs, and levers and can key them to match. A reinforced security strike plate with long screws into the framing gives the deadbolt something solid to hold against. If we see a hinge or frame problem while we are there, we will tell you.
Deadbolts and door hardware
Schlage and Kwikset, keyed to match the rest of the place. See door locks.
eufy smart locks
A code for each person instead of extra keys. The eufy C210 and C220 take a Schlage key, and we can rekey eufy locks to match your keys. See smart lock installation.
Padlocks for sheds and gates that sit out all winter
The shed, the shop, and the gate get the worst of the weather and the least attention. These are three of the padlocks on our padlocks page that suit a property left on its own for the season:
American Lock A5200, keyed alike
Solid steel, built to U.S. government padlock standards. Keyed alike, so one key opens every lock on the property.
American Lock A5300 shrouded
A steel shroud guards the boron alloy shackle, so bolt cutters have little to bite on. Rekeyable cylinder.
Master Lock 6121 ProSeries
A Weather Tough cover helps keep water, ice, and grit out of the lock. Rekeyable 5-pin cylinder.
A padlock is only as strong as the hasp it hangs on, so we look at that too. Padlocks come with 30-day returns with local pickup in Riverton (see our return policy). More on shed security and trailer security.
The garage keypad and remotes
If the cabin has an attached garage, the keypad PIN and any remotes that went home with guests open it just like a key. We can clear old remotes and keypad codes from the opener and program the remotes and keypad you keep. See garage door opener programming.
Where we work
We are a mobile-only locksmith based in Riverton, and we come to cabins and homes in Riverton, Lander, Dubois, Shoshoni, and across Fremont County. Live in Riverton or Lander and want a full walk-through of your main home too? Ask about our Home or Business Security Inspection. More on our Riverton, Lander, and residential locksmith pages.
Why work with Spare Me
- Mobile-only locksmith based in Riverton; we come to your property
- We cut nearly every key type on a Triton Ultimate key machine
- Fully insured
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- ALOA Security Professionals Association member #AR125851
Frequently asked questions
Winter Cabin Lock FAQ for Fremont County
If keys went out over the summer to guests, renters, family, or contractors and you can't account for all of them, yes. Rekey before you close it up, so the only keys that work all winter are the ones you hand out. Call or text 307-206-4218 for a quote.
Step up from a light lock. The American Lock A5200 is solid steel and built to U.S. government padlock standards, the A5300 has a steel shroud around the shackle, and the Master Lock 6121 ProSeries has a Weather Tough cover that helps keep water, ice, and grit out. No padlock is cut-proof, and it is only as strong as the hasp it hangs on.
Often, yes. We can rekey compatible door locks and rekeyable padlocks so one key opens the cabin, the shop, and the gates. The A5200GLNKA comes keyed alike.
It can. Each person who checks on the place gets their own code, and you can delete a code when that person is done. Pick one with a key backup: the eufy C210 and C220 take a Schlage key, and we can rekey eufy locks to match your keys.
Only the people who need one, such as a neighbor or caretaker who checks on the place. Don't leave a spare hidden outside, and keep a short list of who has a key so you know which locks to rekey if one goes missing.
Yes. Spare Me is a mobile-only locksmith based in Riverton, serving Riverton, Lander, Dubois, Shoshoni, and Fremont County. We come to the property. Call or text 307-206-4218 for a quote.
Contact us
Closing up the cabin this fall?
We come to you in Riverton, Lander, Dubois, Shoshoni, and Fremont County to rekey, upgrade locks, and set up padlocks before winter. Call or text 307-206-4218 for a quote.
ALOA Security Professionals Association member #AR125851