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Get your free estimateMedeco Locksmith in Cathcart, WA | Lodestar Locksmith
We provide independent Medeco locksmith service across Cathcart, Washington, covering everything from Biaxial deadbolts on 1980s homes to KeyMark systems on shared gates. What makes our Medeco work different here is that we plan around Cathcart’s long private drives and detached outbuildings, not just the front door. Norm Eckley leads our team, and he’s spent two decades working Medeco cylinders across Pierce and Snohomish counties. If your Medeco key sticks, your restricted blanks are gone, or you need one key for the house, shop, and tack room, call (855) 382-0943 for a straight answer and a free estimate.
Why Cathcart Residents Choose Us for Medeco Service
Most locksmiths in the region can cut a Schlage or Kwikset key. Far fewer actually understand Medeco sidebars, pin stacks, and restricted-key systems well enough to service them properly. We work on Medeco hardware daily. That hands-on time matters because a Medeco lock that’s been rekeyed wrong can fail without warning, and on a gated Cathcart property, that means a stranded vehicle or a missed appointment. Norm Eckley picked up the trade through the Automotive & Industrial Technology programs at Clover Park Technical College, then spent the better part of two decades turning wrenches on everything from residential Schlage deadbolts to commercial Medeco hardware. He’ll tell you the same thing every tech on our team knows: Medeco locks reward precision and punish shortcuts.
We’re local to the Cathcart service area, which means we’re familiar with the lock hardware on 1980s and 90s large-lot homes, the gate call boxes off Cathcart Way, and the rust problems that come with wet PNW winters. We stock genuine Medeco OEM cylinders, sidebar springs, and restricted key blanks whenever possible. And we quote the full price on the phone before anyone is dispatched. That’s the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge added on arrival.
Styles & brands we work with







Common Medeco Locksmith Problems We Solve in Cathcart
- Keys that stick or fail to turn after wet-season humidity. Cathcart’s rainy winters swell wooden door frames, which throws the bolt out of alignment. On a Medeco Biaxial or Maxum deadbolt, that misalignment puts extra pressure on the sidebar and pins. The key turns hard, then refuses to turn at all. We realign the strike, service the cylinder, and if the sidebar channel is worn past tolerance, we tell you plainly.
- Frozen or corroded gate cylinders after cold snaps. Shared-drive call-box pedestals and gate-mounted Medeco locks off Cathcart Way take direct weather. When temperatures drop after rain, moisture inside the cylinder freezes or leaves corrosion behind. We see this on KeyMark cylinders constantly. The fix is disassembly, cleaning, graphite treatment, and sometimes a sidebar spring replacement.
- Lost restricted keys on older Biaxial and KeyMark locks. This one hurts. Restricted Medeco key blanks aren’t something you can grab at a hardware store. If you lose the only key to a 1990s Biaxial deadbolt on your detached shop, you may be looking at lock replacement unless a shop has the right blank on hand. We carry Biaxial and KeyMark restricted blanks and can often cut a new key from the cylinder code or by impressioning, saving the hardware.
- Builder-grade Medeco cylinders failing after decades of graphite buildup. Homes built in Cathcart during the 80s and 90s often had Medeco cylinders installed originally, but nobody serviced them for twenty years. Graphite turns to paste, internal springs rust, and the key starts binding. We see this on front doors, shop doors, and tack rooms alike. Sometimes it’s a clean-and-service job. Sometimes the cylinder body is cracked and replacement with a current Medeco model is the honest call.
- One property, multiple Medeco locks, no master-key plan. Large-lot Cathcart properties often have a front door deadbolt, a shop padlock, a barn tack room lock, and a gate call box, all from different eras and keyways. When nothing matches, security management becomes guesswork. We build master-key charts that cover every building and gate on the property, so one restricted key works where you want it to and nowhere else.
Medeco Service in Cathcart: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Cathcart’s long private drives and shared gated entries off Cathcart Way create a specific problem that standard suburban locksmith work rarely touches. A single Snohomish Medeco service key system here often has to span a front door, a detached shop, a barn tack room, and a shared car-gate call box. That’s not a one-lock job. It’s a multi-building key plan, and it has to account for outbuildings and gate pedestals, not just the house. We build master-key charts for properties exactly like this, mapping every cylinder, every keyholder, and every restricted blank. That’s the difference between “we rekeyed your door” and “we secured your whole property.” And because many of these locks are original 1980s and 90s builder-grade hardware, we’re usually the first company to actually service them in decades. Wet winters have been working on those cylinders the whole time.
Medeco Models & Products We Service in Cathcart
We service the full range of Medeco hardware you’re likely to find on a Cathcart property. That includes classic Medeco Biaxial deadbolts, Maxum residential deadbolts, M3 and M4 high-security cylinders, and KeyMark restricted-key cylinders on gates and outbuildings. Our approach is repair-first when it preserves the security rating. We stock genuine Medeco OEM cylinders, sidebar springs, and restricted key blanks whenever possible. For older Biaxial and KeyMark locks, OEM parts extend service life and keep the high-security certification intact. When a cylinder body is cracked or the sidebar channel is worn beyond tolerance, we recommend replacement with a current Medeco model rather than rebuilding something that’s compromised. We also handle lock change, master key system setup, and high security lock installations. We are an independent Medeco service provider, not manufacturer-affiliated or authorized.
Medeco Service Pricing in Cathcart
Medeco service in Cathcart typically runs $145 to $380 depending on what’s actually wrong. A service call with cylinder cleaning and graphite treatment lands on the lower end. Rekeying a Medeco Biaxial or KeyMark cylinder, including new restricted keys, sits in the middle. Full cylinder replacement or building a master-key system across multiple outbuildings runs higher. What drives the cost: whether we’re servicing one cylinder or several, whether OEM restricted blanks are needed, and whether you want a master-key chart covering the whole property. Every estimate is free. We quote the full price on the phone before anyone is dispatched, and that number is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge added on arrival. Call (855) 382-0943 and Norm or one of our techs will walk you through it.
Serving Cathcart, WA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Medeco in Clearview area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Medeco Locksmith in Cathcart
Yes. The Medeco cylinder inside the call-box pedestal is usually a KeyMark or Biaxial cylinder that can be rekeyed independently of the box electronics. We remove the cylinder, rekey it to new restricted keys, and reinstall it without touching the call-box wiring. That saves the cost of a full assembly replacement. Call (855) 382-0943 and we’ll tell you what your specific gate setup needs.
Wet PNW winters swell the door frame, which throws the bolt out of line with the strike plate. On a Medeco deadbolt, that misalignment puts pressure on the sidebar, making the key hard to turn. We realign the strike, service the cylinder, and if internal springs are rusted, we replace them. You don’t need a new lock unless the cylinder is cracked. Call (855) 382-0943 for an exact diagnosis, and the estimate is free.
We do. We stock Biaxial and KeyMark restricted blanks specifically because so many Cathcart properties from that era still have them installed. If you’ve lost your only key, we can often cut a new one from the cylinder code or by impressioning the lock, which saves you the cost of replacement hardware. Call (855) 382-0943 and we’ll check the blank before you pay for anything.
Yes, and this is exactly the kind of job we handle on Cathcart’s large-lot properties. We build a master-key system that lets one restricted key operate specific cylinders, or all of them, depending on what you want. We map every lock, create a key chart, and cut new keys to match. Call (855) 382-0943 for a free estimate on a master-key setup for your property.
A gate call-box replacement means removing the existing Medeco cylinder from the pedestal housing, which often involves weather-sealed mounting and tight access. A front door replacement is simpler, but still requires removing the deadbolt, fitting the new cylinder, and cutting new keys. Gate work runs higher because of the labor and the need for weatherproof reassembly. We quote the full price on the phone before we dispatch. Call (855) 382-0943 and we’ll tell you exactly what your setup will cost.
Service Areas Near Cathcart
We serve Cathcart and the surrounding Snohomish County communities. Our Medeco service also extends to Medeco service in Silver Firs, Medeco service in Eastmont, and nearby areas around the Cathcart Way corridor. If you’re just outside Cathcart, call and ask. The answer is usually yes.
Book Your Medeco Service in Cathcart Today
If your Medeco lock is sticking, your restricted keys are lost, or you want one key plan for the whole property, call (855) 382-0943. We’ll tell you the full price on the phone, and dispatch a tech who knows Medeco hardware. Same-day service is often available around Cathcart. The right fix the first time, because a second lockout call is one too many.
Written by Norm Eckley, Owner at Lodestar Locksmith, serving Cathcart since 2008.