- 1). Divide the building into areas, departments or categories. For instance in a hospital setting, you could break the building down into patient rooms, storage rooms, treatment rooms, offices, and so on. This will help to define what type of separation is needed among different levels of keying.
- 2). Group areas based on who will require access. Using the hospital example, nurses require keys to patient rooms, certain treatment rooms, and perhaps some offices or storage rooms. Hospital administrators may require access to all areas. Maintenance staff may only need access to storage rooms. Think about the different people who will need keys, and how many areas each will need to access.
- 3). Understand the different levels of keying. The most basic is a 2-level system, where a single master key can open all the locks. In a 3-level system, a grandmaster key can open all the locks, while a master key can open only certain locks under that specific master. The most complex is a 4-level system, where a great-grandmaster can open all locks, and grandmasters can open all locks under that specific grandmaster. The master keys in this system can only open some of the locks keyed under each grandmaster key.
- 4). Determine which level of keying is best for your application. The higher the number of levels in your system, the more difficult it will be to control key distribution and security. You will have a greater number of options for limiting or allowing access, but there is also a greater risk of keys falling into the wrong hands. Lower levels of keying are much more secure, but may not allow administrators to grant or limit access to the fullest extent.
- 5). Convert each area or group in Steps 1 and 2 into a master or grandmaster key. In our hospital example, the patient rooms may all fall under master key number 1, while storage rooms all fall under master key number 2. Offices may all be accessed with master key number 3, and treatment rooms may be under master key number 4. A grandmaster key would open all locks in the building, including all of those that fall under each master key.
- 6). Use the correct nomenclature. In a 2-level system, the master key is designated by a letter, such as A. Each door that is opened by master key A is given a number, such as 1A. These numbered keys that fall under a master key are known as change keys. In a grandmaster system, each master is named by a pair of letters (AA, AB, AC, and so on), and each change key is designated by those letters as well as a number (AA1, AA2, AA3) or (AB1, AB2, AB3). Great-grandmaster systems may require a three-letter designation for each master.
- 7). Present your keying information to a locksmith using the nomenclature in Step 6. He or she will configure the lock cylinders for each door to accommodate the keys shown in your keying schedule. He will also cut the change keys, masters and grandmasters to operate each lock. Most DIY installers will not be able to configure the lock cylinders or cut the keys themselves, as this task is quite complex and requires specialized training.
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