How to Repair Broken Locks

With all the doors you have in your home, you will definitely need to make a door lock repair sooner or later. Door locks and door knobs serve various functions: they give you something to hold onto while opening or closing the door, and provide varying levels of security, depending on where they’re located. A bedroom door, for instance, may have the kind of privacy latch that can easily be opened with a bobby pin if needed. Your front door, on the other hand, may have both a lock and a deadbolt, as its main purpose is to keep strangers out of your home.

Door locks are made up of various moving parts and can therefore stop working altogether if they are broken, or simply not work well if rusty or damaged. The door lock is also designed to align with other features on the door, and can not work if all of the parts are not aligned properly. There are some things that can be done to repair door locks if there is a problem with them, as opposed to replacing them altogether. Some types of door lock repairs are not that difficult and do not require special skills or equipment, so if you find yourself locked out of your home or unable to close the door properly, don’t panic! Tightening, adjusting and lubricating are simple ways to can get things working again. If the following ideas don’t work, contact us and we’ll take care of your problem!

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Lubricating Door Locks

Lubricating door locks one of the easiest and most effective ways to get them working smoothly. Lubrication of the door strike can be done with the lock or knob still in place. Using some silicone spray, work the knob back and forth until it moves easily. If the lock tumbler is the problem, spray some lubricant inside the key hole. Then, use the key to work the tumblers until the lubricant is spread over all of the elements evenly and the lock works.

Checking Door Mortises

Checking door mortises means checking the wood bores that allow for the lock to be installed. Most doors have two bores where the lock mechanism to be installed. Turn the knob and look and watch carefully to see if anything is hanging up on the door itself. Check whether the screws for the strike assembly are tight, and if the strike is properly aligned in the bore. Then, tighten the screws if need be. You may need to take the lock out and use a file to trim away the excess wood. Clean out the bores until the door mechanism can move freely.

Removing a Broken Key

Take pliers and try to grip the key and pull it straight out. If you can’t get a good enough grip, even when with needle-nose pliers, try inserting a blade into the keyhole and then hooking and dragging the key out. As a last resort, remove the cylinder itself. Insert a stiff wire into the slot at the back of the cylinder and push the key out. If that still fails to work, it’s definitely time to contact a locksmith.

Replacing Door Locks

Replacing door locks should really only be a last resort. If you’ve tried a few different things and nothing has worked, it may be time to have a new lock put in. Why not call the experts to help you choose the right lock for you and install it properly?

Like everything else, locks can malfunction or even break. But it doesn’t have to be that big of a deal! Using these simple tips, it is likely that you’ll be able to repair the lock yourself. And even if you can’t, contact us and we’ll come right over to take care of it!