Easy Tips for Do It Yourself Lock Solution
There are countless locks in any household or home. They come in a wide range of selection and grades of security. There could be simple locks on your kitchen cabinets, which are different from the ones on your bathroom door. All these are also different from those on your windows and the ones on your porch or patio. With these locks, there are many problems you can encounter, most of which you can handle by yourself. Others, you would need to hire professional services. So, let’s see some of these problems that you can handle concerning your locks or keys at home.
How do you deal with a key that broke in the lock?
It can be frustrating to get home, insert your key in the lock, only for it to break when you turn to open the lock. However, there is no need to panic. You can use a saw blade, a pair of pliers, or a flat head, a thin screwdriver to remove a broken key. When using your saw blade, you insert it into the lock, just as you inserted the key. Ensure that you insert your teeth down. This way, the teeth of the saw hook into the broken key, which you can now carefully pull out of the lock. If the key broke and some part left exposed, you can use a pair of pliers to clip onto the key and pull it out. However, if you had moved the lock from its resting position, you would need to use a screwdriver to return it to its position. Then, you use the plier or saw blade to remove the key from the lock.
Is your lock slow?
One of the significant signs of dirt and debris in your lock is how slow they close or open. When you turn the key and notice that the latch does not move fast from the open or closed position, you need to check for dirt in the lock. To remove the trash, you can use a cotton swab if the soil is loose. However, you can counter their action by lubricating the lock for other materials that you may fail to reach. However, when applying lubrication, avoid using grease or oil. When they dry up, they lodge in the lock’s crevices, making it hard to operate. Instead, use graphite or silicon.
Do you have problems inserting your key in the lock?
Various reasons could lead to this problem. The first is if there are dirt and debris lodged in the lock. Since the key fits these spaces, the soil makes it hard or impossible to insert the key. You can always apply some lubrication or clean the lock to resolve this type of problem. On the other hand, if you have a damaged, bent, or broken key, you will have difficulty inserting the key into the lock. You can always try to straighten your key using a flat waste block of wood to correct this. Otherwise, you would need to get a new key for your door.
Is your lock seizing?
Before you go forcing your key into the locks, then make sure you know what could be the problem. When you face issues turning your key, you know that your lock is seizing despite inserting it with ease. Rather than forcefully turning the lock, you can always try lubricating it using graphite spray. Apply reasonable force on the key since you could break it, which results in a new problem. If you notice a loose cylinder on your lock, you can use a screwdriver to tighten the screws holding it in place. This could be another reason why your key fails to turn in the lock cylinder.
What do you do when your lock fails to close?
One major cause of this is misalignment. When you notice the door sagging, this could result in a misalignment between the latch and the strike place. The sagging could be sure to old, worn-out hinges, which you can replace easily. If the lock is loose on the door, then there would be a difference in position compared to the plate on the wall. As a result, you have problems closing the door. Tighten the bolts and screws holding the lock in place to restore balance and level on your door.
