Your Doorlock Won't Lock? Try These Hacks

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When most people think of lock issues, they think about lockouts, which are an inconvenience. However, people overlook the fact that they may encounter a situation when they cannot lock their doors, and it may not be because they do not have their keys. Sometimes certain conditions can result in keys not working in locks. The following are a few examples of what could happen as well as potential fixes.

Frozen Locks

If you live in an area that has icy winters, you likely have heard of frozen locks. The issue is that some people tend to think that frozen locks are only difficult to unlock. People who leave their doors unlocked or don't lock them completely may have an issue with locking their doors if their locks are frozen. Cold weather impedes locks from locking correctly due to freezing inner components. The fix for this type of issue is unthawing the lock. You can try to put hand sanitizer on the lock to encourage thawing. You may also choose to use a safe heating device such as a hair dryer or cigarette lighter to thaw the lock.

Dirt or Debris in Locks

This is an unexpected situation that can occur with older, rarely used locks, or those that are installed in dusty or dirty areas such as workshops or patios. Sometimes the debris that settles in these locks can be loosened by using a lubricant. This is something you should keep on hand if you have doors in your home that are rarely used. Sometimes debris in locks can be too hard for lubricant to loosen. If you continue to force keys into locks that seem to have stuck debris in them, you may end up breaking the keys in the locks.

Worn Key Edges

If your locks are working, chances are you don't see a reason to "fix" them. However, the more you use keys in a lock, the more likely it is possible for the keys to deteriorate. This can impact how they work in keyholes. You can attempt to alter keys that show signs of wear work by gently using a nail file to aid in them fitting the locks. Another alternative is to have a locksmith make a new key based on the inner mechanisms of the lock.

If you experience a lock issue that you end up resolving yourself, it is still a good idea to use a locksmith as a resource to ensure that your lock is not damaged. Locksmiths are also the best resource to use when you have unsuccessfully tried everything at your disposal to get a lock to work. Even if a lock appears to not be working anymore, a locksmith, like one from Becker Locksmith Services, could re-key it and save you money on a replacement lock.

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3 November 2016

Keeping Your Business Safe

When you start a business, it's easy to forget about insuring your entire building and all of your inventory. Unfortunately, I made this mistake, and I ended up paying for it dearly when our place was robbed a few months after our store opened. I knew that I had to do something to improve our future security, so I contacted a business that offered locks, keys, and safes. They came out, rekeyed our entire building, replaced our safe with something that was a lot sturdier, and gave us all electronic codes to the keypads that controlled access to the building. Check out this blog to learn more about keeping your business safe.