COMMON LOCK ISSUES

Common Lock Issues: Advice and Info

Why Is My Lock Difficult to Lock or Unlock?

Several issues can affect the performance of your door and lock:

Weather conditions
Poor door alignment
Hardware requires lubrication
Worn or poorly duplicated key
The lock is worn

Below are some tips you can use to try to correct your issue before contacting an ALOA professional for assistance.

Weather Conditions

keyboard_arrow_down

Humidity and temperature can affect door and lock performance. Doors that receive direct sunlight during the day can also be affected.

Solution

If your door and lock operate correctly during certain parts of the day but not others, you may need to contact an ALOA SPAI locksmith to coordinate a service appointment that coincides with the time of the day when you experience your issue. While an issue like this is normally not difficult to correct, diagnosing the problem can be tricky.

Poor Door Alignment

keyboard_arrow_down

This is the cause of most “lock” issues. Door hinges can wear out, causing the door to drop slightly. Door frames can also shift, especially if the frame is poorly installed. Poorly installed weather stripping can also cause alignment issues. When these issues happen, the latch may not engage the strike on the frame correctly. The lock may be difficult to operate from both the inside and the outside.

Solution

You can try to tighten the screws on the hinges (especially the top hinge) to see if the door raises slightly. This may solve your problem, but it may only be a temporary repair. If the screws will not tighten, you should call an ALOA locksmith to realign the door to permanently correct the problem.

Hardware Requires Lubrication

keyboard_arrow_down

Like most mechanical mechanisms, locks need occasional maintenance.

Solution

Spraying penetrating oil into the keyway, the latch and the hinges may make the hardware operate more smoothly. Spray a very short burst of lubricant at each location and work the lock and door back and forth to see if lubrication fixes the issue.

Worn or Poorly Duplicated Key

keyboard_arrow_down

As keys age, they will show evidence of wear. Duplicating keys from old or worn keys can also create issues.

Solution

Sometimes, duplicating keys from an original key will fix the issue. If that doesn’t correct the problem, an ALOA locksmith may need to generate an original key by using a code for your lock.

The Lock is Worn

keyboard_arrow_down

Like keys, locks will wear over time. Wear happens each time the key is inserted and removed, and any lock that gets high usage will also wear out over time. The latch is especially susceptible to wear.

Solution

Try lubricating the lock as described above. If that doesn’t work, an ALOA locksmith may need to rekey the lock, replace the latch or replace the entire lock. An experienced locksmith will know how to diagnose the issue and provide a solution.

find a qualified locksmith now

Information for Consumers

JUMP TO...