It can be frustrating when the door locks in your home cease to function properly. As you’re leaving for work one morning, you notice that your front door doesn’t lock. What do you do? You can’t leave your home unlocked, but you can’t be late for work. Do you quickly search “locksmith near me” and pick the inexpensive professional, trusting the security of your home to a stranger?
Firstline Locksmith has been serving Hamilton and the greater New Jersey area for more than 25 years. We put our customers first, and we’re here to serve you and take care of all your locksmith service needs.
In the last post, we discussed how to fix a spinning door knob that won’t open, and in the following post, we’ll cover how to fix a door lock that’s stuck in the open position.
Door Lock is Stuck in The Open Position
If your door lock is stuck in the unlocked position, your home’s security is at risk. The issue can be caused by various reasons, and we’re going to cover why your door lock could be stuck in the unlocked position. Following these reasons, we will then discuss how you could potentially fix the issue on your own.
Why is My Door Lock Stuck Open?
There are four common reasons why your door lock may be stuck in the unlocked position:
Older Lock: If you have an aged lock, it may have rusted or gummed into place due to lack of cleaning or a much needed replacement.
The Key: Your key may be damaged or worn and doesn’t work anymore with your lock.
Lock Cylinder: It may be broken, which can cause the lock to function improperly.
Misalignment: Your door may be able to lock while slightly ajar, but it cannot lock while closed.
Now that you know the four most common reasons for a broken or stuck lock, you can work to fix them. In a majority of cases, you can replace the lock and get the desired result. You also have the option of finding a locksmith near you in Hamilton. Firstline is always available to assist you in your lock needs.
Five Solutions For Your Broken Lock
It’s important to remember that if your lock is severely broken, you may need to replace it entirely. Otherwise, give one of these solutions a try, if you think you can fix it.
The Bolt: A bolt in a lock can withstand only so much pressure. If you’ve come across a bent bolt or latch-bolt, you can attempt to reshape it to function properly again; however, you risk security for that lock due to the bolt being weakened.
Alignment: A misaligned bolt may appear to be broken at first. Instead, consider changing the placement of the strike plate or widening the strike gap to accept the misaligned bolt.
Connections: Regular use can loosen the connections on your lock. Remember to replace the connections before you reinstall the lock.
Keyway: If your key won’t slide all the way into the slot or won’t turn the lock when pressure is applied, you can either attempt to clean the slot out or replace the keyway entirely.
Lubricate: If your lock won’t budge, consider lubricating it. Use lubrication in combination with the other solutions, if needed, to repair or replace the lock.
Your Local Locksmith in Hamilton: Firstline Locksmith
With more than 25 years of locksmith experience, you can trust Firstline Locksmith. We help our Hamilton residents find the best solution for their home locks, whether broken or stuck. If you’re in need of locksmith service near you, give us a call today!