Is your home missing a crucial step to security? If your home has door locks that are malfunctioning or broken, you’re putting your home, belongings, and loved ones at risk.
Not to mention, if you are the victim of a theft or vandal, your insurance company may not cover as much or any of the damages if it becomes known that the locks were not in place. With that in mind, it’s critical that you take immediate action if you notice an issue with a lock.
Door Latch is Misaligned
If your door isn’t shutting correctly and you find that you have to push and pull to get your lock and door to latch, the latch and strike plate have likely moved. This happens over time as many doors and frames can bend and swell with changing temperatures and humidity levels. Often, a locksmith can replace or reposition the strike plate to fix the issue. If the problem is advanced, they may need to replace the entire door and lock.
The Lock Won’t Engage When The Key Turns
As locks age, there are many small parts internally that can wear out and break. If your key turns in your lock but doesn’t seem to be engaging these tiny parts may have broken. Unfortunately, this isn’t usually a fixable problem, and a locksmith will need to install a new lock.
The Key Won’t Turn And Sticks
Before you try too hard, give your locksmith a call. When keys stick and don’t turn, they can easily break off inside the lock and give you all sorts of problems. If the key breaks, you may have to replace the lock entirely because of the metal lodged in. If you can spare the patience, a locksmith can often fix a sticky lock.
Faulty Mechanisms
Just like any piece of equipment, the locks on your home will wear down and break over time. When you begin to notice that a key is difficult to turn, the lock shows signs of wear and tear, and the lock fails to engage – its time to call a professional.