Difficulty turning the key:
The most common things I see as locksmith is poorly cut or copied keys. Some places just don’t do a good job or calibrate their machines. This minor deviation in the thickness can cause locks to not turn. Sometimes a gently wiggle can make this key work, but ultimately it won’t get any better.
Next, an older lock with lots of wear within it. This can happen after many years of use. Sometimes it can be fixed without replacement by a competent locksmith, but more often than not, the simplest solution is replacement. Even newer locks can have this happen from time to time due to “construction keying” which ads a master key system to your residential house locks.
Lock doesn’t seem to operate when door is closed:
A few of the symptoms of this mirror the first part about “difficulty turning the key”. This is generally caused by the alignment of the lock and door versus the frame of the door. Some areas this can happen when the door swells due to moisture.
Newer homes can sometimes have portions of the home’s foundation settle into the dirt differently than others. This can cause the frame around the door to not be square. When this happens, the locks won’t line up.
Key gets stuck:
This situation is most commonly seen by a locksmith when using cheaper locks, house branded locks, etc. While they do operate most of the time just fine, they aren’t made with the same tolerances on the inside as the name brand stuff. Introducing a master key system to these locks further complicate it and will be more prevalent to a key getting stuck.
Some keys every so often are cut incorrectly and will cause the key to sometimes get stuck as well. The angles of the cuts, while they do of course vary, come in as more important than it may seem. It allows the key to be inserted and pulled out and move the pins within correctly. The angle can throw that off and cause the key to get stuck.
The lock is loose or wobbly:
A little wobble is not uncommon for most locks. Believe it or not, some locks are designed to have a little bit of wobble to compensate for wear on internal components. Most commonly, this wobble is due to loose screws, and can be a simple fix most of the time. Some locks have the screws hidden though.
Some locks need the intervention of competent locksmith to pull it off the door, adjust what is needed inside it, and re-install it. This is more common in commercial settings with storefront locks.
Ignoring some of these red flags (of the lock world) can cause the security at your home or office to become unsafe over time. Most will still keep the door locked, but become difficult to use. Consult your local locksmith for help. Most locksmiths, including Agent Lock And Key of Corpus Christi can do a walk through of your home or business to determine areas that need attention. Check us out.
https://cctxlock.com (361)400-4007