3 Common Reasons for House Lockouts

Locks and keys are highly unlikely to play a bad trick on you, but sometimes it does happen. When it does, you would naturally want a quick and effective solution. You should also take measures to avoid problems in the future. Learn what the main causes of house lockouts are and what to do to prevent them.

Lost House Key

When there’s no one at home and your key is missing, you will need emergency door opening. However, this is just the first step to the solution to the problem. You should also get your lock rekeyed to ensure that no stranger will be able to use the key to get inside your home. Rekeying is a technique for reconfiguring the lock so that it can work with a new key. Remember to get as many copies of the new key as necessary for your family. In case your lock’s design doesn’t permit rekeying or the device is no longer strong and/or secure enough to protect your property, replacement will be the only solution. You will benefit from upgrading to a more advanced lock. To avoid losing your keys, keep them in a zipped jacket pocket or bag compartment. Use a heavy and/or colorful keychain to lower the risk of leaving them somewhere without noticing.

Malfunctioning Door Lock

If the key doesn’t get inside the lock or refuses to turn, you will need lock repair right away. A close check and tests will reveal what the cause of the problem is. If the cylinder is damaged or broken, it should be replaced. It’s not uncommon for the key to be responsible for the problem. If the blade is worn, bent or chipped, the key won’t work properly. Replacing it will solve the problem. When the key turns, but the door stays locked, the locking mechanism responsible for operating the bolt may be damaged and require changing. In other cases, the strike plate may be misaligned. The risk of this happening is lower when there are three-inch screws for keeping it in place. In general, a reinforced strike plate will make every door a lot more secure. To lower the risk of a malfunctioning door lock, you should inspect it, clean it and lube it regularly. The keys also need frequent inspections and cleaning.

Broken Key Blade

You try to unlock the door and the key snaps inside the lock. In this case, a spare key won’t help so you will get locked out of your home. How is this problem solved? The extraction of the blade requires the use of a special technique to ensure that the sensitive internal pin system of the lock won’t be affected. If the lock got damaged when the key snapped, it is be to have it fixed or replaced, depending on how bad the damage is. The final step of the solution involves key replacement. To prevent the key from breaking inside the lock, use is carefully without applying too much force when turning it and without pushing the door open with it.