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Doors are something you use every day. Whether you leave the house or not, there are several doors in your home that could break at any point. As simple as a door is, the problems that can cause one to break. It can be very confusing to figure out how to fix one if you don’t know what broke it in the first place! In this post, we will be going over the top 5 ways your door can break and how it can be fixed!
5 ways your door can break & How it can be fixed!
The lock mechanism is malfunctioning
If you’ve put the right key in the lock, tried to turn it, shimmy it, even given it a good shake, but the door just wouldn’t unlock – the lock mechanism might be malfunctioning. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your entire lock is broken. The problem could be as simple as the lock being dirty. The dirt combined with moisture can create a greasy mixture and make the lock malfunction. Simply cleaning will make that lock brand new again!
The cylinder is loose
If you’re turning the lock but instead of the knob turning, the entire cylinder starts to spin, you have yourself a loose cylinder. If the cylinder is a little loose, you could try tightening the screws around the entire lock and see if that fixes the problem. A lot of the time this would be enough. If it isn’t, take the faceplates off and try tightening the screws on the inside. If this doesn’t work either, the cylinder might have broken. This would be a good time to call Locksmith Services in Chicago or your local locksmith and have them take a look. If the damage is significant, the lock would have to be replaced.
The door isn’t latching on properly
Sometimes, you might find that you keep trying to close the door but it doesn’t “click” in place. This means that the door is not latching properly. This happens when the latch of your door and the strike plate are misaligned. The slightest bit of difference can come in the way of the latch and not only will the door not close but it also won’t lock. This isn’t just a problem for the doors in the house but can also be detrimental to the home’s safety if it happens to the front door. You could try checking if the strike plate is loose and has slid a little bit. If it has, a simple tightening it in the right place could do the trick! If it doesn’t, take a look at the latch and see if that’s loose, try tightening that too. If all else fails, it’s time to call a locksmith in!
The lock is frozen
Your lock might just get stuck in one place. This is called a frozen lock. This happens because like most fixtures, locks too have a shelf life. If the doors have cheaper locks installed, they will wear out a lot faster than the locks that cost a little bit more. If the locks aren’t extremely worn out, you can try squeezing a little bit of graphite directly into the keyhole to add a little bit of lubrication to the mechanism and make everything flow better. If that doesn’t fix it, it might be a good idea to replace the lock altogether.
The bolt is stuck
Just like the latch, if the dead bolt is not in the right place, it could end up messing with the lock. Take apart the lock entirely and oil it before putting it back together again. If it were a misalignment issue, this should fix it!
Since locks can be a little tricky to work with. If any of the DIYs don’t work, have a locksmith help you out. It will be a faster and much easier way to get the job done!
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