A stiff lock is worth checking before the key breaks

One customer had become used to his lock gradually getting stiffer. The key eventually snapped. When I examined the lock, I found water ingress and corrosion inside it.

I extracted the broken piece, dismantled the lock, freed the mechanism and applied fresh grease. He kept the existing lock and keys, and the job cost £65. Read the snapped-key account.

That was a repair to one particular lock. It doesn’t mean grease is the right treatment for every lock, or that water causes every failure.

Tell me if the key has been getting gradually stiffer, if the handle feels different, or if the door has started catching. A door that’s out of line can make its locking parts harder to operate. A worn key or internal part can also create resistance.

Don’t force the key to overcome it. If the door is still usable, arrange a planned check. If it will no longer open or lock, ring me and explain whether you are inside and whether the property is secure.

Care advice depends on the lock’s type, age and manufacturer instructions. Don’t assume the product used on one mechanism belongs inside every cylinder. I can discuss suitable care after identifying what is fitted and what is causing the problem.

There isn’t one annual treatment I recommend for every door, and a security rating doesn’t make a lock immune to faults. If it has frozen, read the frozen-lock guidance before trying to free it.

Call Brett on 07456 807068. I cover Stoke and the Moorlands from Forsbrook and agree the work and cost before starting.