In this blog entry, the expert Chicago lock repair and Chicago lock maintenance team here at Chicago Locksmiths will detail some crucial tips to help your door lock last longer.
Lock Longevity Tips
- Regularly Clean Locks– Door locks experience constant accumulation of dirt, dust, or other sticky or grimy substances. If you never clean your locks, this can cause locks to stick or jam shut. Grease the lock’s keyway with the proper kind of graphite spray lubrication, and wipe off excess lubricant and the rest of the lock body with a clean soft cloth.
- Careful Lock Handling – Don’t use a ton of force when you open and close your locks. This can cause locks to malfunction and rapidly wear down. This can also happen when doors are jammed shut. The best locks simply need a minor pressure of turning the key to operate. Don’t lock the deadbolt or latch to prevent the door from slamming closed on the exposed deadbolt.
- Lock Interior Lubrication– DOn’t use petroleum based oil to lubricate your lock. This can damage it by gumming shut. Just add a tiny amount of graphite lubricant inside the lock and roll the key in and out of it to remove any blocked in dirt.
- Don’t Slam Doors– Constantly slamming the door behind you will weaken your door hinges and move it out of its frame. Make a rule of never slamming your doors in order to maintain the longevity of your lock.
Key Duplication– We recommend that you make lots of duplicate copies of your keys as soon as you receive an original set. When your keys are wearing down, use a replacement, as using worn out keys can damage the lock mechanism or cause the key to break off inside the lock. Just make sure to make a few copies of the original key, as copies of copies can often magnify subtle degradations and differences, creating worse or even unusable keys after a while.
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