The Importance of Changing Locks When You Move House
Why Replacing Your Locks Should Be a Top Priority After Relocating
Moving House? Don’t Forget to Change Your Locks
Moving into a new home is an exciting time, marked by new beginnings and fresh opportunities. Amidst the flurry of unpacking boxes, decorating rooms, and meeting new neighbours, one crucial task often slips down the to-do list: changing the locks on your new property. While it might seem like a minor detail, replacing the locks is a vital step in ensuring your family’s safety and peace of mind.
Security Starts at the Door
When you receive the keys to your new house, you can’t be certain how many copies exist or who might still have access. Previous owners, tenants, estate agents, cleaners, or even tradespeople could have keys that open your doors. By changing the locks, you take control of your home’s security from the very start, ensuring that only those you trust have access. I have lost count of the times that workers doing long jobs like extensions or renovations, lose keys. If you hand your key over to a tradesperson for an extended period, you simply don’t know if they or one of their employees makes a copy. Always give them a key to a minor use door if possible and change the lock once they have finished the work.
Peace of Mind for Your New Chapter
There’s nothing quite like the reassurance of knowing you’re the only keyholder. Changing the locks eliminates any risk of unwanted visitors and allows you to settle into your new home with confidence. The last thing you want during your first night in a new place is uncertainty over who might be able to let themselves in unannounced. I have actually known this to happen. After six months in their new house, a couple came home to find a neighbour looking around. The neighbour explained she had a key from the previous owner and was concerned because she had been watching the new owners and they had not returned at their normal time.
Insurance and Legal Considerations
Many home insurance policies require evidence of forced entry to cover burglary claims. If a break-in occurs and the thief uses an old key, you may find yourself ineligible for compensation. By replacing the locks, you not only protect your belongings but also ensure your insurance remains valid and effective. There are also an incredible number of older properties that simply do not have insurance rated locks. It is always best to seek professional advice. Many people confuse the locking mechanism on a upvc door for a 5 lever lock as stated in insurance policies.
When Should You Change Locks?
Ideally, locks should be changed as soon as you move in – before you start bringing in valuables or spending the night. If you’re renting, check with your landlord about replacing the locks, and ensure you comply with the tenancy agreement. For homeowners, it’s a straightforward process that can often be done in a single afternoon. As a tenant, it is worth offering to pay for new locks if the landlord won’t do it. Legally, they don’t have to, but morally your landlord should change the locks for you. This is an allowable expense, so no-one loses out. If you are a home buyer and intend to have work done quite quickly, either leave the lock changing until after the work is done or ask your local locksmith if they have some 2nd hand locks that can go in temporarily before the main change further down the line.
Professional Help or DIY?
While some may feel comfortable changing locks themselves, hiring a professional locksmith guarantees the job is done correctly and to a high standard. A reputable locksmith can also advise on upgrading to more secure or modern locking systems, offering an added layer of protection against break-ins. You might want to discuss smart locks or just get some advice.
Don’t Overlook Windows and Outbuildings
It’s easy to focus on doors, but remember to check and, if necessary, change locks on windows, garages, sheds, and side gates. These entry points are just as important for your overall security. A comprehensive approach ensures no weak links in your home’s defenses. When you move in, check all windows have a lock and key and that they operate correctly. Getting everything done in one go will save the cost of repeat visits in the future.
Wndow shuts & mechanism cleaned & serviced
Final Thoughts
In the whirlwind of moving house, changing the locks might seem like a small detail, but it’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your loved ones and your possessions. By making this a priority, you’ll be able to enjoy your new home safe in the knowledge that you’re in control of who comes and goes.
After all, home is where you should always feel secure. Don’t leave it to chance—change your locks and start your new adventure the right way.
(OK, maybe not THE perfect Christmas present – but definitely something to think about!)
Practical, Thoughtful, and Full of Meaning
When it comes to choosing the perfect Christmas present, most of us find ourselves stuck between the latest gadgets, novelty jumpers, or a box of classic chocolates. But sometimes, the most memorable gifts are the ones we least expect. This year, why not consider breaking tradition and giving the gift of security, privacy, and peace of mind? Here’s why a lock could be the perfect Christmas present for your loved ones.
1. A Symbol of Security and Care
Christmas is all about showing the people in your life that you care. Gifting a lock—whether for a home, bicycle, locker, or suitcase—reflects your concern for their safety and well-being. It’s a gesture that quietly says, “I want you and your belongings to be safe,” and that’s a sentiment that will be appreciated long after the festivities are over.
2. A Practical Present They’ll Actually Use
Let’s be honest: how many presents end up collecting dust in a drawer by January? Unlike some novelty gifts, a lock is something people actually need. From safeguarding bikes on the daily commute to securing precious memories in a diary or jewellery box, a good lock is the gift that keeps on giving. With so many styles available—padlocks, smart locks, combination locks—there’s one to suit everyone’s needs.
3. Suitable for All Ages and Lifestyles
Locks are versatile gifts for all generations. Children might need a sturdy padlock for their school locker, while teenagers could use a lock for their gym bag. Adults will appreciate a reliable bike or door lock, and seasoned travellers will love a TSA-approved luggage lock. No matter the age or lifestyle, everyone has something worth protecting.
4. Encourages Good Habits
Giving a lock as a present isn’t just about the item itself—it’s about encouraging responsibility and good habits. For children and teens, it’s a gentle nudge towards looking after their possessions. For adults, it can be a timely reminder to update security, whether at home or on the move.
5. Personalisation Adds That Special Touch
Locks may seem utilitarian, but they can also be deeply personal. Many locks can be engraved with a name, a special date, or a message. Imagine the delight of receiving a padlock with a heartfelt engraving, perhaps to commemorate a special Christmas or a new home. It transforms a simple object into a keepsake.
6. Affordable Yet Meaningful
The festive season is not just about grand gestures; it’s the thought that counts. Locks are typically affordable, making them a brilliant choice for stocking fillers or Secret Santa gifts. Yet, their meaning runs deeper than their price tag, offering both practicality and sentiment in one neat package.
7. A Nod to Tradition (With a Modern Twist)
In some cultures, locks are exchanged as tokens of love and longevity—think of couples attaching padlocks to bridges as symbols of enduring affection. Gifting a lock this Christmas gives a nod to those traditions, while also embracing the latest in security technology, from fingerprint padlocks to smart door locks.
Conclusion
So, if you’re on the hunt for a Christmas present that’s practical, meaningful, and sure to be appreciated, look no further than a lock. It’s a gift that says “I care,” and offers peace of mind all year round. After all, isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
This week I have been to three properties to replace mechanisms that have cost the customers a lot of money. In all three cases, the cost could have been avoided with very easy door maintenance. Doors with multipoint locking mechanisms have various bolts, hooks and/or rollers. When they have bolts at the top and bottom going up and down, the one going down is the problem. A bolt going down means a hole in the floor for that bolt to go in to and thanks to Newton and his pesky discovery of gravity, a hole going down gets full of lots of things you don’t want, from small stones to compacted dirt over a long period of time. Taking seconds to hoover any floor holes around doors every time you vacuum your floors can potentially save you a rather large locksmith bill. If you have allowed these holes to fill, digging out any compacted grit with a screwdriver first will be a good start.
Another culprit that can cost money comes in the form of six legs. If you have wood doors with multi-point locks and no top and bottom bolts, insects have a habit of nesting behind the mechanism. Here is an image of one I removed this week.
That nest material sets rock hard and breaks the mechanism. You can usually tell if you have nesting insects by leaving the door wide open (usually outward opening doors) and watching to see if the parent swoops in or out. If they do, get someone like me to clear out the nest before it becomes a problem. If not, then regularly treat the area with (preferably Eco-friendly) repellents.
The last big problem of the summer is the heat. Plastic doors in particular (but wood doors as well), contract and warp in the heat. If your door is difficult in the morning sun, It may be OK again in the cooler evening when the sun is not shining directly on it. The parts to really watch here are hooks. If a plastic door warps, or a wooden door contracts too much, the hooks might separate too much to engage properly into the holes they go into. Trying to force them is likely to break your mechanism, When this happens you will need either a locksmith or door fitter to come along and adjust your hinges.
If you are having any issues with multi-point door mechanisms, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Common key & lock mistakes – And How To Avoid Them
It has been a while since I have produced a blog helping you to avoid needing to call out people like me. So here is a short list of common, avoidable mistakes people make that might just help you not make those same mistakes, hopefully saving you time and money.
Safe Keys
Putting override keys inside your battery operated safe: Safes are great, but if you have a key operated safe, the safe is only as good as the place you hide the key. People are quite obvious in hiding places, so digital safes are a lot better then simple key turn safes. The only problem is that digital safes have master key overrides and the safest place for these keys is in the safe itself. But if you only use your safe rarely there is a good chance you will forget about it, It gets placed in a built in cupboard, covered in clothes and out of sight, out of mind. The batteries start to die and because it is covered in clothes, you don’t hear the warning beep and pretty soon, you have a keypad that you cannot use. Thankfully, you have override keys…. But they are inside the safe. At this point, you can call a domestic locksmith who will gain access by destroying your safe and you will have to pay him for the privilege. You then have to buy a new safe. Potentially £100s because you forgot to change the batteries and left the override keys inside the safe. You can try a safe specialist to come and pick the lock, but the cost might still be £100s because safe specialists are rare (the courses and equipment are expensive) and they don’t get many calls compared to standard locksmiths.
How to avoid disaster? Firstly, take those override keys and trust a family member/good friend to look after them for you. If their house gets broken into and a burglar finds your safe keys, they have no idea what safe they open or where it is. But if they find those keys in your house, they can get into your safe. So, get those keys away from your property. Surprisingly, now your keys are not easily accessible in your safe, you will be more likely to check your batteries! But don’t rely on that. Check how long your safe manufacturer says batteries should last and halve it. Write on the calendar when to change the batteries. Use the old batteries for something else, but keep new batteries in your safe. I love Autumn and Spring because we change our clocks and this gives us a great time to do other things like regular battery changes. Have a list of other maintenance things to do like pre-winter gutter cleaning, etc, and put safe battery changes on that list. This will ensure that if you do have to call someone to open your safe, it will be because something has gone wrong rather than having to explain an expensive memory failure.
Car keys on holiday
I wish I had a sum of money for every time someone called me to say they lost their keys on the beach and the spare car key is 400 miles away on the other side of the country… Oh wait, I do! When you drive somewhere on holiday, take your spare key. When you get to your hotel/air B&B/caravan, etc leave your key somewhere safe at your destination. If you lose your car key, it will be a lot cheaper to get a bus/cab back to your holiday base than it will to call an auto locksmith to come and make a new key on the spot for you. A lot quicker too. Even when you go out on a normal day, if you have someone with you, get them to carry the spare key. If you bring the spare out and leave it in the glove box, you are making life difficult for everyone except car thieves.
Letter boxes
Sticking with cars, most cars are stolen from driveways or outside homes using the keys which have been lifted – either because the front door is left unlocked, or the thief has fished the keys through the letter box. Tools for opening locked doors via the letterbox are getting cheaper, easier to use, and ever more sophisticated. Even if you have an angled guard, there is a tool that goes around it. You might think this is a step back to your Grandma’s house, but a letter basket with closing lid, is a great way to foil the letterbox thief. Better still, seal up the letterbox, and have an external box. If you have room, get one that is big enough for parcels, We get so much delivered these days, a lockable parcel box is a great idea. At the same time, door cams record anyone approaching your door and will have images sent to your phone before they can vandalize it. But I digress..
Copy keys
If you are renting out a holiday home or have multiple carers, etc, get a locksmith to install a new lock, with all new, branded additional keys tried and tested before the lock goes in. Almost every time I get called back to job where the lock has failed, the customer shows me a key that has been copied elsewhere on some poor-quality blank. If you get keys copied and they foul up the lock, that is invalidating any guarantee the locksmith gives you, but if you are using additional keys supplied with the lock at time of installation, you are completely covered. But, if you must get copies made, make sure the original keys are the ones that get used most. I.E. let the guests use them. Yes, they might lose them (less likely if you request a deposit), but if they have poor quality keys and the lock fails and they are locked out waiting for a locksmith who destroys the lock getting in, the cost just multiplies. If you need multiple carers, please get a keysafe. It is better than having to collect keys later and ensures better keys are used.
5 lever locks
Know your terminology; there is a difference between a five lever mortice lock and a multipoint locking system. If you have a wooden door the mortice lock, (often called a ‘Chubb’ lock) is the one that should be 5 levers. If you look at the front plate, It will tell you that it is either 2, 3 5 levers and preferably will display a British Standard kite mark that tells you it has been tested against picking, drilling, sawing and most other forms of attack. If you have a door where you lift the handle and various hooks/bolts/mushrooms, etc. move, this is not a five lever lock. This is a multi-point locking system and your insurance is happy with that, which is bizarre because these systems are only as good as the locking barrel you put your key into and insurance companies are yet to wake up to how easy these can be to bypass. Again, digressing, but please talk to your local locksmith about kite-marked barrels. And if your architect/builder/designer tries to tell you these new multi-point doors without handles are a good idea, ignore them. When there is no handle, all the force of opening the door goes through the key. The leverage ratio is tiny compared doors with nice big handles, and at some point, you will snap your key in your lock.
Complacency
My last one for this blog; Just the other day, I fixed a basic lock on the top half of a stable door. It was not insurance compliant. When I challenged the customer regarding this and told him that his insurance company would not pay out if he were burgled, he replied with one I have heard often: ‘This is Norfolk. Although I know someone in the next village got burgled and lost a lot, it’s highly unlikely I will.’ So why pay for insurance at all? If you are paying for insurance, you owe it to yourself to make sure you are compliant. A second house this week is having three locks replaced after one has stopped working. I pointed out the three locks were all 3 lever and not insurance compliant, so the customer in this case, ordered new locks without delay. If you have an older house, don’t just assume the locks are up to spec. Most decent locksmiths do a free security check and, speaking for myself, when I do security checks I will tell you where advice is necessary and where advice is just personal recommendation.
This article about insurance required locks is quite good.
Should you have any questions regarding the above, please get in touch.
No, I’m not talking about locks linked to your smart speaker. As world events make everything more expensive I’m talking about ways to shop smart. I thought this as recently I upgraded the security on a home in a local new build estate. Soon, I had a neighbour asking on recommendation for the same upgrade. That turned into five properties, all occupied by people who knew each other. For me, it was multiple journeys to the same area, multiple measuring visits, multiple ordering from my supplier and multiple deliveries. Had these people clubbed together, I could have done all the work in one day. I would have measured up all the properties on the same day beforehand, thus saving myself costs that I would have passed on to the customer. Those customers could have saved themselves £50 each by clubbing together on the labour charge.
Home security is important, but like everything else, the cost is rising. So if you are thinking of upgrading your locks, putting in some CCTV or an alarm, talk to your friends, If they are local, I will happily split a labour fee between you if it means I save on massive fuel bills. I will visit both your homes (or more) for free security checks, tailor the hardware recommendations personally and then when the work is done, split the labour cost evenly between you.
What about giving security as a gift? We all know a relative that might have outdated locks, don’t we? Well, why not club together with family members and buy them a security upgrade? (It could make a nice change from pants and socks or bathroom smellies.) You would be getting them something they would be using every day for a long time to come. On my rounds, I see so many older folk struggling with doors that have floppy handles or need a ‘knack’ to make the key work. Next time you visit Mum and Dad, plan something worthwhile for their next birthday or Christmas.
And just in case you were wandering how far this locksmith will travel, I am happy to come to you in North Walsham, Aylsham, Fakenham, Cromer, Stalham, and all the places in between. I even venture into Norwich.
My security checks are always free and there is never an obligation to take up my quote. 1st homes or 2nd homes, holiday lets or commercial properties, your security is my business.
This is a piece I really should not have to write, but all too often, people call me out for reasons that could easily be avoided or they have called me out too late for an expensive repair, when avoiding the problem was possible.
Common reasons to avoid using a locksmith:
So, let’s start with cars. If you are going to lose your car keys, or lock them inside your car, the chances are, you are going to do it when your spare key is stuck back home at the opposite end of the country. I have done a fair few jobs now where people have been on holiday/visiting distant relatives/doing distance work, etc and they leave their spare car key at home rather than bring it with them to leave in their temporary accommodation. Car entry is not cheap, and it might mean you lose a half day waiting for the auto locksmith to arrive, which will put a downer on your holiday, or might mean you have to see those distant relatives for longer than you wanted, or that you lose the sale you travelled halfway across the country to get. At the same time, please remember to actually remove the spare key from your car when you arrive at your destination. If you are locked out of your vehicle, having the spare in the glove box is no help.
The next common one with cars, is not having a spare. When I am cutting keys at local boot sales, people ask me about prices and sometimes, the spare key is as nearly as much as their second hand car cost them in the first place. But why buy a car with only one key, especially when that key is on its’ last legs? A bargain vehicle only remains a bargain if you can drive it. I also get to see some very sorry looking remote fobs for cars. Cloning a remote fob before it gets to be useless can be a lot cheaper than generating a complete new key from scratch, especially with Fords that must always have two separate keys programmed when starting from new. And, as I said above, a spare is useless if you keep it in the glove compartment.
Never, never, never put your car keys down in your boot area. So many people open their boot at the supermarket, put the keys just inside the boot and then load the shopping. They then close the boot, having not unlocked the rest of the car and are now locked out, often with the spare in the glove compartment! (Have I mentioned that common mistake?) If you are approaching your car, when you unlock your boot, make it a habit to unlock the doors as well. And do not put your keys down anywhere in your vehicle. It might not be cool to hang your keys from a belt loop, but it might just save you the cost of a weekly family shop if you don’t have to call the locksmith. When in and around your car, only let go of the keys when they are in the ignition, and you are sat comfortably ready to drive.
People make just as many mistakes in the home. Children should never be given keys to play with. Besides the whole hygiene issue, they have a nasty habit of sticking keys into keyholes that they were not built for, thus breaking the key and often the lock as well. While on the subject of kids, if you have a bathroom lock that is getting a bit stiff, have it repaired or replaced before a small child locks himself/herself in and you are faced with hours of panic waiting for the locksmith to arrive. I recently went to a job where a toddler had locked himself in the bathroom and the lock disintegrated, with the broken bits obstructing the bits that needed to move. You can imagine the stress that poor child was under when I came along with my noisy drills and hammers, taking my time to ensure nothing flew open into the child’s face.
Got a night latch (Yale type latch lock)? Don’t trust the snib to hold that latch back even if you are just popping into the garden for a few minutes. Take your key. Pets and children are very good at closing doors with enough vibration to release the latch and lock you out with themselves on the inside and pans on the cooker (it can and does happen).
If you have a door with a multipoint locking system, oil it twice a year. Make it part of your routine when you change the clocks in spring and autumn. Use a good quality lubricant and squirt it everywhere you can see moving parts (lift the handles up and down with the door open to see) and then, when you hold the handles down to retract the latch, you will see a small gap the allows you squirt more lubricant into the heart of the mechanism. Give this about a five second squirt and work the handles up and down a few times to get the lubricant into those moving parts. This simple exercise can save you a very expensive visit from your locksmith.
Lubricate all other locks as well. They get full of grit. Insects make nests behind handles and in lock cavities. Regular lubrication will keep your lock clean and lasting longer.
Finally, I get a lot of calls from customers telling me their key works on one side of the lock (Chubb/mortice locks), but not the other. My first reaction is to tell them to try a different key and more often than not, that sorts out the problem. They have just managed to bend a prong on the key itself. Always check other keys before thinking your lock is broken. Not all locksmiths will give you a free solution over the phone.
If you have any questions regarding the information above, or have any other issues, please get in touch via my contacts page.
Thanks for reading.
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Firstly, let me say that I am not trying to do myself out of work, but I have attended a surprising number of jobs where I was not actually required at all. I thought I’d give you two examples – and maybe they could help others save some money:
The first was to a sliding patio door that was double glazed. Everything worked fine in the open position, but when the door was closed, the mechanism just would not lock. I immediately started looking for all sorts of things around the locking part of the door, but all seemed to be in good working order. Then I did what I should have done from the start. I stood back and looked at the whole door. The answer was obvious. My customer had an insect curtain made up of lots of thin wispy strands that hung down. A few of these wispy strands had got caught between fixed section and sliding section of the door, and were stopping it from going the last millimetre that would allow the door to lock. In just a few seconds I had everything working again, but this highlights that before calling a locksmith, a quick look at your door for any obstuctions could save you money.
The second case needs a little explaining. Among the many types of insect curtain around at the moment, are magnetic ones that magically close themselves behind you as you pass through. They are great, and can be obtained quite cheaply. At night, you simply tie them back like curtains. But, if you have a double glazed door, when you tie them back, you are moving the magnets closer to the metal keeps in the frame, and here is where danger happens. My customers had tied back their insect curtain and shut the door, not knowing one of the magnets had attached itself to the door frame. As they engaged the locking mechanism, the magnet was torn from its place in the curtain and pushed into the hole where one of the mechanism hooks slid into place. Somehow, the magnet managed to get on top of the hook, and wedged, making the door un-openable. Not knowing any of this until I found the magnet, made the job very frustrating as there was no apparent reason for the door not to work. So, if you have a magnetic insect curtain, be sure it is not stuck to the frame in any place before you lock the door.
If you have any questions about the above, or if you do run into lock problems and cannot find an obvious cause, or you simply need help with them, please do not hesitate to get in touch via any of the ways on my contacts page.
I am writing this piece in light of a recent job I attended. I travelled around 40 minutes to a job which was a problem with a double glazed door that was not locking. When I got there, I had fixed the problem before the customer finished explaining it to me. All that had happened was that a screw had come loose, and the part that the latch goes into on the door frame was at a slight angle, meaning the latch was going out all the way when the door was closed. In some upvc door mechanisms, this stops the door from locking. It took seconds to fix. Because I was sub-contracting to a national company, the customer had to pay the full cost, which with VAT was over £100.
So, I decided to put together a little check list and fix it yourself solution piece so you can save yourself some money if your mechanism goes wrong:
Fix your locks
The first thing to check is that your locking mechanism works. This is the easy bit. Open the door and lift the handles. Turn the key to lock it. If all goes smoothly, then the problem is not with the mechanism. Repeat this a few times to be sure. If it is hard to lift the handles or the key does not turn easily, look to see if there is any sign of rust or dirt build up, especially near the bottom. If so, then give it a clean, squirt some oil into every part you can and try again. If you are still having problems at this point, call a locksmith.
Supposing the mechanism is working fine, your next task is to check the door has not dropped, or warped in sunlight. With the handles pulled down, slowly close the door. You will see and feel if the door is rubbing against the frame anywhere. If it is, then it is possible that you can adjust the door. Most modern upvc door have hinges that can be adjusted. Look for small plastic caps on the hinges. If you remove these, they should reveal a place to insert an allen key. Turn the key one half turn in one direction with the door open. You should see door move one way or the other slightly. Try to close the door. If it catches more, turn the allen key back to its original position and then another half turn the other way. This should make it easier. Repeat this process until the door closes without rubbing against the door frame. Remember, if you are moving the bottom of the door one way, you may need to move the top of the door the other way to make it straight. And only do half turns each time. This can be a tricky process, so unless you feel confident, call a locksmith to do this for you. On older upvc doors that are pinned through the hinges, you might notice that the hinges are bent. This is a job for the professional – possibly a upvc repair engineer would be your best bet, although some locksmiths do undertake this work as well.
So now we have a door that closes without catching on the frame, but still will not lock. In most cases, there is something to adjust. If the door has sliding rollers, you will see they have slots for allen keys. You can rotate these to make a slight difference. Only turn a quarter turn before testing to see if it makes a difference and do this for the complete circle to find out which position is best.
For hooks, bolts and latches, the adjustment is with the keeps on the door frame itself. There is usually something you can turn with either a screw driver or allen to help the moving part of the mechanism fit better. Here it is trial and error until you get the feel of what helps where.
If the door is still not locking after you have fiddled and adjusted, always taking note of original positions, it might be time to get creative. This is the point where you need to remove the keeps from the door frame, one by one to see which one is causing the problem. Every time you take one off, try the door until it locks. If your luck is like mine sometimes, you will them all off before you find the culprit. Replacing the offending keep a few millimetres lower usually solves the problem. Put the remaining keeps back one at a time and test the door with each replacement just in case one or more of the others is also causing a problem.
If none of these measures rectifies your problem, or you are not comfortable with carrying out the tasks, then call your local locksmith. There are still things that could potentially be causing the problem, but hopefully by the time you get to this, you will know you have done all you can to save yourself paying out money needlessly.
If you have any questions regarding the above, please get in touch via any of the methods on my contacts page.
Most of us pay little attention to our locks until they go wrong, or need upgrading. Yet besides our mobile phones, they are one of our most used items. When you stop to think about how much abuse we put our locks and doors through, it’s a wonder they last as long as they do. Many of us have locks and doors that are barely holding together and the first we know about it, is when they fail completely and we are left locked out.
The industry recommends that we change our locks every five years, but that can be very expensive, so servicing is important to keep your locks running in tip-top condition. Here is a rundown of the various problems that can arise;
The common enemy of all locks and doors is the weather. Rain holds in wooden doors and causes rusting to metal parts. Nearer the coast, sand and grit finds its way into locks and locking mechanisms. The worst affected of all are wooden doors with multi-point locking mechanisms. I often find these with severe rust at the bottom, especially when there is a bolt that can sit in a mini pool of water. I have had more cases of this than I can remember, and most times the mechanism finally sticks fast in the locked position, leading to many problems in trying to get the door open without damage. Simple maintenance can prevent high repair costs if dealt with properly.
Night Latches (Yale Locks), are quite prone to internal wear. The big problem with these is that some of the more complex ones can be difficult to remove from the door, and even harder to re-affix. Cheaper versions of these locks are prone to spring failures and loose latch buttons are my most common reason for emergency call outs, especially with holiday homes. If you own a holiday home, maintenance is a tax recoverable cost, so you have no reason to not have your locks serviced, preferably at the beginning and end of the high season. Not only is this good practice, it reduces the chances of your customers having part of their holiday ruined having to wait for a locksmith to arrive and then carry out the work required.
Mortice locks (Chubb) have a whole host of potential problems, most caused by bad initial installation. If the lock keep is not placed correctly within the door frame, or the door swells, moving the lock position, then undue pressure required to turn the key, starts to wear the locking levers inside the lock, or if you are using cheaper copy keys, these can wear too. All of this eventually leads to a case of the lock seizing, usually in the locked position with you on the outside, desperate to get in. This often means the lock needs to be drilled to gain access, leaving unsightly holes in your door.
Another problem that occurs is when locks are replaced, a different brand is used. If the new lock is slightly too wide for the hole it is going into, the lock gets a bit squashed, which causes uneven working of the inner parts, and eventually, seizure. If the new lock is too thin for the hole, the screws that hold the lock together can loosen and the lever springs can escape through the gap as the lock separates. If there is any sign of stiff operation with these locks, they should be checked out immediately, including instances where the door must be pushed/pulled to ensure the lock operates and especially those instances where you have to have a special knack of operation. An example of this came to light for me recently when a customer told me he could only unlock his door by apply pressure up and to the left when rotating the key. We worked out this was the case with certain copy keys that had ben copied badly and that the originals worked fine.
The cylinders of multi-point locks can only be treated with a little oil squirted into the keyway, but the mechanisms themselves need much more. There are various points that can be tweaked and adjusted to ensure these things run smoothly. Remember, the handles should lift and the key should turn nearly as easily in the closed position as it does in the open position. As the problem can build over time, many people don’t realise they are using extra force to lift the handles unless they try the door open as well as closed. French doors and over sized doors are particularly prone to dropping.
Aluminium doors are a completely different problem. Nearly always the mechanism is sealed within the door itself and, at best, difficult to get into. If you have an aluminium door and are experiencing problems of any kind, you will need to look for a double glazing repair specialist who deals with metal doors. Be prepared for the possible cost of full door replacement as parts are often obsolete. I have had occasions where people have not even realised their doors are aluminium, you probably know whether your door is aluminium, but I will just give a couple of indicators just in case: Aluminium doors tend to be silver or black and often are built into a dark wood surround, whereas upvc doors are usually white or brown and do not have a wood surround. Hardly any new doors are aluminium (although there are still some manufacturers) so if the double glazed units in your home are aluminium, and they were fitted before you took possession, remember they are probably old and might need looking at.
Rim Locks are the locks that bolt on to the inside of doors and have very long keys, as those keys need to pass all the way through the door form the outside and then into the lock. The door knob is to one side of the key hole rather than above it. These locks are designed for internal use, but I do see many of them on front/back doors so I think they deserve a mention. Firstly, these are not insurance standard locks, so if your does not have another type of lock in addition to one of these, you are not covered by insurance. Besides that, these are vary basic locks, often easy to open with a standard key available to anyone else who has bought one of these locks. The internal parts of these locks are also easy to bend out of shape, but seem to break keys before they ever bend back again. It is much better to invest in a better standard of lock if you have one these.
As we have just come out of winter, now is the best time to check your locks. Lock servicing programmes are available on a tailor made basis to suit your needs. Please call to discuss your personal requirements. You can find my number on the contacts page of this web site.
