4 Things That Can Damage Your Door Lock - and How to Stop Them
People don't often think about how their actions and habits affects the lifespan of their door locks, until the door lock breaks and they're left locked outside. However, there are several things that can damage your lock, and they can be combatted very easily if you make sensible choices and perform minimal maintenance work. Here are four things that will cause damage and four ways to prevent that damage from occurring.
1. Rust
If water find its way into your lock, then it's possible for rust to develop inside. This is far more likely to occur if you live near the coast since the sea air contains salt. If this is the case, or if your lock is unsheltered from the rain, make sure you spray oil in every six months or so to ensure that no rust can develop. This sometimes means removing the handle and doorplate to ensure that you can reach all the lock's moving parts.
2. Dirt and Grime
Most people don't take very good care of their keys; after all, keys are strong and unlikely to break. However, they can pick up dust and grime during their time at the bottom of your pocket or bag, and that dirt and grime can come off when you put the key into the lock. This can cause a build-up over time that will disrupt the locking mechanism, so make sure you wipe any dirt off your key before you put it in the lock.
3. Lack of Lubrication
If you want to keep your lock well maintained, you need to make sure that it is well lubricated. Though you won't often think about them, the locking mechanism contains numerous moving parts. When these are forced to move against each other without any lubrication, damage will often occur. Simply spray in a lubricant recommended by your lock's manufacturer once every year or so to make sure things don't dry up inside.
4. Worn or Inexact Duplicate Keys
When you put in a new lock, you'll probably be given two new keys. Make sure you keep one of them safe and unused to make duplicates from. If you don't, any future duplicates will need to be made from a key that has already been worn down through repeated use. You'll think you've got a new key, but what you'll actually have is a copy of a worn one. Over time, using worn down keys can start to damage the lock itself.
For more information on this topic, contact a mobile locksmith.
