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Is your mortice lock sticking? If you have a mortice lock or sash lock that works hard when trying to secure the door, it’s about time to take action and get in touch.
Is your mortice lock sticking? If you have a mortice lock or sash lock that works hard when trying to secure the door, it’s about time to take action and get in touch. Clapham Locksmith London is prepared to help you with this matter 24/7.
Even if your door locks have worked fine for all these past years, sometimes a lock will stop working all of a sudden. So, you can consider calling us when our services become useful and ready to be provided promptly.
Reach out now to Clapham Locksmith London, and we will be there in about 20 – 30 minutes.
Door locks, although recognised to be long-lasting, sometimes even a high-security lock or a mortise lock can get stuck. This could happen due to several lock problems that periodically need attention. So, you need to make sure that the correct key is properly turning in the mortice lock and that the locks are not worn out or damaged.
Therefore, you have to check if there is nothing between the door and the frame and nothing is in the mortice lock case when closing it. Check if the lock and the striking plate are properly aligned. Misalignment, especially in a wooden door case, could appear in time caused by wood swelling or even nature itself, such as gravity.
Reach out now! We will assist you with any locksmith emergency. Also, we can schedule same-day appointments 24/7. So, don’t hesitate and reach out by phone at any time. For any extra details, don’t hesitate to email us. Contact us now!
If you need a locksmith in SW4, you can contact us by phone or email at any time. Kindly provide us with your complete address, postcode, and preferred time of arrival for a locksmith. Because of this, our receptionist will be able to contact the locksmith quickly. He will locate you as quickly as possible and begin to assist you immediately.
We’ll let you know when the locksmith can arrive at your location. For local calls, we can start the jobs in Clapham in about 15 to 30 minutes. So, call now and speak with our helpful receptionist. Shortly, the locksmith will get in touch with you to confirm the exact time.
Many do not even pay attention to their mortice locks as the locks have been there for ages and worked properly until one point. This is a common problem with poorly maintained older door locks.
If a mortice locks or a sash lock is stuck in a locked position, it could cause frustration, especially when time is not on your side, but understanding the potential causes can help you avoid or fix this common occurrence.
Over time, dirt, dust and grime can accumulate within the internal parts of the lock, and that could cause the locks to stick. We, Clapham Locksmith, encourage our customers to regularly clean their mortice locks and sash locks to prevent misalignment or door sagging affecting the door alignment, but at the same time, we do not encourage oiling, greasing or spraying the locks.
Hinges could be a hard-to-detect problem when it comes to a stuck mortice lock (deadlock or bolt lock) as the problem comes from the opposite direction and ususually from the screws. However, the hinges may be old, screws from hinges weakened and that may cause a door sag. That leads to a front door lock being stiff and not only puts pressure on the lock’s bolt but may cause a situation where you can’t turn the bolt, thus not being able to secure the property.
A misaligned door frame that could occur from different causes prevents the lock case from engaging properly with the strike plate (mortice lock bolt receiver), making it difficult to keep the door open or closed properly. This could lead to a lock sticking.
To avoid this issue, you have to make sure that the door is properly aligned. Clapham Locksmith London encourages you not to force the key into the sash lock or mortice lock or try to force the bolt from the lock case. We know it’s temptimp to think that you could get used to a slightly harder key-turn, relying on the fact that the locks are old and that it’s something normal.
Make sure that key is the correct key and turns smoothly into the mortice lock. If you feel the need to turn the key hard and force the brass bolt to engage with the strike plate, Clapham Locksmith London urges you to call a specialist to prevent damage to the internal lock case mechanism and levers.
We would recommend you to not oil a stiff lock nor the key! A poorly cut key that makes half a turn is already a red flag that you should stop and call a specialist. New keys may make sense in this case, but it may be too late.
It may not be the case or not occur that often as previously described situations, but the metal components of the lock have contracting and expanding properties that may lead to stiff door lock usage. Try to keep the lock dry and in normal conditions.
When it comes to sash-lock, the type of mortice lock that has a bolt and a latch, a worn-out latch may be the cause of the sticking lock. The causes could be multiple, but one of the most common reasons is the latch spring that lost its elasticity caused by slamming the door; that by itself wouldn’t be a major problem, but that could lead to the damage of the internal mechanism of the latch. Clapham Locksmith London would recommend that you avoid that type of behaviour.
Assuming that any cheap lock that looks the same as any Mortice lock could be misleading. The mortice locks are meant to look the same due to the universally accepted measurements made into the door and insurance purposes that have to receive those locks as replacements.
Internal parts of some front door locks, although new locks are made from weak metal material.
Levers from those locks could be easily banded by a stronger move and, shortly after replacement, become a stiff lock.
Keys of the cheap locks could also be a problem as could be weak and easily break or dent their pattern
without even introducing the key into the lock, causing severe lock problems.
You can simply fix these problems by replacing the old or cheap lock with a new lock.
Ensuring that your lock is reliable and long-lasting helps you to avoid unpleasant situations like locked in or locked out. Clapham Locksmith can properly make sure that you have the right 5 lever mortice (for insurance purposes)or lock installed on your door, preventing unpleasant situations from happening.
Having presented these situations, Clapham Locksmith London offers advice for residents to not force their locks before messing with any of the above causes.
If you feel that fixing or changing the old lock with a new lock is beyond your capacity, but the door lock still works, although harder than before, we give you the advice to give to use our emergency line.
We are local and prepared to help anytime. In any given circumstance, we can send a specialist or security adviser in a bit to your doorstep to gauge the state of your mortice locks or any other type of door locks, thus preventing a future lock failure that may get you in trouble.
Remove the handle by unscrewing the handles, then remove the spindle. Make sure that all removed parts are kept together in the same place so can easily be found when fitting back the sash lock.
Unscrew the face plate of the sash lock and gently remove the lock from the door. Do not force the lock to come out by sticking the screwdriver, chisels or any sharp metal objects into the lock or at the lock level with the door, therefore avoiding damage to he door.
Once the lock is removed, check its condition, then gently and carefully remove the cover.
This job requires patience; once the cover is removed, check the interior sash lock levers and the brass bolt condition. Make sure that the levers are properly aligned and the latch’s spring is in good shape.
When everything in place, be careful when screw back the cover plate then repeat the process backwards. Before fitting the sash lock back on your door, make sure that he key turns into the lock, the bolt comes out easily, and the lock is not stuck. Turn the key in the locks several times and try to lock and unlock the internal mechanism; the movement should be a smooth one.
Check the gap between the door and the frame on the hinge side. Of the gap is not uniform, the cause may be a loose hinge or a hinge with weak screws. Remove the hinge in cause and replace the screws with new ones. Make sure that the gap between all hinges this time is the same.
These are common lock problems that are not coming from the lock itself but from the wooden door. This is an easy “do it by yourself” job that requires just a screwdriver, two screws and rarely an angle grinder.
Claphamm Locksmith London advises you to check the edge of the door even if the door is not a wooden door but a sliding one. In this case, be careful when checking the movement and ask for a locksmith to assist you if you don’t know how to approach this issue.
Check that the edge of the door is hanging correctly and the hinge pins are not loose. This may cause the door to drop slightly and misalign with the strike plate of the mortice lock.
Lock and unlock the door several times to detect causes that may prevent the door from closing properly (probably the wooden threshold).
If you don’t have the time or resources to carry out this job by yourself, Clapham Locksmith can quickly deploy a security specialist to help you fix this matter. We are local, and this is part of our expertise.
Clapham Locksmith London can help you to prevent mortice locks from sticking. Here are some useful tips you can follow:
A simple maintenance by cleaning your mortice lock from dirt, grime or grease can go a long way in ensuring a smooth operation.
Having regular checkups on your door alignment prevents the door from sagging and putting pressure on the bolt.
Make sure that you use the correct key and that the key pattern is not damaged. By checking the key before introducing it into the lock, you take a step forward in avoiding a key stuck into the lock.
By replacing the damaged or worn-out components of your mortice lock or sash lock, not only do you prevent a sudden failure of the lock, but you also improve the lock’s performance
Consider upgrading your lock while the old lock is still working. New lock models come with enhanced security features and durability. In this case, you avoid a lock sticking or a lock jamming.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your mortice lock remains in good working condition, providing reliable security for your home.