Helpful Tidbits From Locksmiths

If you have ever locked yourself out of your home or car, your first thought was probably that you should call a locksmith. Locksmiths are extremely handy in these kinds of situations, but many people are unclear on exactly what they can do. In addition, there are other helpful tips that locksmiths can provide that can get you out of some difficult situations.

Locksmiths Make Locks

You may be interested to find out that the primary task of a locksmith is to make locks, not to unlock them without keys. While few will ever need to have a lock custom made, nearly everyone will need help getting into their locked home or car at some point, and that is probably why there is a misconception that all a locksmith does is open doors for people. However, the fact that locksmiths actually make locks is interesting because it means they are very knowledgeable when it comes to all kinds of problems with locks.

How to Handle Troubled Locks

Although the primary reason that most people call locksmiths is to help when they have lost their keys, there are also other common issues that they can help with. For instance, if you are having trouble inserting and withdrawing your key from the lock, it may be a struggle to get into your home or car. This is a problem that can be rectified rather easily, however. Spray the lock with a penetrating oil such as WD-40, insert the key, and then rotate the key a few times. It may be helpful also to spray some of the oil onto the bolt portion of the lock. This simply helps to remove dust and grime that may be making it difficult to insert your key or to turn the lock.

If you are having issues with your lock not operating smoothly, you can also try the above method. However, if that does not work, there are other things you can look into. Most often, if the above solution for fixing this problem does not work, the lock is not actually the problem. Instead, the alignment of the lock is usually what is causing the problem. There is not usually an easy fix for this problem, however, as the issue is really about whether the door and the doorframe are aligning properly. You may find that certain seasons will make it more difficult to lock your doors. Humidity can cause doors to expand, while dry weather will cause them to contract. In short, it is inevitable that your door will have issues aligning at some point. It may be possible to reposition the lock on the door to help it to align better, but just keep in mind that you may need to readjust this again when the weather changes.

Do you have to wiggle your keys around to get your door to unlock? This is another common problem, and it is something that will happen to all locks over time. Normal use will eventually cause this problem, as the pins within the lock wear down after many uses. It is also possible, but less likely that the key has been worn down, preventing a proper fit. If you are experiencing this problem, you may need a new lock and key set. If you need help with this or any of the other problems mentioned, locksmiths Brisbane call certainly assist.