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One of the most common problems we face in our day-to-day life is getting stuck with a door lock that won’t open. It can be pretty frustrating, especially when you’re running late for work or being locked out of your house. However, there’s no need to panic; several ways enable you to open a jammed door and end this issue.
In this article, we’ll go through various methods that can enable anyone to fix their jammed door lock from the outside while avoiding damage to the hardware.
What Causes a Door Lock or Latch To Get Stuck?
Before diving into ways of opening a stuck door lock, let’s know what causes them in the first place. The following are some reasons that could cause you trouble with getting your door open:
- Swollen Door: Moisture due to weather changes could swell up wooden doors or one with weak hinges, causing them not to close correctly and get stuck.
- Faulty Door Hardware: If the hinges, door knobs, or latch mechanism has been under excessive strain previously or damaged by overuse, this might cause it not to function well, resulting in difficulty closing or opening.
- Broken Key: A broken key might be sticking in your lock. Furthermore, Ridges on keys might wear down over time, making it difficult for them to glide on smoothly inside locks.
- Lock Issues: Just like any other device around us, the lock also deteriorates over time, causing their proper functioning sometimes to be difficult such as clogged up cylinders.
The Reasons mentioned above can all cause the locks and latches indoors not to work well, resulting in difficulties when trying to enter, usually locking one outside. If you ever happen to find yourself at crossroads, here are some ways how you can fix them and open the door handle to unlock the door and the frame, including the interior door mechanism.
Steps on How You Can Open or Fix Your Jammed Door Locks
There are various ways to fix a stuck door lock or latch, including picking the lock, using a lubricant, checking your key’s condition, and even replacing the damaged locks. Here are some effective ways that can help you unlock a door lock that is jammed when you try to open it:
1. Try Lubricating The Key And Keyhole.
If you find yourself pressing down or pulling hard on the doorknob while turning your key and are unable to get inside – this method might be all you need to get the door functioning correctly again.
Apply a small amount of graphite powder or any other recommended lubricant for locks into your locks keyhole, ensuring no excess spills out; then insert your key and turn it around twice.
Doing so will allow lubrication around your lock and key, causing friction within it to ebb away, enabling easy movement of its internal parts.
2. Use Your Key In A Different Way
Locks often get jammed when something keeps them from aligning well with their respective frames. In most cases, when an item is stuck or lodged between the door edge and lock assembly, stopping it from moving into position correctly reflects how it sometimes opens up but gets jammed in others. In such and other similar cases, the use of the key alone won’t be enough.
You can try pressing a bit harder on the door’s edge when turning your key, thereby providing that necessary little extra push that might put everything into place with ease.
3. Pick The Lock
Picking locks might get misinterpreted as something only done by professional locksmiths or burglars intending malice.
However, recent times have seen it become a necessary home skill since doors continue to get stuck; picking locks with an improvised tool such as a paperclip has become an essential lifesaver for many.
To do so, straighten out the paper clip into a long wire-like shape and insert one end into the lock, then jiggle around while applying light pressure until you feel and hear clicks inside indicating bolts moving.
4. Check The Door Hinges
Often, when we are unable to get our doors to open and close correctly, this is due to faults in hinges that no longer align well with our door’s frame.
Perform inspection along the room between the lock and locking mechanism channels together with those hinges’ positionings. Keeping them adjusted appropriately should enable smooth movement for your door lock opening again.
5. Test The Door Latch
Assuming all else fails, it could be a problem with the latching mechanism itself; thus worth checking if it works well by inspecting its functionality and observing how far open it allows your door without manually pushing opening further upon attempting to open at its usual turn style.
6. Replace A Door Latch Mechanism
If attempts at lubricating keys or adjusting hinges fail results from prolonged use of specific latch mechanisms, fault line sliding bolts being overstressed, causing excessive internal wear, rendering ineffective regardless of fixes attempted over time.
Replacing these locks usually involves having them changed entirely with an alternative one, fresh and in good condition, ensuring successful operation again and enabling easy access through your locked doors.
Additional Tips to Fix a Door or Open a Jammed Door
- Tighten any loose screws around the door frame using a screwdriver.
- Try tapping on it with a small hammer while turning your key gently.
- Push hard enough against the top of the lock bolt mechanism while sliding the card downwards along its length slowly.
- Sometimes keys get worn out: turn them in different ways and apply pressure upwards.
- Some locks can have sticking return springs; try turning your key in the opposite direction to remedy this issue.
Tip to Prevent Stuck Door Latch
- Avoid using excessive force opening as it usually causes further damage to a door’s locking system and may also cause harm to the door itself.
- Use the correct tools when trying to fix your stuck door lock or latch. The wrong tools can break locks, latching mechanisms, and hinges, causing additional repair requirements and unnecessary inconvenience resulting in higher maintenance costs.
- If you’re unsure of what’s causing your stuck lock issues, it’s reasonable not forcing any movements without professional assistance; always seek advice from experts or at least research well before attempting repairs yourself.
Conclusion
Opening a Jammed Door Lock requires careful assessment of the door and lock mechanism to identify where the issue comes from before taking necessary action accordingly.
Using force alone on locked doors only worsens situations requiring the proper application of the techniques mentioned above, as well as observation skills are crucial in addressing such problems effortlessly.
Applying lubricants, checking hinges position setting correctly, or picking locks yourself might seem daunting tasks for some people, but always consult professional locksmiths if unsure of how to correct issues yourselves.
