Avoiding Problems With Your Building's Locks
For anyone that owns a building, the locks that are on the doors will be critical for securing the premises. Whether this is to simply keep unwanted people out or to protect valuables inside the building, the locks can play a critical, but often overlooked role.
How Does Keeping The Lock Clean Protect Its Performance?
Cleaning the locks on a regular basis will be a chore that is often neglected. While it is easy to fail to see the benefits that cleaning the locks can provide, this is due to the problems that excessive dirt can cause. For example, the dirt can get inside the interior of the lock. When this occurs, it will be able to prevent the mechanical components from working correctly. In some cases, it can completely prevent the lock from turning. As you are cleaning the lock, it is important to use a wiping motion that moves dirt away from the key opening. Otherwise, you could inadvertently force more dirt into the interior of the lock.
Does It Matter If The Key Is Partially Warped?
Unfortunately, it can be possible for a key to become damaged, and one of the most common types of damage will be the key suffering warping or breaking. When a key warps, individuals should be extremely hesitant to continue using it. It can be possible for the warped key to damage the interior of the lock due to it putting intense pressure on the mechanical components. If your keys are warped or otherwise bent, you should have them replaced as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will only be a matter of time before your lock suffers a major failure as a result of this problem.
Can You Force A Broken Key Out Of The Lock?
A key that has broken into the lock can be another serious problem to encounter, as it can prevent you from being able to use the lock in any way. Attempting to force the key to come out of the lock can be a common and serious mistake to make, as it will severely damage the internal components of the system. Additionally, it can be exceedingly difficult to get a good enough grip on the broken part of the key to actually pull it out of the lock. A professional locksmith will be able to more easily accomplish this, as they can use powerful magnets that will be able to pull the broken key out of the lock.
For more information and help, contact a local locksmith from a company like The Lock Shop.