Our safety (and the safety of our homes and families) is more important than anything in the world. This is the exact reason why most of the people out there would happily invest in good, sturdy doors and locksets.
Even so, locksets are mechanical “devices” and they can wear, tear and break as well. When that happens, calling in a professional locksmith is the best thing to do. And yet, before you do that, there are certain repairs you can try on your own in a safe and reliable way. Here are some of the most important ones:
1) Powdered graphite works as a lubricant for locksets. Sometimes, debris and dirt can gather up on the keyhole and you simply need to lubricate the area a bit to be able to use your door safely again. Simply spray a bit of powdered graphite unto the key and insert it into the keyhole. If it doesn’t work at first, jiggle it slightly until the cylinder opens.
2) If you have a door lock that is not attached to a door and that has been rusted shut, the simplest way to deal with the problem is by sinking the door lock into kerosene for about 24 hours.
3) If you feel that your lock has grown “stubborn”, you can widen the slot that’s on the inside of the strike plate by shaving off some of the metal around the rim. Try it once or twice, test it out and repeat as many times as needed to make sure that the lock is not stubborn any longer. The same technique can be used if the locks are misaligned as well.
4) If your key has broken into the lock, you can use a key extractor and some lubricant to pull it out. Also, if you want to make sure that everything is done the right way, you can always call in a professional locksmith. With good training and years of experience behind him, he will definitely know how to help you in a speedy and secure way.