Sticking Deadbolt: What Causes It and When to Call a Locksmith
A deadbolt should operate smoothly. You shouldn't have to jiggle the key, pull on the door, lift the handle, or force the thumbturn just to lock your home.
When a deadbolt begins sticking, the lock itself may be worn—but very often something else is causing the problem.
At B-SAFE Lock & Key, we repair and service residential locks throughout Minneapolis and the Twin Cities. Sticking deadbolts are a common problem, especially on older homes and exterior doors exposed to Minnesota's changing temperatures and humidity.
The important thing is determining whether the problem is the key, lock cylinder, deadbolt, strike plate,
hinges, door alignment, or frame before replacing parts that may still be perfectly good.
Does the Deadbolt Work With the Door Open
This is one simple test a homeowner can perform without taking anything apart.
Open the door and operate the deadbolt several times using both the key and the inside thumbturn.
If the deadbolt operates smoothly while the door is open but becomes difficult when the door is closed, there's a good chance the problem involves door or strike alignment rather than the lock itself.
The bolt may be rubbing against the strike plate or not lining up correctly with the opening in the frame.
If the deadbolt remains difficult to operate with the door open, the problem may involve the key, cylinder, internal deadbolt mechanism, mounting, or worn components.
Either way, repeatedly forcing the lock usually makes matters worse.
A Door That Has Moved Can Make a Good Deadbolt Stick
A deadbolt is designed to extend directly into the strike opening in the door frame.
If the door has sagged even slightly, the bolt may begin hitting the top, bottom, or side of the strike plate.
You may notice that the deadbolt works if you push against the door, pull it toward you, or lift slightly on the door while turning the key.
Those are good indications that something has moved.
Loose hinges, worn hinge screws, changes in weatherstripping, movement in the frame, or normal settling of the building can all affect alignment.
This is particularly common on older Minneapolis and Twin Cities homes where doors and frames may have been in service for many decades.
At B-SAFE Lock & Key, we look at the entire door opening when diagnosing these problems. Replacing a perfectly good deadbolt won't solve much if the new bolt immediately hits the same misaligned strike.
Minnesota Weather Can Affect Your Locks
Minnesota gives exterior doors a workout.
Summer humidity, subzero winter temperatures, snow, ice, moisture, and large seasonal temperature changes can all affect how a door fits in its frame.
Wood doors can expand and contract. Weatherstripping can change how tightly a door closes. Hinges can loosen over time. Frames and surrounding building materials can move enough to affect lock alignment.
A deadbolt that worked perfectly six months ago may suddenly begin rubbing against the strike.
This doesn't necessarily mean the lock has failed.
If your deadbolt seems to stick during particular seasons, the door and frame should be considered along with the lock itself.
Your House Key May Be Worn Out
Sometimes the problem is sitting right on your key ring.
House keys gradually wear from years of being inserted into locks. The cuts can become rounded, the key can bend slightly, and a heavily worn key may stop positioning the pins inside the lock as accurately as it once did.
If you have another properly cut key, compare how each one operates the deadbolt.
If one works smoothly and the other requires jiggling or force, the worn key may be the problem.
Be especially careful with a key that is bent or cracked. If it feels like it may break, stop using it. Removing a broken key from a lock is considerably more trouble than replacing a worn key before it snaps.
B-SAFE provides residential key cutting and lock service for many of the common locks found on Twin Cities homes.
Common Residential Deadbolt Brands
Most homeowners aren't using exotic high-security locks on every entrance. They're using the familiar residential brands that have been installed on American homes for years.
B-SAFE Lock & Key services, repairs, rekeys, and replaces many common residential lock brands, including Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, Defiant, and Weiser.
Older homes may also have older Corbin, Russwin, Yale, Schlage, and other hardware that has remained in service for decades.
A sticking Kwikset deadbolt doesn't automatically need to be replaced.
Neither does a difficult-to-turn Schlage deadbolt, an older Weiser lock, a Yale deadbolt, or a Defiant lock that has started giving you trouble.
Depending on the condition of the hardware, the solution may involve the key, cylinder, door alignment, strike, mounting, adjustment, rekeying, repair, or replacement.
That's why B-SAFE prefers to determine what is actually wrong before recommending new hardware.
What About High-Security Locks?
Some homes and residential properties use higher-security or restricted key systems.
B-SAFE also works with systems such as Medeco, ASSA, and Schlage Primus, as well as a variety of commercial-grade lock cylinders and hardware.
These systems can provide additional key control and security where appropriate, but a homeowner doesn't automatically need a high-security lock just because an ordinary deadbolt is sticking.
For most residential service calls, the first priority is getting the existing door and lock operating properly and then discussing upgrades if the homeowner actually wants or needs them.
Loose Hardware Can Cause Problems
Deadbolts are mounted through the door with screws that hold the exterior and interior portions of the lock together.
Over time, those screws can loosen.
If the lock moves around on the door or the thumbturn feels loose, the mounting hardware may need attention.
However, simply tightening everything as hard as possible isn't the answer. Overtightening some locks can bind the mechanism and make operation worse.
If the deadbolt becomes more difficult to operate after tightening or adjusting the hardware, stop before damaging the lock.
That's a good point to have B-SAFE inspect it.
Be Careful What You Spray Into a Lock
When a lock starts sticking, one of the first instincts is to grab whatever lubricant happens to be sitting in the garage.
That's not always a good idea.
Different lock manufacturers may have different lubrication recommendations, and heavy oils or inappropriate lubricants can collect dirt and debris inside the cylinder.
A small amount of the proper lock lubricant can sometimes improve a dry or dirty cylinder. But if a lock requires repeated lubrication to operate, there may be wear or another mechanical problem that lubricant isn't going to fix.
Lubricant should help a serviceable lock operate properly. It shouldn't be used to hide a failing lock.
When Rekeying Makes More Sense Than Replacement
A sticking deadbolt and a key-control problem are two different issues, but they sometimes occur at the same time.
If you've recently purchased a home, lost a house key, changed tenants, or simply don't know who may have copies of your keys, rekeying may make sense while the locks are being serviced.
Rekeying changes the internal combination of a compatible lock so the old keys no longer operate it.
If the existing Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, Weiser, or other hardware is in good condition, you may be able to retain the locks rather than purchasing completely new hardware.
B-SAFE provides residential rekeying throughout Minneapolis and surrounding Twin Cities communities, and compatible locks can often be keyed alike so one key operates multiple doors.
When Should a Deadbolt Be Replaced
Quality hardware can often be repaired or adjusted, but locks don't last forever.
Replacement may make sense when the deadbolt is badly worn, physically damaged, unreliable, corroded, missing components, or no longer appropriate for the door.
A homeowner may also choose replacement when upgrading to a keypad deadbolt, electronic lock, smart lock, or higher-security locking system.
If you're replacing an older lock, don't focus only on what fits into the existing hole. The door thickness, backset, strike, frame condition, door alignment, and existing preparation all matter.
A new lock installed on a poorly functioning door can quickly develop the same symptoms as the old one.
When to Call a Locksmith for a Sticking Deadbolt
There are a few things a homeowner can reasonably check, but you shouldn't have to become a locksmith to get your front door working.
It's time to call for professional service when:
The key is becoming increasingly difficult to turn
The key feels like it may break
The deadbolt won't fully extend or retract
The thumbturn is difficult to operate
The lock sticks even with the door open
You have to push, pull, or lift the door to lock it
The deadbolt repeatedly goes out of alignment
The cylinder or lock is loose
The key turns but the bolt doesn't operate correctly
The door or frame has visible damage
The lock has become unreliable
These problems rarely improve by themselves.
B-SAFE Lock & Key can determine whether the problem is the key, lock cylinder, deadbolt mechanism, strike plate, hinges, door alignment, or the door itself and recommend the appropriate repair.
Sometimes that means a simple adjustment. Sometimes it means rekeying or repairing the existing lock. And sometimes replacement really is the right answer.
The point is to fix the actual problem rather than start replacing parts and hoping for the best.
Residential Deadbolt Repair in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities
B-SAFE Lock & Key has served Minneapolis and the Twin Cities since 1972.
We provide residential locksmith services including deadbolt repair, lock repair, rekeying, lock replacement, house key duplication, keypad lock installation, electronic and smart locks, and residential security upgrades.
We work on both newer and older homes and service many of the locks commonly found throughout the Twin Cities.
If your deadbolt is sticking, your key is becoming difficult to turn, or your door has to be pushed or pulled before it will lock, give B-SAFE a call. We'll determine what's causing the problem and what it will take to get the door locking properly again.
Areas We Serve
B-SAFE provides residential locksmith and deadbolt service throughout Minneapolis, North Minneapolis, Northeast Minneapolis, South Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Golden Valley, Columbia Heights, Fridley, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, New Brighton, Roseville, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Plymouth, Champlin, Blaine, and surrounding Twin Cities communities.
Residential Lock Brands We Service
B-SAFE services many common residential lock and deadbolt brands, including Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, Defiant, Weiser, Corbin, Russwin, and other residential door hardware.
We also service higher-security and restricted key systems including Medeco, ASSA, and Schlage Primus, along with many commercial-grade locks and cylinders.
B-SAFE Lock & Key
4757 Lyndale Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55430
763-900-8119
Serving Minneapolis–St. Paul and surrounding areas since 1972.
Comments