Broken Key Extraction in Stamford, CT

Where keys take the most strain

A key usually snaps because it was already worn, the lock was already stiff, or both. Three situations in Stamford put keys under extra load.

• Shared entries. In an apartment building or condominium, one key ring may carry the lobby, unit and mailbox keys, and every household uses the outer door. That can apply to Harbor Point's apartment buildings and to the condominiums among Shippan Point's roughly 1,100 homes. A key that breaks in a shared door affects the neighbors as well.
• Older cylinders. Most of the South End's historic buildings predate 1940. A cylinder that has served one of those doors for decades may be worn inside, and a worn key in a worn lock is a common way to snap one.
• Cold mornings. Meltwater can turn to ice inside an exterior lock overnight. A key that resists on a cold morning is a warning, not a challenge.

What not to do

• Do not force a key that will not turn, and do not work it back and forth hoping it gives.
• Do not pull the broken piece with pliers or push a second key in beside it. Either can drive the piece deeper or damage the pins.
• Do not pour glue, oil or other liquids into the keyway.
• Do keep every piece of the key, including the half you are holding, since it shows the key's cut.

If a door is locked and someone inside cannot get out, call 911 first.

What to send

Say which lock it is: a front door, a unit door, a building entry, a mailbox or a car door. Describe the break. Is the end flush with the face of the lock, or does it stick out? Say whether you have the other half and whether a working spare key exists. For a shared door, name the building and its manager, since the entry may need to stay usable for residents. Add your neighborhood and the nearest cross street.

Requests come in through the contact page. The full service is on the broken key extraction page, and lock repair covers a lock that was already stiff. If the break left you outside, see house lockout.