Lock Repair in Orlando, FL

What Central Florida weather does to locks

NOAA's climate summary for Florida names it the most humid state in the nation and records average annual precipitation of 53.7 inches from 1895 to 2020. At an Orlando door that shows up in a few ways:

• Swelling. Wood doors and frames absorb moisture, so a deadbolt that drags after a stretch of rain is often a door or strike plate problem rather than a failing lock.
• Corrosion. Damp air works on springs, pins and screws. Early signs are a key that sticks halfway in, a cylinder that feels gritty, or a latch that is slow to spring back.
• Storms. A lock that sat in floodwater can be corroded even if it still turns, so have it checked after a hurricane or flood.

Older locks in older neighborhoods

Delaney Park has been part of Orlando since 1911 and College Park since the 1920s, and College Park includes two national historic districts, Lake Adair-Lake Concord and Lake Ivanhoe. Houses of that age may still carry locks that have been turning for decades. Repair, such as replacing a spring, a cam or a worn latch, or re-pinning a cylinder, keeps the original hardware working in its door, which can suit a historic house better than a new lockset. If replacement is on the table, the lock replacement page covers the city's historic district rules.

Upkeep between visits

1. Use the lubricant the lock's maker recommends; household oil holds grit and gums up the pins.
2. Tighten strike plate and hinge screws when a door starts to sag; a dropped door is behind many sticking latches.
3. Keep weatherstripping and the door sweep in shape so rain stays off the lock body.
4. Never force a stiff key. That is how keys snap; see broken key extraction.

When you request lock repair, describe the symptom (the key will not turn, the bolt stops short of the strike, the knob turns without moving the latch), the door material and the neighborhood. City-wide notes are on the Orlando page.