Lock Repair in Rockville, MD

How Maryland weather works on a Rockville lock

Much lock trouble is a door and lock that have drifted out of line, not a broken lock. Maryland's climate pulls two ways. NOAA's state climate summary describes warm, humid summers, and winter nights below freezing that range from fewer than 20 a year in the southeast to more than 100 in the northwest.

• Summer swelling. A wood door that takes on moisture can bind in its frame, so the deadbolt drags or stops short of the strike. If the same lock works smoothly in winter, a hinge, strike or latch adjustment usually fixes it; the lock itself is fine.
• Winter stiffness. Cold thickens old lubricant, and moisture inside a cylinder can freeze around the pins. Use lock de-icer rather than force, because a twisted key can snap and need broken key extraction.

Older and not-so-old hardware

Much of Twinbrook was first developed between the 1940s and 1960s, mostly as detached houses, so a door there may carry hardware an earlier owner installed decades ago. King Farm is younger: construction began in 2000, so its oldest homes are more than two decades old, long enough for springs and latches to tire. At either age, weak springs, loose trim screws and a latch that sticks halfway are typical of long use, and each can usually be repaired with the lock left in the door.

Simple upkeep

1. Once or twice a year, work a dry graphite or lock-specific lubricant into the cylinder; household oil collects grit.
2. Tighten loose handle and strike screws before they strip the wood.
3. Notice when you have to push, pull or lift the door to throw the deadbolt. That is the early sign of misalignment.
4. Retire bent or badly worn keys, which wear the pins they ride on.

Describing the symptom

Say when the trouble appears: only in summer, only on cold mornings, or all year. Name the door, the lock type (deadbolt, knob, lever or handleset) and the neighborhood. Photos of the door edge and the strike plate help. The lock repair page covers the work itself.