Lock Repair in Worcester, MA

What winter does to a Worcester lock

NOAA's state climate summary averages January at about 30 °F near the coast and in the low 20s °F in the west. Averages that close to 32 °F leave room for thaw-and-ice cycles, which are hard on exterior locks: snow melts on a sunny afternoon, water runs into the keyway, and it turns to ice in the cylinder overnight. On a three-decker, check the front and rear stairwell doors and the back porch door after a thaw.

If a key goes in but will not turn, stop; a key forced against ice can break. When the lock has thawed, put a dry lock lubricant in the cylinder, not oil.

Doors that shift with the seasons

Wood expands and contracts with the seasons. Worcester's three-deckers were built between 1880 and 1930, so even one in the Indian Lake area, where building came later, has stood through at least ninety winters and had decades to settle.

The sign to watch is a deadbolt that throws only when you lean on the door. Forcing it wears the bolt and the strike; the fix is usually to adjust the strike plate or tighten the hinges so the bolt lines up with its hole.

Before a rental inspection

Under Chapter 9, § 19 of Worcester's Revised Ordinances, non-owner-occupied rental units are inspected under the State Sanitary Code at least every five years. The Department of Inspectional Services' landlord guide says inspectors check that every unit has lockable doors in good working order and that required exit doors open without keys, special knowledge or effort. Before an inspection, look for deadbolts that stick and exit doors that need a key from inside. This is general information, not legal advice.

Simple upkeep

1. Put dry lubricant in exterior cylinders in late fall, before the first hard cold.
2. Tighten loose screws on knob and lever sets before the holes strip.
3. Watch how the bolt meets the strike each spring and fall, when doors move most.
4. Treat a key that sticks, or a cylinder that needs jiggling, as wear worth fixing before a key snaps.

If a key has already broken off, see broken key extraction; the statewide lock repair page and Worcester have more.