Lock Repair in Ann Arbor, MI

What Michigan weather does to a lock

NOAA's state climate summary describes warm, humid summers and cold winters, with the Great Lakes making Michigan moister than other north-central states. Each season leaves a mark on an Ann Arbor door:

• Humid summers. Wood doors and frames swell, the latch drags on the strike, and the deadbolt has to be forced into its hole. Often the lock is fine and the door has moved.
• Cold snaps. Lubricant thickens and springs slow, so a latch that snaps shut in July may not catch in January.
• Ice and thaw. Meltwater that turns to ice overnight can fill a keyway or hold a latch in place.

Keeping original hardware working

Ann Arbor's historic districts are a reason to repair before replacing. The Old West Side is mostly modest 19th-century houses, and the Historic District Commission's guidelines prefer that original doors, hardware and trim be kept and repaired. An old mortise or rim lock can often be cleaned, adjusted and fitted with new springs or a new cylinder while the original case stays on the door.

Windows are part of the job

In a rental, the city's pre-inspection checklist calls for working sash locks, pin or ventilation locks on double-hung windows, and 5/8-inch dowel rods for sliding windows and doors (Section 8:503). A window-lock sheet in the same packet says first-floor windows, and any reachable from a platform or fire escape, need both a regular lock and a ventilation lock that lets the window open up to 6 inches. A sash lock that no longer closes is a repair item, not a cosmetic one. This is general information, not legal advice.

Simple upkeep

1. Thaw a frozen keyway with lock de-icer; do not force the key or pour hot water, which can turn to ice again.
2. Before winter, work a lubricant made for locks into each cylinder; household oil collects grit.
3. Tighten strike and hinge screws when a door starts to sag.
4. If the bolt extends only when you push or lift the door, fix the alignment before the key or the lock gives out.

If a key has snapped in a stiff lock, broken key extraction comes first; a lock that only sticks or drags is a lock repair job.