Broken Key Extraction in Henderson, NV

How keys end up broken

A key usually snaps after being forced: turned against a cylinder that binds, used as a handle to pull a door shut, or cut from a worn copy of a copy. Some Henderson settings add strain.

• Apartment complexes. In Clark County, about 8.6 percent of homes are in buildings of 50 or more units, per Census Bureau estimates. Residents may carry separate keys for a unit, a building door or gate, and a mailbox, and shared locks see heavy daily use. If the break is in a shared lock or a mailbox, tell management first, since it affects every resident.
• Dusty keyways. Occasional dust and sand storms reach southern Nevada, mostly in spring, according to the Western Regional Climate Center. Grit makes a key stiff to turn, and turning harder is how it breaks.
• Old cylinders and worn keys. A long-serving lock, more likely in the older downtown and Pittman houses, wears along with its key until the key only just works.
• Gates on large lots. In rural preservation areas such as Foothills and Serene Country Estates, a padlock on a distant gate or shed stays outdoors all year, exposed to sun and dust.

What not to try

• Do not keep turning or wiggling the stub; more force can jam the piece deeper.
• Do not push a second key in beside or on top of the broken piece.
• Do not add glue, oil or spray to the keyway, which can ruin the cylinder.
• If the door is open, leave the bolt retracted and do not lock it until the piece is out.

What to describe

• which lock: unit door, building entry, gate, mailbox or padlock
• a photo of the keyway and of the half of the key you still have
• whether the door is locked or open right now
• whether a working spare exists

Once the piece is out, a cylinder damaged by grit or force may need lock repair. If the key broke from wear, have new ones cut rather than copying the old copy. For the service in general, see broken key extraction; neighborhood context is on the Henderson page.