Lock Repair in Memphis, TN

What Tennessee weather does to a lock

NOAA's climate summary for Tennessee describes moderately large temperature swings, abundant precipitation and warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico.

• Humidity. Damp air reaches the springs, screws and strike plate in and around a lock, and a key that starts to drag can be the first sign.
• Temperature swings. A wooden door can swell and shrink with the seasons, so the bolt drifts out of line with the strike. A bolt you must lean on the door to throw may point to alignment rather than a failing lock.
• Icy rain. In February 1994, 5 to 8 inches of rain fell in some places in the state, much of it turning to ice. Ice in a keyway can stop a lock; use a lock de-icer rather than hot water, which can turn to ice again inside the cylinder.

Older buildings, older parts

On Madison Avenue, many of the commercial and residential structures date to the early twentieth century. Where original hardware is still in place, it often works but has tired parts: a loose knob spindle, a weak return spring in a mortise lock, a latch that no longer springs back, a key worn smooth. In Central Gardens, where most structures were built between 1850 and 1930, repair works with the hardware already fitted to an original door instead of cutting the wood for something new.

A lock that sat in floodwater can corrode inside, so have it cleaned or replaced once the door dries.

Simple upkeep

1. Once or twice a year, put dry lock lubricant or graphite in the keyway rather than household oil, which collects dust.
2. Tighten hinge screws; a sagging door drags on the latch.
3. After heavy rain soaks a door, let it dry, then test the lock before relying on it.

Describing the problem

Describe what the lock does wrong, which door it is on and roughly how old the door is, and add a photo of each side. Tennessee Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Memphis. If the parts cannot be saved, see lock replacement; otherwise lock repair and the Memphis page cover the rest.