Broken Key Extraction in Richmond, VA

Where keys snap in Richmond

A key that breaks has usually been under strain for a while, and shared doors supply plenty of it. In a Fan District house converted to apartments, one street door may be turned by every tenant and every visitor. A key that sticks there gets twisted harder each time, and the door may belong to the building's owner rather than to any one tenant.

Wear adds to the load. In an older building, a cylinder that has been turned thousands of times may bind halfway through a turn, and a key forced past that point is the one that snaps. Winter adds another risk: Richmond's winter nights often freeze while its days thaw, and moisture in a keyway can freeze overnight. Forcing a key through a frozen or dragging lock is a common way keys break.

If the key breaks in a door the building controls, such as a shared street door, a lobby door or a mailbox, tell the landlord or manager before any work is done.

What not to do

• Don't turn the lock with the other half of the key or with a spare; either can push the piece deeper.
• Don't put glue on the broken end. Glue that runs into the pins can ruin the cylinder.
• Don't keep forcing a lock that is jammed. If you are inside with the door open, don't lock it again until the piece is out.
• For a frozen lock, use a de-icer, not hot water, which can refeeze.

What to send with a request

Send a photo of the keyway and of the half you still hold, and say whether the lock was locked or unlocked when the key broke and whether anyone is shut out. Name the door: a shared street door, a unit door, a back or basement door, a mailbox, a gate, or a car door or ignition. Once the piece is out, a worn cylinder may need lock repair. If the break has left you outside, see house lockout. The Richmond page covers the Fan and Richmond's other neighborhoods.