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Locked Out?

Few situations are more annoying than being inadvertently locked out of your home.

Perhaps being locked out on a cold and wet winter’s evening with cranky kids might probably top that. Before getting a little smug thinking it will never happen to you, think again. We receive hundreds of calls each year from anxious customers who have found themselves locked out of their home. 

In 2015, London Fire Brigade received over 5,800 calls from people who had locked themselves out. The Fire Service considered over half of those to be
non-emergencies and therefore could not help.  So they politely directed people to good locksmiths like ourselves. Some of our customers are locked out because the door slammed shut behind them. Others have simply gotten distracted and lost or mislaid their keys. An aggravating situation for our customers is when their key will not turn in the lock or gets jammed. Whatever the reasons for being locked out, our sympathetic locksmiths have seen it all before. They are professional, highly qualified and local. That means, you get a good job done at a reasonable price within 30 to 60 minutes of reaching out to us.

Common Emergency Lock-Outs

Key Not Working

Sounds silly but are you using the right key? We know it sounds obvious but sometimes our locksmiths arrive to discover that the wrong key is the issue. As you can imagine, people are generally very relieved if a little embarrassed. Do make sure it does not happen to you as a lot of locksmiths would still charge you a fee for coming out.

Newly Cut Keys

It is always advisable to have fresh keys cut from the original that came with the lock where possible. It is also important to have it done by a highly qualified locksmith. This is because both factors have a huge impact on the quality of the copy made. If a key is poorly cut, it can over time cause costly damage to the lock. Subsequent keys cut from a poor copy will also be of lesser quality causing the key to eventually stop working. There is generally a limit to the number of keys that can be cut from the original before a copy stops working. A good locksmith like Fox Locksmith  can help you get the full complement of copies.

Faulty or Broken Key

Your key might have developed a splinter, scratch or simply worn away. When this happens, the key becomes the wrong shape for the lock and does not engage the lock as it should. Keys that are getting stuck should not be forced or they might end up breaking off in the lock. Whether your key is proving difficult to turn in the lock or whether part of it has broken off and gotten stuck in the lock, we can help. We respond to such situations routinely and aim to always find the most secure, cheapest and less damaging solution possible.

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Jammed Or Faulty Locks

Sometimes, the cylinder, pins and springs within a lock can become dry or amass a build up of dirt and dust, preventing them from working as smoothly as they should. This can sometimes be one of the reasons why your lock is jamming or that you’re having trouble getting your key to go in your lock. Call one of our technicians for advice. If you would rather try the DIY route, a few squirts of the right kind of WD40 could help clear the build up of dirt and lubricate the lock easing the dryness. Do not use household oil like cooking oil to ease the dryness as dirt and dust sticks easily to it. A build up of dirt on a lock over time will have the opposite effect to what you are aiming to achieve.  If you would like to try WD40, choose a penetrant which prevents rust and corrosion. Follow the instructions carefully and do not forget to wash your hands thoroughly if your skin comes into contact with it. Your nearest DIY store will help you choose the right WD40. Oftentimes it is not just a simple case of dryness. The mechanism within the lock might be worn or damaged. Unless you know what you are doing, we would advise that you give us a call. We have extensive knowledge of how different locks work and can carry out any lock repairs, replacements or upgrades at a reasonable price.

Newly Installed Locks Cylinders

If you have had a new cylinder installed, it could be that the spindle has been cut inappropriately. The spindle is what connects the handles inside and outside the door together through the handle hole of a lock.

An Engaged Snib

If you have had a new cylinder installed, it could be that the spindle has been cut inappropriately. The spindle is what connects the handles inside and outside the door together through the handle hole of a lock. In some instances, we see cases where burglars have engaged the snib whilst inside burglarising homes. This helps keep the homeowner out should they return unexpectedly, buying the criminals ample time to make their getaway if necessary.

Warped Door Or Frame

This is sometimes as a result of movement in the building or the impact of harsh weather over time. In the case of uPVC doors, they might drop. Lock problems ensue due to misalignment – meaning that the locking points are not able to make appropriate contact with the keeps (the part on the frame that the bolt goes into).

What Our customers Say...

Fantastic job! John arrived as promised and replaced the locks on front and back doors quite quickly. He also adjusted the back door as it was making a loud noise on closing. He left the area spotless upon completion.
I’d definitely recommend.

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