Happy New Year!
First of all we’d like to wish a Happy New Year to our existing and all new potential customers!
At ProSecure Locksmiths we understand that Christmas and New year can be an expensive time of year. Here are some inexpensive home security maintenance tips for the DIY novice to prolong the life of your existing locks, hopefully saving you some money!
UPVC Door Locks
If your uPVC door has become difficult to lock, it could have dropped. In this scenario it would need to be re-adjusted back to working operation. This is a simple job for a professional and would save the cost of replacement parts If caught early on. Although be wary if you’re not sure how or what to do, you can make matters dramatically worse!
One simple thing you can do to help with the longevity of your door is lubricate the mechanism. This often gets forgotten about, some customers I speak to have never lubricated their locks ever!
Now most home owners aren’t confident enough to remove the full length mechanism that runs the length of a uPVC door, but you don’t necessarily have too. If you pull the handle down it will retract the latch creating a gap so you can squirt lubricant directly into the lock mechanism/gearbox. This will now lubricate the majority of internal moving parts. You can also lubricate the external locking points too, this may help performance.
Remember a little bit of lubricant goes way don’t drench it, as it could run down the inside of the door and drip out the bottom staining your carpet/floor.
Some problems you may experience with some uPVC windows
An open window slams shut in windy conditions, which is very irritating or you leave the widow ajar for a bit of fresh air and it gets blown open to it fullest extent with a fair amount of force, this can damage the hinges and fixing points if not corrected. Both scenarios usually happen when the adjustment on the friction stay hinge has become loose. It’s just a case of tightening a small screw to the optimum level of resistance. Not all windows have this adjustment.
Also you can lubricate the hinges and mechanism for better operation.
On uPVC doors and windows you will notice usually a black rubber seal going all the way around the edge. When you lift the handle on a uPVC door for instance this engages the locking points and you will notice the rubber seal compressing to the frame slightly, this is the weather seal and prevents rain and wind penetrating your home.
Once every 6 months or at the very least once a year give the seals a good clean off so you get good contact to the frame with no gaps.
Wooden Doors
Through the damp winter months, if wooden doors haven’t been painted or sealed correctly they can swell, sometimes to such extent that the door cannot be closed! If the door has swelled that much it may be a case of taking the door off its hinges, remove locks etc on the problem edge and plane off a few millimetres. Once happy with the clearance between door and frame re-paint/seal to protect the woodwork. Please bear in mind once the door dries out and shrinks back to the original size it may create a larger gap than anticipated.
Frosty Conditions
Another problem we come across during the cold icy winter months is cylinder locks freezing up and customers not be able to insert their key, mistaking the issue for a lock fault. This is caused by moisture/condensation in the lock freezing in very cold conditions. It can be quickly fixed usually with a deep warm breath blown into the keyhole of the cylinder, soon as the frost melts the key will slide in and work as normal. This can be common on vehicle locks too.
At ProSecure Locksmiths we can help with any security issues you may face. Being a local independent locksmith based in Torquay we are very competitively priced and can offer a solution for every budget and will advise accordingly. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact.
We always offer an obligation free site survey so we can provide best advice regarding the installation.