Locks act as the first line of defense for our homes and properties. However, we often forget to maintain them and only stop think about its importance when they are already damaged or broken. One of the most common causes of lock malfunctioning is the change in weather or temperature. When the temperatures fluctuate, some door locks jam and becomes ineffective. If you hire a professional locksmith, they can check your locks and advise as to whether you need to repair or change them. Visit Locksmith Sydney for affordable and efficient locksmith services.
If you want to know more about how temperature changes affect our locks, then keep on reading down below.
- Warm Weather Can Cause Doors To Expand Slightly
During summer the temperature rises, and you will notice a lot of business and homeowners experiencing lock jams, especially in their exterior doors. The increasing temperature causes the door to expand a bit, which means that locks become difficult to turn and can even get stuck in one position entirely. Such unfortunate events often occur on closed deadbolt locks that are compressed the door since the door frame swells around it and for wooden exterior doors and frames since the material is prone to both swelling and contracting in extreme weather change.
- Cold Temperature Causes Door Frames To Contract
Some places that experience below freezing point temperatures, such as Pennsylvania, often have problems with door jams during the cold months of the year. They find it difficult to turn the key in a deadbolt when locking and to unlock exterior doors. Since the cold temperature causes the wood to contract, it results in poor fitting between the locks and the door itself. Such an effect often occurs on wooden exterior doors and frames that are easily affected by fluctuation in humidity levels. A quick fix for poor fitting is through pulling in the door handle from the outside to re-center the lock within the frame of the door. However, it will likely get worse in time and make the door impossible to locks and unlock overtime if it doesn’t get a permanent solution.
To prevent such problems from occurring in the future, make sure to hire a professional locksmith Inner West like Locksmith Sydney to ensure that the locks are properly fitted to the doorframe and reduce problems with changing the weather.
- Moisture Inside Locks Can Freeze
When the temperature is extremely low, even car door locks get affected. The moisture contained inside the locks can freeze and render it impossible to turn the lock or even for a remote door opener to function effectively. If you experience this problem, the best way to fix your lock is through heating the car key using an open flame before inserting it into the lock to melt the ice inside. For remote-start cars, try letting the engine run for a few minutes to heat the car and eventually unfreeze the locks.
To avoid such problems in the future, you can opt to replace your wooden exterior doors and frames with a more durable and resistant material such as aluminum, fiberglass, and steel. Also, always maintain your locks by oiling it regularly to make them easier to turn.
Final Word
Operating exterior door locks in your house or business establishment needs professional locksmiths since re-fitting frame is a difficult job for those without expert knowledge. Also, trying to fix the door lock on your own can cause more harm than good. Call a locksmith to have your lock fixed, avoid expensive damage, and save time altogether. If you are a locksmith who needs economical yet quality printing, visit this site https://www.greenofficepartner.com/ for a greener and cheaper way to print.
