Surprising Ways that Weather Affects Locks

When you start to consider why you’re having problems with your locks, you might not think about the weather. In fact, that is probably the furthest thing from your mind. It is often the key that you are focusing on and not the lock itself. At Reliable Locksmith and Safe in Downtown Miami, FL, we often find that it is also the lock as much as it is the key; that is causing your problem. There are lots of reasons why your lock may no longer be effective. You may also assume that your lock isn’t working because someone tried to break-in and they damaged your lock. While this is certainly a possibility, you must also consider the weather conditions outside. Yes, you heard it right, the weather. When the temperature outside changes it can affect locks. We thought it might be helpful for you to understand what happens at very times of the year so that when you begin to experience problems with your locks, you don’t panic.

1.     Summer and Spring

The most common problem that a person might experience during this time of the year is door jams. In this case, your door might not turn or if it does, it will only turn in one direction. This is a problem that we often find with exterior doors. The hotter it is the more the doorframe begins to expand. If your exterior door has a deadbolt on it, which most do; it can contribute to your problem. The door will start to get wider around the lock. If you have wooden doors, you may experience this problem more than someone who has a door made from steel. Wood can expand rather easily due to the material. It is one of the reasons some people decide against purchasing a wooden door.

2.     Fall and Winter

We often receive more service calls during this time of the year than any other due to locks that are not working. This is often the case during winter since locks can freeze more easily during this time of the year. Instead of the door expanding, the opposite will occur. Again, the problem affects both the lock and the door. Your key may not turn in either direction or your deadbolt lock will not work. In this case, you may realize that the problem isn’t necessarily because of the key; rather it is because your door is contracting because of the temperature outside. You may be able to get your door to open by pulling it toward you and re-aligning the lock with the doorframe. While this isn’t a permanent solution it can at least work for the moment and give you access inside our out. The problem that you’re experiencing could get worse without the help of a qualified locksmith in Downtown Miami. Let us know if you’re experiencing a problem with your locks and we’ll get you the help you need right away.

Cold Weather and Car Locks

The temperature outside not only affects your home locks but it can also begin to affect your car locks. Your door or the lock may be totally frozen. This can occur when there is moisture inside your doors lock. If it is frozen, it is impossible to get the key to open you door or a remote. Although this may sound weird, it happens more than you might imagine. Some people suggest heating up your car key before attempting to place it in the door. This isn’t something that we would personally suggest that you do but it has worked for some people who know how to effectively do it. If your car is newer and you can start it with your transponder key, you could start your engine before attempting to get inside. This will begin to heat up your engine and could possibly aid in unfreezing your door locks. You can certainly try these solutions before calling on us for assistance but if it is cold outside, chances are that you would rather get back inside of your car quickly rather than trying something that you are uncertain as to whether or not it will actually work or not.

How to Prevent Problems Due to Weather

If you have never had this problem before, you can’t imagine how upsetting this situation can be. If it is an incident that you do not want to happen to you or if it has happened to you before and you want to make sure that you can prevent it from happening again, we have news for you. This isn’t a plug to get you to use our services but contacting us to make sure that your locks are correctly installed is one good way to avoid this problem from happening to you because of the weather outside. In some cases, when the locks are not properly aligned, it is far easier for you to experience a problem with your doors sticking or expanding.

Also, if you’re considering purchasing a wooden door, you should also consider that wooden doors are problematic, especially when it comes to weather. You might be able to save yourself the frustration by considering having a different type of door installed that will not pose this same problem. With the various options that are available today, you are sure to be able to find a door that you’ll like just as much as a wooden door and save yourself some stress in the future.

The best way to avoid the problems that occur due to weather, we strongly suggest that you keep your locks lubricated. This can keep your locks working even in the worst temperatures outside, high or low. The absolute best way to lubricate your locks is to dissemble them. If this is not something that you wish to do, we have many customers who depend on us for the maintenance of their locks. This means that we’ll dissemble your locks and properly lubricate them. Schedule your lock maintenance today.