Maintenance for your locks

It’s that time of year again when the weather starts to do funny things to our doors. I am already being called out to do jobs that could be avoided with some basic maintenance for your locks.

Here on the Norfolk Coast, locks are not only at risk of rusting, but also damage from sea salt and wasps (more on those later).

Norfolk coast

So what can you do to avoid having to call me, or at least make the call a bit cheaper?

Firstly, keep your door (and window) locks clean. It’s very easy to forget about the front edge of a door when it is shut while you clean, but I see some shocking sights in my work. The more dirt and dust is allowed to build up, the more it finds its way into the working parts of your lock eventually causing damage.

Maintenance for your locks

The next step is oiling your locks. There is a lot of argument in the locksmithing world as to whether WD40 or graphite is better. For me, I say WD40 used twice a year (every time you change your locks is an easy way to remember and perfect for changes in weather) works just fine because it coats and flushes at the same time. Oiling does not mean just squirting a bit of oil where you put your key in the lock. If you have a wooden door with a mortice (“Chubb” type) lock, then the part inside stops the oil getting to where is needed and if you have a lock with a “Yale” type key, then oil in the key way is only getting a tiny percentage of what needs to be oiled. If you have any lock with a latch, either pull the handle down or rotate any lever knob to retract that latch. If you look where the latch retracts, you will see that the wedge shape of the latch will create a perfect gap for you to put in the straw provided with cans of WD40. Squirt for about 5 seconds (10 seconds if first time) and then work the handles, etc a few times to get the oil all over the insides.

On doors with multipoint locking systems (eg UPVC doors) you should also look at the front edge and lift the handles up and down a few times. Give another squirt of oil to anything you see moving. When you do this, you might even find the sticker that tells you to oil the door that you never knew was there and the installer never told you about! If you have a wooden door with a single deadlock, unscrew the faceplate at the front and take it off. This will now give you a larger gap around bolt. You might have to hold the WD40 straw in one corner, but squirt what you can, being aware you might get some splash back at you and oil does not clean up from clothes easily, so no maintenance in your wedding dress/designer suits. Don’t forget to put the face plate back on afterwards. In all cases, put some rags on the floor as oil will run down and drip off the bottom of the door and WD40 even stains paving stones.

Once you have done all the above,  keep an eye on how difficult your door is to open. Hotter summers are warping even doors that never recognisably warped before. If your door is becoming difficult to operate in any way, there will be undue stress on various parts of your lock which will eventually lead to something breaking. The most common problem last year was French doors shrinking away from each other and the hooks of the multipont mechanisms not being able to get into their slots. Multipoint mechanism doors are usually adjustable, if your door is not as easy to operate when closed as it is open, best get the door adjusted before something breaks and you will have to add a locking product on to the cost of the adjustment.

Finally, those pesky wasps. If you have a wooden door with a multipoint locking system (lift the handles to lock) and it does not have top and bottom bolts, there will be a gap at the top behind the metal faceplate. This gap runs down behind the faceplate as far as the first moving part you can see. It is the perfect size for wasps to make cells in which to grow more baby wasps. Those cells harden a lot and can cause the mechanism to break. My advice is to at least put insect repellent all over the top of the door and then maybe stick a small cotton wool ball just in the top to bar access. I’ve dealt with a few of these cases now, and I really don’t like angry wasps trying to get me while I destroy their hard work!

If you have any questions regarding the above information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by phone, text or email.

Thanks for reading.

admin June 27, 2023

Keeping locks maintained / Lock maintenance / Multipoint mechanism maintenance / Oiling door locks / wasps and doors /

AC Locksmiths prices change coming

Here at AC Locksmiths Norfolk, it has always been my aim to provide quality work with fair pricing. We are still the only company in the area to give prices on our website so you can know before you even call what prices are likely to be. Regular customers will know that I have never charged for a second visit if I do not have what you need on board at first contact, and if you call me to do a second job within 6 months, I have been doing these jobs labour free where possible. My other desire was always to keep AC Locksmiths prices the same whether you call me out at 2pm on a Monday, or 2am on Bank Holiday weekend. I have been able to keep this going for twelve years, but unfortunately, to stay in business and to stay competitive, changes have to be made.

My AC Locksmiths prices will always be displayed on the website, so that you the customer, will know I am honest about what I charge. While my profit margin remains low, extra cost of materials leading to increased prices will push me over the VAT threshold and prices displayed will not include the VAT price, so when that is applicable I will make that clear in my pricing list.

While I am no longer able to do second visits for free in all cases, they will still be free if the item I am missing is a basic everyday lock. In all other cases, repeat visits will be charged at a half labour rate, and separate jobs will incur the full labour rate regardless of time in between visits.

Between the hours of 7am and 7pm Mon – Fri, my rates for the new financial year will remain the same as before. But evenings, weekends and bank holidays will see an increase to £95. This is a flat fee for emergency work and will apply if the job takes five minutes or five hours. For non-emergency work, the cost will be £75 for a single lock change/short job, £150 for a half day, and £250 for a full days’ work. All large value jobs will require a 50% deposit.

Despite these changes, I will still continue to help advise my customers on lock and mechanism maintenance to help the locks last longer, I will still tell you if there is a way to do the job yourself when you call me. I will still not charge you if you call me out when you actually need a door fitter instead.

I will still offer a comprehensive range of services, including all below and more:

  • Gain entry
  • Lock fitting
  • Lock upgrades
  • Alarm fitting
  • Internal CCTV
  • Smart locks
  • Vehicle entry
  • Empty home management (look after your 2nd home/look after home after death of a relative, etc)
  • House clearance
  • Repeat maintenance

Find our full price list here: https://www.ac-locksmiths-norfolk.co.uk/prices-2024/

Thanks for reading, Alan

admin March 1, 2023

Lock maintenance / Pricing changes /

Holiday Home Security and Lock Maintenance

Lock maintenance

The summer season is well and truly over as the sky turns grey and the cold, wet weather moves in. If you have a holiday home that you let out during the summer months, now is the perfect time to review the condition of your locks and security.

Holiday home security
In my job I see holiday homes catering for all budgets, from basic amenities, to home from home comfort with installed luxuries like internet connection and satellite TV. But no matter what the level you are offering, it is always embarrassing when your customer’s holiday is set back by problems with the locks, and they find themselves locked out (or in some cases, locked in) because the locks have not been maintained properly.

Most property service companies are reactionary, so even though the problem will be resolved, it can still lead to you having to refund a customer and can even mean you have to cancel bookings, which has the knock on effect of possibly losing you recommendation business in the future. While maintenance is not an absolute guarantee that nothing will go wrong, you can at least rest in the knowledge you have done all you can to give your customers a hassle free holiday, and you not wasting time chasing property managers to get the job done.

Holiday homes with multi-point locking systems on their doors are probably the most likely to create problems, particularly if they are near the sea. Moisture creates rust, especially when these mechanisms are set into wooden doors and customers slam doors or leave them open to blow in the wind. These doors should have a service at least once a year, but preferably at the start and end of high season.

Yale locks seem to cause no end of problems with people managing to deadlock the door while it is open and then slam the door, effectively locking them in unless someone unlocks the door from the outside. Standard Yale type locks should be replaced with BSI3621 models to avoid this and other problems.

Mortice locks can throw up a problem where a part inside slips and it becomes impossible to insert the key. These locks should be checked by removing from the door and checking the tightness of the screws as wooden door expansion and contraction can loosen these screws.

These are just some of the problems to be avoided. There are many more. But the good news is that you can guard against all this for free. The cost of routine maintenance carried out by a professional locksmith is a business expense and therefore can be claimed as part of your expenses when submitting tax returns, effectively making the work free.

AC Locksmiths is ready to take on regular contract work to maintain the locks of your holiday home. I can liaise with your letting company to coincide maintenance with changeover periods and help prevent the problem that can mean your customers demand their money back. Should you require any more information on the above subjects, please contact via any of the methods listed on the contacts page.

Thanks for reading.

admin October 22, 2015

Holiday home security / Home maintenance / Lock maintenance / Rented property /

Multi-point Locks

It’s that time of year again when the weather warms and we start opening our doors to the sunshine. For me, that means one of my busiest times of year, especially for replacing broken door mechanisms. I’m talking about doors where you have to lift the handles before turning the key to lock the door. These are called multi-point locking mechanisms and they come on four types of door.

Multi-point lock maintenance AC Locksmiths

1. UPVC.

These are the most common doors with multi-point locking mechanisms. Over time, these doors can drop, a process that can be speeded up by heavy use, slamming or even when flung open in gusts of wind. Also, direct sunlight for long periods can warp some of these doors. When this happens, the handles can become harder to lift, or you may need to hold the handles up to turn the key. When this happens suddenly, it is obvious, but when it happens over time, we do not always realise we need the extra force to lift the handles. It is always worth going through the locking process with the door open and then again when the door is closed. The door should be nearly as easy to lock in the closed position as it is when open and you should never have to hold the handle up to turn the key. Continuing to use extra force to lift the handles will eventually lead to breakage of the internal workings of the mechanism which will in turn, entail a costly replacement.

Most UPVC doors can be adjusted before replacement parts are needed, so if your handles are stiff to lift, get your local locksmith to look at them now.

2. Aluminium.

Not many companies provide aluminium doors nowadays, and in general they work very well. They don’t drop in the way upvc doors do. But if they are not oiled, they do get clogged up with grime and dust. The problem with these doors is that when they do go wrong, all the workings are internal and difficult to source. If you do not maintain your aluminium door, you might have the shock of having to completely replace it when it fails. Some locksmiths will deal with aluminium doors – others will refer you to double glazing replacement companies.

3. Wooden doors.

Many locksmiths (myself included) believe wooden doors should not house multi-point locking mechanisms, but they do and we have to work with the problems caused. Wood holds water and these mechanisms are often found to be rusted. Wooden doors also swell in damp weather and contract when they dry, a process that can twist the mechanism itself, making usage difficult. Oil these doors regularly and call your local locksmith at the first hint of anything going wrong. If these doors seize in the locked position, damage might be necessary to the woodwork to get the door open. If you have a wooden door with a multi-point locking mechanism, especially an older one, you may want to consider a replacement door type (if feasible).

4. Composite doors.

These are doors made to look like wood, but are actually made of synthetic material. While these are well suited to multi-point locking systems, they are not without problems. Most of my issues with these arise from the keeps in the door frame. For the sake of aesthetics, there is often little room for adjustment with these doors and if they do drop, the moving of the keeps often means moving the keeps leaves holes where the keeps were originally placed. Always check with the original installer as to whether or not the door can be re-hung before calling a locksmith, unless the locksmith is willing to re-hang the door though.

As a general rule with all these doors, it is always a good idea to check your guarantees, and if they are still applicable, go to your original installers as first port of call (assuming the installers are still in business).

Some other notes to consider;

* French doors are more prone to dropping as they do not have a solid frame for the leading edge of the door.

* Doors with top and bottom shoot bolts are more prone to rust, especially if the floor keep for the bottom bolt is not kept free of water and rubbish.

* Doors that are left open should be secured with a hook where possible.

* Children should be strongly discouraged from slamming doors (I have this problem!)

* Doors should be oiled every six months.

* Landlords of holiday lets should ensure someone on their property management team is able to check these mechanisms.

Finally, a security note. If you have your back door open and a stranger calls at your front door, make sure you close and lock your back door, before opening the front. A common summer scam is for your attention to be held at the front door while a second person enters your home at the rear and makes off with anything valuable to hand.

If you have any questions regarding the above issues, please contact via any of the methods on our contacts page.

Thanks for reading!

admin May 7, 2015

Lock maintenance / Multi-point Locks /

Winter Lock Maintenance

Just recently, a well known chain of shops who specialise in things like car parts, bikes and camping equipment, etc., have been offering free winter checks for your car. As soon as my wife saw it, she told me, I should take my car in. . . .  I put it off. She told me again.. . . .  I put it off again. She told me more forcefully, especially when she knew I had passed the shop.

Eventually, I relented and took my car for its winter check. Surprise, surprise, the free winter check resulted in me having to buy stuff like oil and power steering fluid. And the thing is, I knew it would, that’s why I was putting it off. But as it turns out, my oil was really low. It might not have been long before I did some serious damage to my engine, and that would have really cost me money, not only on my vehicle, but lost business, etc. So, let’s accept that the shop in question is doing this free check because they know it will generate business, but I must say, they do it in a great way. There was no; “You must buy our products,” or “Our products are better for your car.” No, it was a simple check and I was shown what was needed. If I wanted to go elsewhere, that was fine. At the end of the day, I could have done all the checks myself, and then got the stuff I needed from anywhere, but again, I was putting it off, because I knew that as soon as I did that check, it would cost me money.

AC Locksmiths Norfolk

Look after your locks;

Now I am ashamed to admit, that I was guilty of doing the same thing I see my customers doing with locks. We can feel when they are not working right, and yet time and again, we know that if we get them looked at, or recognise there is a problem, it will cost money. But the alternative could be so much worse. When your locks get stiff (and many do this time of year), adjusting small bits now, could potentially save you the cost of a new lock.

I worked on a multi-point locking mechanism this week that was nearly seized up. The customer had taken ten minutes that morning to get the thing open. Now, I had fitted this mechanism a few years ago and know that when I fitted it I told the customer to oil it every six months. But the customer didn’t want to buy a can of oil spray just to use every now and then. And so they waited until things got difficult, incurring my labour charge rather than a few quid and a minute every six months. It could have been worse, because the unit could have failed completely and that would have cost even more! I know what it is like to have to juggle the pennies, but by catching problems early, it makes financial sense to get them sorted when the cost will be minimal.

Health checks aren’t just for people –

So, if your locks are showing any sign of being problematic, call me for a free health check. Honestly, I know I am coming to your house because the problem will likely make me a little money, but the chances are, it will save you more money in the long run, so we both win. And if you listen to what I say and think you can deal with the problem yourself, or want to get any products elsewhere, that’s fine too. 

I recently upgraded a customer’s locks as they did not meet insurance standards. Her friend wanted the old locks for some internal doors and I was happy to help, I even gave the old locks a service to keep them running longer. The point is, I am not going to insist you have new products or even have me to do the work. I will give you honest advice, and if you accept my advice I will carry out the work in the most cost effective way for you.

If you have any questions or wish to arrange a security check or lock health check, please contact me via any of the means on the contacts page.

Thanks for reading

admin February 6, 2015

Lock maintenance / saving money /

Are your locks up to standard?

One of the most frustrating things about my job is knowledge. For example;- I know of a widely used mortice type lock (often called ‘Chubb’), that is excellent for security purposes, yet prone to fail. In fact I often get called to open locks that just suddenly stop working. Before I even put the phone down, I am 99% sure of the brand of lock I will be dealing with and I would love to be able to name and shame here, but obviously cannot for legal reasons. The only thing I can say is if your mortice lock feels like it is starting to stick, check it is still having problems while the door is open and if it is, have it changed straight away before it seizes on you when you are desperate to get into your home. Personally, I only use Yale or ERA brands as I have yet to have a problem with either. As mentioned in previous blogs, keeping your locks oiled every six months or so is the best way to get the longest life out of them.

Mortice locks are also prone to rust as they sit inside wooden doors that naturally hold moisture. If you possess a couple of screwdrivers, it is worth taking the handles off your door every couple of years and removing the lock to check its condition. Many people are surprised at the state of their locks when they are removed, but then say things like; “It’s done well for ten years!” Ten years? It seems we live in a time when many are prepared to change their cars every three years or so (not all of us by far, but enough to use as an example), cars that are precision made with amazing technology, yet we hang on to locks until they fail. I know if you keep hold of a car long enough, it might eventually be worth more than you pay for it, but most of us get rid of our cars, trading in for new ones, usually making a loss, especially where loans are involved. Now compare that to the cost of a new lock which is designed to keep you and your possessions safe.

“But why should I change a perfectly good lock?” I hear you ask. My response is this; How do you know it is a perfectly good lock? You might be lucky and have a lock that lasts a lifetime. You might still be using the same lock your grandparents used when they were young, but you might also arrive home from the supermarket with bags of frozen food only to find your lock has seized and your local locksmith is still hours away stuck on another job. Please don’t think this is a sales pitch. By all means, change the lock yourself, or ask some friends if you are unsure of how to do it. I recently did a job where the front door to a block of flats was changed. I understand that changing the lock meant new keys for all the residents, but the managing company said they expect to see me again soon as the other blocks in the complex had similar locks that were “probably coming to the end of their lives.” These are high usage doors and we are talking about multiple families being locked out should just one lock fail. This highlights how we think about potential problems. We know something could fail any day, but are willing to take the risk anyway.

So, my advice is this: If your locks are more than a few years old, put yourself in the worst possible situation for the lock to fail and ask yourself what you would do. If you don’t have a very workable plan ‘B’ then it might be worth replacing the lock to reduce the likelihood of that scenario happening.

Thanks for reading.

admin July 2, 2014

Lock maintenance / lock repair / lock replacement /

Lock Maintenance

At last the days are noticeably longer and snowdrops & daffodils are out in bloom, signalling that spring is here. Many of us are looking forward to the summer holidays and dreading the big spring clean. Hopefully the worst of the wet weather is behind us and we can start those little jobs we have all been putting off. And that should include maintaining our locks.

We rely on our cars to get us to work and therefore keep checks on oil, water tyre pressure, etc. We rely on our locks to keep our homes and valuables safe, so why do we just let them deteriorate when just a few minutes basic work can keep them going for much longer, saving you money in the long run.

So let’s start with the ones that really get the weather: Garden sheds usually have the more basic locks or padlocks. Being at the cheaper end of the market, these are more susceptible to rust, so give them a good squirt with oil everywhere you can find a hole. This also loosens grit that can wear down the internal moving parts.

With Night Latches (referred to often as ‘Yale’ type locks) the only exposed area is usually just the part where the key goes in. But again, giving this a good squirt with oil can revitalise the lock. If the door opens outwards, or there is any way the weather can get to the inside, then this should be oiled as well. This will involve undoing some screws to take it off, but do this slowly so you can see how it goes back on. Once the night latch is off of the door, you will be able to see good areas into which you can squirt some oil.

For UPVC doors, the entire mechanism that runs down the leading edge of the door needs to be oiled. There are lots of working parts here, and they are prone to grit and small breakages inside that can stop the system working. If you know how to remove a cylinder, take it out to really get oil inside the main working part. If you don’t know how to do it, it might be worth paying a locksmith or double glazing fitter to show you how so you can maintain it yourself. Remember, a small cost now could save you a much larger cost later. And a good tradesman will show you how to take care of these doors.

For mortice (referred to as ‘Chubb’) type locks the need for regular oiling becomes very clear if ever you take one out of the door. They seem to magnetise dust and soak up moisture from wet doors causing rust. So if you have a mortice lock with handles (called a ‘Sash Lock’) pull the handle down, which retracts the latch, then squirt a good amount of oil into the hole. This should give the inside a basic rinse. If your mortice lock is of the simple ‘turn key to open’ style (called a ‘dead lock’) then this can be a bit more tricky to get into. You really have to squirt into the small gap between the bolt and the lock casing.

The other thing to be looking out for with the change of weather is locks getting more difficult to operate. I have spoken about this in previous blogs, but if your lock becomes difficult to work for any reason, then you should call a locksmith. A small labour charge now is better than hoping the problem will go away, because if you break the mechanism, especially on UPVC doors, it can get very costly. If your handles have gone a bit floppy, this is the first visual sign that things have already gone too far and at any point you could find yourself locked out.

If you would like further advice on any of the above issues, please get in touch via our contacts page or give us a call 07846 64317607846 643176

Thanks for reading.

admin March 25, 2014

Lock maintenance / Saving costs with locks /