The security of your external doors is vital for any property as this is what provides protection against intruders. This is why keeping your doors well maintained is so important for door security. With this said it is surprising just how many people don’t consider the fact that door maintenance can actually have an impact on the overall security of the property. This is why our team at Easy Pickings Locksmiths have pick out a few important door maintenance tips that will help keep your door as safe and secure as it can be.
Ensure Door Is Correctly Hung – Locks are designed to work in partnership with the door frame and a correctly fitted handle. If the door is hung incorrectly or is misaligned, then this will put the lock under pressure causing it to eventually fail.
You can tell if a door is not hung correctly by looking at the gap between the door and the frame. A correctly hung door will have an identical gap around all four sides. If your door doesn’t have an identical gap on all four sides, then it is worth calling out a locksmith to come and realign it before it starts causing problems if it hasn’t already!
Clean Door Locks – Cleaning your door locks and keeping them free from dirt build up is just as important as keeping your home clean. You can easily clean door locks with warm soapy water. You shouldn’t use any chemical cleaners on locks as this will likely cause more harm than good.
Lubrication – All door locks should be lubricated every 6 months, this will keep them working as they should and help prevent unnecessary damage. It is important to remember that when you lubricate your locks you should never use an oil-based lubricant such as WD-40 as these will cause the locks to clog and eventually fail. Silicone based lubricants work best.
Take Care With Keys – If a key is misused then this can cause damage to both the key and the lock. Things such as pulling the key to close the door behind you, forcing a key to turn in the lock and forcefully pulling a key from a lock are all things you should avoid. It is good to keep an eye on your keys and get them replaced as soon as they start showing signs of wear, this can help prevent more serious problems in the future. It is always a good idea to keep an unused original key to one side that can be used to make copies of the keys as and when needed, this will help the accuracy of the new keys that are cut.
Door Handle Maintenance – Wear and tear on door handles can lead to a many problems, the handle can become loose or even break just to name a couple. When using door handles you should be gentle to allow the latch to disengage from the catch before pushing the door open. Rough use, excessive weight and forceful entry are all elements that will damage your door handles whether an internal door, front door, or back door.
If your experiencing problems with your door, handles or locks at your property in Leeds then contact Easy Pickings Locksmiths today – 0113 805 0761