In short:
- Test the lock with the door open. If the bolt moves freely, the fault is usually the door or frame, not the lock.
- A garage handle that spins without unlocking usually means a loose or broken link between the handle and the locking bars.
- Don't touch garage door springs or cables yourself: they hold a lot of tension. We repair those as well as the locks.
- The interleading door from the garage into the house deserves an outside-door lock, not an internal one.
- Follow your lock or gate maker's care instructions; they don't all agree on lubricants.
Why these doors give trouble first
Front doors get attention. Garage doors, side doors, kitchen doors and the gate on the side passage often don't, even though they're used every day for bins, deliveries, dogs and the car. They also take more weather: a side door that faces the afternoon sun or the summer storms swells, shrinks and moves on its hinges more than a sheltered front door.
ASSA ABLOY's care guidance makes the point that faulty hinges, warped doors and distorted frames put extra load on locks and shorten their lives. On these doors, a lock problem is very often a door problem first.
The one test to do first: door open, then door closed
This simple check tells you whether to look at the lock or the door.
- With the door open, turn the key or handle both ways. Note whether it's smooth, stiff or stuck.
- Close the door gently and try again. If it's only stiff when closed, the bolt or latch is rubbing on the frame.
- Look for shiny rub marks on the strike plate or frame: they show where the bolt is catching.
- Check the gap around the door. A wider gap at the top on the lock side often means the door has dropped on its hinges.
Only do the open-door test where you can't be locked out, for example with the key in your hand and a second way in.
Up-and-over and roll-up garage doors
Manual garage doors usually have a handle lock in the middle, linked by rods, bars or cables to latches at the sides. The common faults follow from that design.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Handle spins without unlocking | Loose or broken link between handle and side latches, or a worn spindle | Locksmith |
| Key won't turn in the handle | Worn or dirty cylinder, or a bent key | Locksmith |
| Door locks on one side only | Bent bar or a side latch out of line with its slot | Locksmith; we also repair the door if it's bent |
| Door won't stay up, or closes unevenly | Springs, cables or balance | Us: leave springs and cables to the technician |
| Motor runs but door doesn't move, or strains | Manual lock engaged, or an opener fault | Release the lock first; we repair opener faults too |
Don't adjust or remove garage door springs, or anything they're fastened to. Genie, a garage door opener maker, warns against it because of the tension involved. Leave that work to our technician.
If an automatic opener has been fitted to a door that still has its manual lock, opener makers tell owners to disable that lock in the unlocked position. A motor working against a locked door can damage both.
The interleading door from the garage into the house
Once a garage door is open, the interleading door is all that stands between the driveway and your kitchen. Yet it's often fitted with a light internal lock because it's inside the building.
- Treat it as an outside door. Lock makers sell lever and cylinder locksets specifically as suited for external doors, and that's the standard to aim for here.
- If it has a cylinder, consider one designed to resist attack; anti-snap cylinders explains the options.
- Check the frame and hinges as carefully as the lock. A good lock in a weak frame is still a weak door.
Side and back doors
Kitchen, laundry and side doors are often older wooden doors with lever mortice locks, or newer doors with cylinder locks. Typical faults:
| Symptom | What's usually behind it |
|---|---|
| Locks easily in winter, fights you in summer | The door swells and the bolt rubs the strike |
| Need to lift or push the door to lock it | Door has dropped on loose hinges, or the strike has moved |
| Key turns but the bolt doesn't come out | A broken part inside the lock |
| Lever lock key feels loose and catches | Worn levers or a worn key |
| Latch doesn't catch when the door closes | Latch or strike out of line, or a weak door closer |
Pushing harder on the key is the wrong answer to all of these. It wears the lock faster and can snap the key; see broken key stuck in the lock if that has already happened.
Security gates in front of side doors
Many side and back doors have a trellis or swing gate in front. The gate's lock has its own common faults: a gate that has dropped so the lock misses its keep, dust in the cylinder, or a slam lock that doesn't catch.
Trellidor points out that slam locks are generally weaker than deadlocks, and that gates which need two keys in two locks invite short cuts, such as only locking one. If your side gate lock keeps failing, the type of lock may be worth reconsidering, not just its condition.
On care, makers differ. Trellidor tells owners not to spray into the cylinder keyhole on its gates, while ASSA ABLOY recommends a small amount of graphite powder on the key for cylinders and lever locks, and warns against silicone-based lubricants. Follow the instructions for the product you actually have, and if you can't find them, ask before spraying anything.
When to call us, and what helps
Call a locksmith when the open-door test points to the lock, when a key is snapping or bending, when a garage handle spins, or when a door won't lock at night. Call us too when a garage door won't stay up or its motor strains. If a door was forced, our break-in repair service is the starting point.
Our lock repair service covers garage handle locks, mortice and cylinder locks and gate locks. Where repair isn't worth it, lock replacement is the alternative. We're open 24/7. The R250 call-out fee. The technician assesses the job on site and gives you the price before any work starts. Nothing is done until you agree. Payment is by EFT, cash or card.
- A photo of the lock from both sides and of the door edge.
- What the open-door test showed.
- For a garage door: manual or motorised, up-and-over or roll-up, and a photo of the inside of the handle area.
- Any brand names on the lock, the key or the gate.
For sliding doors, see sliding door lock problems. For other jobs, our Boksburg mobile locksmith homepage lists everything we do.
Questions
My garage door has a motor. Do I still need the manual lock?
Opener makers say a manual lock should be disabled in the unlocked position once an opener drives the door, to avoid damage. Our technician can check how the motor keeps the door secure.
Should I oil a stiff side door lock?
Check the lock maker's instructions first. Some recommend graphite powder and warn against certain sprays; others say not to spray into the keyhole at all. If the open-door test shows the lock is fine, oil won't help: the door or strike needs adjusting.
Is it worth repairing an old lever lock on a back door?
Sometimes. If the lock body is sound and parts are available, a repair can work well. If it's worn out or too light for an outside door, replacing it is often better value. The technician explains both options and quotes on site.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our lock repairs service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Boksburg, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- ASSA ABLOY: Product care and maintenance — Faulty hinges, warped doors and distorted frames put extra load on locks; graphite powder for cylinders and lever locks; avoid silicone-based lubricants.
- Genie: Garage door opener safety — Remove or disable garage door locks in the unlocked position with an opener; don't remove, repair or adjust springs or parts fastened to them.
- Trellidor: The myth about slam locks — Slam locks are generally weaker than deadlocks; two-key gates invite unsafe short cuts.
- Trellidor: Do's and don'ts of retractable security gates — Do not spray into the keyhole of the cylinder.
- ASSA ABLOY South Africa: Union locksets — Lever and euro profile cylinder locksets described as suited for external doors.