How Weather Changes Affect Your Locks

We seldom consider why are locks are giving us trouble until we start to have trouble with using our keys. Usually, our first thought is what is wrong with my key when in reality it may not be the key at all that is the problem, rather, it could be the lock. There are many factors that can contribute to a lock becoming ineffective. The one way that most people might be familiar with is due to someone attempting to break-in. This can definitely damage the locks of your door. However, you may not be aware of the fact that the change in weather can also adversely affect your locks. As the weather changes, locks are compromised in various ways. Here is what you might experience during certain times of the year.

Warm to Hot (Spring & Summer) Months

So the common problem that homeowners and businesses may experience during the summer are jammed locks. This is when your lock will only turn in one position or not at all. The problem is generally found to occur with exterior doors. The higher temperatures cause the doors frame to get a little wider. If you have experienced this problem, you may also have a deadbolt lock that is also closed, on the door. This within itself will compromise the locks as the door continues to begins to widen around it. Anyone who has wooden doors will notice this problem more so than those who have steel or fiberglass doors. This is because wood is a material that can easily expand and contract, depending on the temperature outside.

Cool to Cold (Fall & Winter) Months

At Surprise Secure Locksmith in Surprise, Arizona, we experience an increase in lock related issues more often during the colder months of the year, especially winter since it often occurs once the temperature is below freezing. In this instance, the door actually does the opposite; it contracts rather than expands. This creates a problem with the lock and door. You may notice an issue with your key not turning when you are either unlocking or locking a deadbolt lock. Yeah, now you see, huh! The problem isn’t the key; it’s the contracting of the door due to the colder weather. Finally, you have an answer to your question. You might find that you can get the lock to open once you pull the door in in order to re-align the lock with the frame of the door. This is not a solution, it is simply a temporary solution that will enable you to lock or unlock your door. The problem, if not addressed by a professional locksmith service, will get worse. You will eventually not be able to unlock or lock the door.

Cold Temperatures and Your Car Locks

Ok, so here is the real bummer. Motorists have found a problem with being able to unlock their car doors because the door is completely frozen. Moisture inside the lock makes it impossible for the door to open, either with a key or remotely. We know this may sound strange but the solution could be for you to simply heat up your key prior to inserting it back inside the lock. Be advised, this doesn’t always help the situation but it won’t hurt to try before contacting a locksmith. If you have a newer model car with remote-start, the engine can sometimes heat up the car to the point of unfreezing the locks. If you would like to try these remedies before contacting a locksmith, you have to know that they may or may not work. However, if you want a sure way to get back into your car as quickly as possible, turn to the services of a local Surprise, Arizona locksmith for immediate assistance.

Preventative Tactics

Unless you have experienced a problem with your locks swelling and not being able to open the door due to this issue, you can only ‘imagine’ how frustrating this situation can be. If you do not want to experience this problem, here are some measures you can take to avoid this from happening to you. It begins with your choice of locksmiths. Select a reputable locksmith service, such as, Surprise Secure Locksmith who can properly install your locks so that it will minimize the chances of this occurring due to the changes in weather.

We know that wooden doors are more attractive than other types of doors offered to you but in order to avoid the problems that occur due to the change in weather, you might want to consider replacing them. There are certain types of doors that are less likely to cause you this type of problem no matter what the temperature is outside. You have the option of choosing a steel door or fiberglass door. Now-a-days, manufacturers are making even these types of doors more attractive than in years past. You are not short on options when it comes to doors.

Finally, lubricating the locks of your doors makes it easy for you to turn them. This is true even when the temperature fluctuate. The correct way to lubricate your locks is to disassemble the lock before hand. If you don’t know how to do this, your best bet is to rely on the services of an experienced locksmith. No matter what type of locks you have, they are more likely able to handle the job than anyone else.

Calling a Locksmith

We have already mentioned at what point it may be necessary to contact a locksmith. Lets recap. If you are locked out in the cold and you do not want to waste time trying to figure out what the problem is or take the measures mentioned above to warm your locks, call a locksmith. When you need someone to take your locks apart in order to lubricate them, turn to a reputable and reliable locksmith. When you need to simply have the locks replaced get the help of a locksmith.

Aricle source here: How Weather Changes Affect Your Locks

What to do with old keys

If you are like most, you have several (if not dozens) of old keys lying around the house, garage, junk drawer, or even in your car. Should you just throw them out with the trash or is that lingering thought in your mind that maybe you’ll need them at a later date? Here at Surprise Secure Locksmith we call them mystery keys as they are sure to lock or unlock “who knows what?” Over time, they accumulate to the point where you know you have to do something useful with them, so maybe our post here will help you dispose of them in an acceptable way.

Where did all these keys come from?

Mystery keys are much like the lost sock drawer; their origins are varied and long forgotten. Your lost keys can come from practically anywhere; old house keys, bike keys, toy keys, car keys, trunk keys, file cabinet keys, padlock keys, storage room keys, desk keys, even old diary keys! If you have a commercial location like a school, hotel or apartment complex, it can get really out of hand! Your time is way too valuable to run around and try each and every key to each and every lock you have. After a while you start to feel like Cinderella’s Prince and the glass slipper! No wonder over 400 million keys get thrown into local landfills every year just in this country alone!

Keys be gone!

The simplest thing to do is to throw all of these old keys out. Out of sight; out of mind; right? Yes and no. If you are like most, you might feel like you could have been a little more creative or helpful to the environment than just tossing those no longer loved or needed keys into the trash. So what can you do?

Recycle them

If you are interested in recycling your old keys, put them in the mixed metal bin, and send them off that way. Some communities furnish large recycle bins on wheels where you don’t separate the items into metal, plastic or paper. Others furnish smaller bins and have you put them in the proper bin. You can call the local Surprise, AZ recycling center to hear about their current policy on metal recycling or if you are reading this and are from another community then do the same in your area. Some recycling centers want you to remove any rubber edging or stickers on the key so that they can be melted down more purely.

Put your keys to work!

It’s true; you can actually make your old, lost keys do something productive. You can donate your keys to Key For Hope. They collect used keys from anyone that wants to be rid of them. They also sponsor key drives in communities and in schools to help raise funds to feed the less fortunate and to help the environment. On average 50 keys make up a pound of metal and this organization sells the metal for scrap and donates 100% of the money to the food pantry of your choice! Talk about WIN-WIN! You get rid of your unwanted keys, the school kids learn about helping the environment, and the hungry get fed!

Crafts and Keys

Are you creative with crafts? You can make items for sale using your old, spare keys. To get ideas, go to Etsy and/or E-Bay online and do a search for key crafts. See what others are doing with keys and how much they are selling them for. Be sure to read the comments and reviews if something sells well or even if it doesn’t, so that you can learn from their success or lack of it. You can sell your crafts to friends, family members or coworkers. You can also sell your crafts at fairs, flea markets, farmer’s markets and local fund raisers. If you are feeling charitable, try donating a portion of the proceeds to a local animal shelter, food pantry or other needy cause. Be sure to let your potential customers know that you are doing this as they may want your key creation to buy, but also to help a worthy cause.

Speaking of E-Bay and Etsy, you can also supply keys to key crafters that sell their goods there. You can either donate your keys to them or offer to sell them your old keys at a price that is agreeable to you both. Try the same thing on Craigslist. Do a search on the Surprise, AZ Craigslist site (or your local community Craigslist). Use the key words “Crafts” “Keys” “Key Crafts” etc. Offer to sell them your old keys and see what comes of it.

Other uses for old keys

When you think about it; there are hundreds of things that you can do with an old key. The question is; do you want to or not? Since you are reading this post, you have some interest in the subject or you wouldn’t have read this far!

Old keys are perfect weights for tablecloths or curtains to keep them hanging properly and not flying around with every breeze or movement. Just sew a key into the hem or lining of the material and watch it stay in place better!

If you have suit cases or backpacks that are lacking zipper pulls, attach a small key to the zipper end and you now have one that will work just as good as it did when new.

Ceiling fans or lighting that uses pull chains are perfect for attaching an old key to the cord. Feel free to attach plainly or to decorate to match the fixture.

If you have neighbors that recycle, you can also use the Key For Hope organization mentioned above, and do a community key drive. Simply collect the old keys from your participating neighbors every so often, and choose a food pantry to be the recipient and help your neighbor friends de-clutter, too. Doing this is also a good way to get to know your neighbors and establish a nice bond with them; that’s always KEY!

Aricle source here: What to do with old keys