External door security it vital for any property as it provides protection from potential intruders. This is why maintaining your external doors is incredibly important. With this said it is shocking just how may people don’t consider door maintenance and how much this can actually impact on the overall door security. This is why our team at No Shut Sure Lock Bradford have put together a few of our top maintenance tips to ensure your door is in tip top condition and as secure as it can be.
Ensure Door Is Correctly Hung – Locks have been 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 this is not the case with your door 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 and grime is just as important as keeping your home clean. You can simply clean door locks with warm soapy water. You shouldn’t use any chemical cleaners on locks as this will more often than not cause more harm than good.
Lubrication – Locks should be lubricated every 6 months; this will make sure they keep working as they should and help avoid 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.
Look After Keys – If a key is misused then not only can the key become damaged but it ca also damage 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. If possible, it is always worth keeping 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 multitude of problems, the handle becoming lose or breaking 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.
Know When To Call Out A Locksmith – Doors should always be easy to use, you should never experience resistance or have to use force when opening, closing, locking or unlocking them. If you are experiencing issues with your door or locks, then you should call out a professional locksmith to come and diagnose and resolve the issue before it turns into a much more serious issue that may even leave your property unsecure and vulnerable.
If you are having problems with your door or would like to improve your door security, then contact No Shut Sure Lock Bradford today – 07702 752458