How to Fix Problems of Sliding Door Locks

When it comes to sliding doors, they are widely used in bathroom or balcony at home. Sometimes, people find that they can not easily open the sliding door, then they can not enter the bathroom or the grassland outside. So, you should figure out the problems of sliding doors and fix them quickly for the security of your house. Locksmiths tools are necessary to keep at home, which help you fix lock problems quickly in emergency.

 

Common reasons a sliding door won’t lock include misalignment, gumming, or lock damage. Misalignment comes from the door bending or expanding. Gumming is the result of rust or other debris clogging the lock internals. And damage includes hardware breakage and wear.

 

Why You Can not Open Sliding Door Locks Smoothly?

Locks are Lack of Lubrication

In many cases, all it takes to fix a sliding door lock is a little lubricant. This fix is not always permanent, but it can get your sliding door open for further repairs or replacement. Before we get to the application of the lubricant, you need to make sure you have the right substance.

 

The best door lock lubricants will not use an oil base. If you use standard WD-40 or other oily lubricants, the liquid residue attracts dust and other debris. So even if the lock opens at the moment, it is likely to gum up and stop working. This can happen as quickly as a few days.

 

If the lock is open and the door will not move, you can lubricate the track. But if you are trying to fix a sliding door lock, apply the lubricant inside any keyways. With no keyway on your sliding door lock, lock maintenance requires the application of lube to the bolt, latch, or internal mechanisms.

 

Lubrication can fix a sliding door latch stuck in the locked position or even get a latch that is not extending to move again. If the issue is that something is not moving as it should, the non-moving piece is what you need to lubricate.

 

Repair the Sliding Door Locks

Lock repair is what most people think of when they picture how to fix a sliding door lock. This is the process of mending or replacing parts of the lock without changing the lock entirely. Doing this work yourself is not always possible and often requires a locksmith.

 

Many cheap sliding door locks break permanently if they are ever taken apart. However, something like a mortise lock is built to be serviceable. To fix sliding door locks with repair, the lock must be designed to disassemble and reassemble.

 

If your sliding door uses a mortise lock, the lock body will slide out from a pocket carved into the door. The lock body can then be opened for more extensive cleaning or to assess if any springs or actuators have broken. With an inside view of the lock, you can better see what needs repairing.

 

Fixing jams can mirror the process of getting a broken key out of a lock. You may need to tweeze and pry at debris or jammed lock components to remove blockages. If any parts have become disconnected, they can be reattached to their proper position.

 

Replace the Sliding Door Lock

Sometimes the best way to fix a sliding door lock is to replace the lock. This is done in instances where the existing lock cannot be disassembled without breaking, when replacement parts are no longer available, or when the cost of a new lock is cheaper than new parts.

 

The only issue you are likely to encounter with this sliding door lock fix is buying a lock that fits your door. Whether it is patio door lock replacement or screen door lock replacement, different doors are built to accommodate different styles and sizes of lock.

 

Most sliding doors cannot be adjusted to fit a new style of lock. Material on sliding doors is often limited by a screen or glass. So if your sliding door uses a mortise lock, you need to replace it with a mortise lock of a similar size.

 

Sliding door lock replacement is rarely done to achieve better home security, as these entryways have certain inherent security flaws that undermine whatever lock is used.