Nothing’s more frustrating than coming home from a tough day at work only to find that the key you use every day to get into your home isn’t working as it should. If it’s sticking in the door lock and you know your door knob is the culprit, this article will teach you how to lubricate your door lock to run more smoothly.
First, understand how to diagnose a sticky lock that simply needs lubrication. A good way to conduct this test is simple: try turning the key in your door’s lock even as the door is open. If there’s still stickiness, then there’s a good chance that you’ll need to use lubrication.
So what kind of lubrication do you use? First, remember that the lubrication you apply to the door lock will likely stay there. For that reason, you’ll want to use something that won’t cause problems down the road. Graphite powder will work for you. Why not use petroleum-based oil? You can, but remember that it could stay in there and collect dust and even get on your key. If you’ve used lubrication of a certain type in your doorknob before, try to use the same one, as you don’t want to mix lubricants.
To use the graphite powder, insert the squeeze-tube pointing upwards into the door lock, squeezing the tube a few times to shoot the powder into the lock. Make sure that you apply the powder to the door bolt, as well, just to make sure you have your bases covered.
After applying the powder, use your key to insert into the lock and turn it over and over, moving the graphite powder around to as many areas as possible.
Once you’ve done this, you shouldn’t have any more problems with your door lock unless the problem isn’t with the lubrication. There might be something wrong with the doorknob itself, in which case you’ll need to make more extensive repairs or even replace it. If you find yourself pushing or pulling the door in order to get the lock to work, then your door’s alignment is the problem.
If the graphite powder did the trick, you should be ready to use your door lock easily again! Enjoy, and make sure to stay on top of your home improvement so that you never need to get frustrated after those tough days at work.
If a door lock is rusted or corroded, it can be hard to get the key in, hard to turn all the way, and also sticky and hard to get out. A lubricant might help your worn-out lock work for a little while, but it won’t solve the problem. The lock will need to be fixed or replaced at some point.
