Questions and Answers

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) that customers ask about.

2014-11-05

Q: As a home owner, can I work on my own locks?

A: Yes, mostly.

Story: A home owner called last Tuesday morning. His lock was rusted out and stuck and he wanted to work on it, though his room mate insisted that a professional locksmith needed to be hired to legally work on it. I told him that I according to my understanding, that in Alberta, Canada, that people can work on locks that they own. Locksmiths licencing is needed to work on other people locks, in most circumstances. As long as he was handy/competent at work, I said it should be fine and dandy. He also wanted to know how to properly lubricate the lock which is the subject if the next FAQ.

2014-11-06

Q: If my door lock (deadbolt in this case) is rusty and sticking, what should I use to lubricate it?

A: We have special locksmith grade lock lubes (LPS), which are also food grade, but for home owners, you can use spray lube (teflon or graphite or silicone) to lubricate most parts of the lock except for the key hole itself. For the key hole area itself, try to only use dry graphite lock lube (looks like pencil shavings). For rusty parts, WD-40 spray is good too, but in general, WD-40 tends to gum and freeze. WD-40 however is great on rusty parts.

If lube doesn't fix a stuck deadbolt, it is most often the mis-alignment of the deadbolt with the hole it goes into the door frame. We adjust those for quite a bit of homes in Calgary.

Have a question we can answer? email us at DavidLocsmith1982@gmail.com, txt or call us 4032802993

David Locksmith