Buying a home is something millions of Americans do every year. Once the initial excitement of buying a home wears off, you will need to develop a plan for keeping the various parts of your residence functional. Providing important parts of your home with routine maintenance is the best way to keep serious repair issues at bay.
The average homeowner spends nearly $10,000 on maintenance and repairs. While most homeowners realize the importance of maintaining their HVAC unit and roof, many fail to invest in residential door lock maintenance. Are you trying to keep your residential door locks in good working order? If so, check out the great maintenance tips below.
Lubricating Your Door Locks is Important
The locks on your home’s exterior doors are exposed to the elements. If you have mechanical locks on your exterior doors, you need to realize the importance of lubricating them. Over time, exposure to heat and dirt will negatively affect your door locks. The main thing you need to perform this type of maintenance is the right lubricant. You need to avoid using petroleum-based lubricants and instead opt for a graphite lubricant.
Once you have a can of graphite lubricant in hand, you need to spray a small amount into the keyhole in your lock. After you spray the lubricant in the keyhole, grab your key and move it in and out of the lock in question. By doing this, you can remove any debris that might be contained inside the lock. Lubricating your locks once a year can help you avoid a number of problems.
Don’t Forget To Clean Your Locks
As time goes by, the locks on your exterior doors will become coated in a thin layer of dirt and dust. Allowing these substances to remain on your locks can lead to them becoming unreliable. If dirt enters the inside portion of your lock, you might start to have difficulty opening them with a key. Using a mild soap or detergent to clean your exterior door locks is a good idea.
One of the worst mistakes you can make when attempting to clean your locks is using abrasive chemicals. In most cases, these chemicals will tarnish your door locks and make them look unappealing. This is why you need to use soap and water to remove dirt and grime from the locks.
Test Your Deadbolt and Striker Plate
The older your deadbolt locks get, the harder it will be to keep them working correctly. Instead of allowing a damaged lock to make your home vulnerable, you need to replace it immediately. Staying one step ahead of deadbolt lock issues is easy if you test them regularly. During these tests, you also need to take a close look at your striker plate. If this plate seems bent or unstable, you need to get it replaced immediately.
If your existing door locks are old and unreliable, it is time to replace them. If you want a great deal on new locks, check out the selection of products offered by Lock Connection.