How To Loosen A Tight Door Lock

Work to disassemble your lock and examine the placement of your set screws.

How to loosen a tight door lock.

Use your socket set or screwdriver to remove the piece. Spray a small amount. Spray short bursts of lubricant into the key hole. Handle powdered graphite carefully.

Heat breaks down loctite threadlocker adhesives allowing you to work the screw or nut loose with regular tools. Remove the two screws that hold the lock faceplate on the edge of the door. Position the straw near the center of the lock s key hole. Remove the screw closest to the door stop along the frame on one or all hinges depending on where the door binds.

Otherwise the fine black dust can get everywhere staining surfaces and creating a. Slide the doorknob off the. 1 loosen the setscrew on the knob s shank. Remove the setscrew using the proper type of screwdriver and set aside.

Just gently squeeze a very small amount of graphite powder into the keyhole and then use your key to slowly work the lubricant into the lock. Another way to do it is to coat your key with the graphite powder first and then simply insert it into the lock. Here s how to remove and clean the most common type of door lock. When spraying the lock.

You can tighten a simple interior mortise lockset like the one shown at left as follows. Point the nozzle away from. How to loosen up a tight lock step 1. Start by using a little bit of lubricant and apply more if the lock still sticks.

Get a screwdriver and remove the screws holding the lock on your door. Insert the lubricant s supplied spray directing straw into the can s spray nozzle. Leave the lock in the door but only remove the cover and other parts to get in to clean it. Determine if the doorknob has a setscrew that secures the knob to a threaded post or if has a collar secured with a screw on either side.

If the knob has a screw on either side of it use. Replace the original screws with 3 inch long. Then tighten the screw until you feel it resting against the flat side of the spindle. Use a power screwdriver for this step.

2 hold the knob on the other side of the door and turn the loose knob clockwise until it fits snugly. Once taken apart use gum out or a similar type of cleaner to clean the inside of the lock and all moving parts.