In apartment complexes this is now the most common way of changing locks on a door.
How to make your door lock more hard.
First clean the keyhole with a penetrating lubricant like wd 40.
Rekeying involves realigning the pins and springs in the inner workings of the lock in.
The more common decorative flat strike plate.
Purchase a rekey kit made specifically for your brand of lock and rekey it yourself.
At the very least place a rod a thick wooden dowel for example in the bottom track of the door to keep it from being opened.
Slide the key in and out of the lock several times to spread the lubricant.
After enough use you might find that your door lock has begun to stick making it difficult to put in turn or pull out your key.
Assuming the door lock is hard to unlock with a key because it is dirty or gunked up inside and not damaged your best bet is to use a dry graphite.
The best way to secure sliding doors is to install keyed locks at the top and bottom.
Wd 40 is a great lubricant but any type of liquid lubricant in your door lock will eventually attract dirt and therefore will gum up the lock.
You can also make or purchase a bar that swings down from the door frame to the middle of the door to prevent the door from sliding.
On the right a box strike plate on top vs.
On the opposite side insert the bar into the channel in the back of the turn assembly plate.
Installing or replacing a strike plate with a stronger box strike model with longer screws and a full metal enclosure for the latch to lock into will improve the door s ability to withstand a few full force kicks photo.
A good way of doing this is to insert a bar into the tracks of the door to impede movement and prevent them from being opened.
Position the lock mechanism such that the keyhole is vertically aligned.
Orient the turn assembly plate such that its top side is at the top.
If you cannot find a local store that will rekey a lock inexpensively you can purchase the necessary tools.
Don t apply household oil to the key or cylinder because it attracts dirt and eventually would gum up the lock spray the lubricant into the keyhole itself and then spray it on the key.
See below for taking apart your door lock and getting it to work like new.
You will have to routinely spray the locks to remove the dirt and dust.