| By :
Eva Judge
It's amazing what a little bit of WD-40 can do when it comes to keeping locks and latches in good shape. If a building inspection has revealed that the locks and latches in your home are not in good condition, you should work on taking better care of them. Prevention Is Key - Like so many other things in a home, when it comes to taking care of locks and latches, prevention is key. It's amazing how easy it is to maintain a lock; all you really need to do is keep it properly lubed up. The easiest way to do this is to simply squirt some WD-40 into the locks and latches on a regular basis. This simple measure will help you keep them working in top form. How To Handle A Sticky Latch or Lock - When a latch or lock becomes sticky, follow these steps to try and remedy the situation: => Spray WD-40 directly into the latch or lock, then take a key and turn it around inside it a few times. Try putting a layer of graphite on the key first, as from a pencil, as it may help. => Older locks may need to be disassembled. Loosen the screws then pull them off of the door. With deadbolts, unscrew the lock faceplates followed by the handles or knobs. In some cases, you may need an Allen, or hex, wrench. => Take off the faceplates and latch screws for the latch mechanism on the inside edge of the door. => Lubricate every single moving part from the latch and lock set. You can use WD-40, liquid graphite, silicone, motor oil or another kind of lubricant. Squirt some on the key, too, and insert it into the lock and wiggle it around. => Put your lock back on the door and you should be all set. How To Handle A Faulty Latch -- If a latch in your home won't stay closed or close properly, there are a couple of options for remedying the situation: => If the latch is too large for the striker plate, or female portion, remove the plate. Hold it down with a clamp and make the hole larger. Ideally, make it larger on the parts where dents or other evidence of it being hit have occurred. => Try moving the plate either up or down in the event the striker plate is misaligned. Extend the mortise, or recessed block, behind the striker plate. Lengthen the top or bottom of the mortise with a wood chisel. Use wood putty or glue to fill in the gap.
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