The Most Common Problems Encountered With Consumer Locks

The last week I have been called out to numerous people’s houses to fix a problem caused by a contractor who most likely was in a big rush and didn’t finish the job. The primary problem is that they didn’t tighten screws enough. One family recently hired a contractor to install some Baldwin locks on their front door, and they couldn’t get the key out of the front door. This turned out to be because the contractor didn’t screw the mortise cylinder’s retainer screw in all the way, and also didn’t tighten some other screws.
Before you call a locksmith out, check to see if any screws are not finger tight. If they are loose to the finger, try orienting the lock correctly, straight up and down. Then try tightening the screws that are visible. It might save you $65.