Deadbolt Stuck? Try This Before Replacing It

You use your deadbolt every day without giving maintenance a thought. It’s a crucial part of your home security and one you might even take for granted. But one of these days, it will jam up, and you won’t be able to open it. Don’t panic; it doesn’t need replacing, just some lubricant to unjam the deadbolt. It will be as good as new in just a few minutes.

Dry Teflon lube spray is a quick way to get your lock working again. It’s a better choice than graphite because the lubricant sprays on wet and soaks into the lock mechanism. The solvent evaporates, leaving behind a dry, slippery powder that keeps your deadbolt in good working order.

You may not even have to disassemble the lock to correct the jam. The fix may be as simple as lubricating the lock cylinder. If that doesn’t work, though, don’t panic! You can easily tackle the next step of this fix: lubricating the bolt mechanism. Either way,

Lube the Lock Cylinder

Start with the simplest portion of the fix: lubing the lock cylinder. Leave the lock cylinder on the door and spray inside the keyway. Then, insert your key and twist it several times to work in the lube. That should be enough to unjam the deadbolt, but if it’s still sticking, move on to the next part of the lock.

Lube the Bolt Mechanism

For the next portion of this fix, you’ll need to lube the bolt mechanism itself. Remove the two screws that hold the lock cylinder and pull it from the door. Then, saturate the bolt mechanism with the spray lube and twist it back and forth with a flat-blade screwdriver. Reinstall the lock cylinder and you’re good to go. Your deadbolt is unjammed and should be operating smoothly.