in this video I'm going to show you how
to troubleshoot and fix a deadbolt that
is sticky or not working not turning
very easily the problem is going to be
inside the lock cylinder that is the
thing where the key goes in and it can
be stiff and difficult to turn if it
gets worn the other area where it can be
is where the bolt goes into the doorjamb
and it can rub and make it difficult to
turn so how do you determine if it's in
the cylinder where the key goes in or in
the place where the deadbolt goes into
the wall well pop it with the door open
if the key operates it then it's not in
there it's where this is going into the
doorjamb
so let's say that you have determined
the problem is in the cylinder that is
that the key just won't work won't open
and close the deadbolt won't throw it
open and closed two things you try first
of all your key might be really worn go
find the rest of the keys see if any of
them work if that doesn't work it may be
that this needs lubrication you don't
want to use oil in there you want to use
a dry lubricant like graphite so this is
graphite spray it's got little little
tiny bits of graphite which is kind of
nice and slippery it's carbon in a
solvent that basically evaporates so
you're only left with the powdery
graphite and I will warn you this stuff
absolutely stains like crazy it's black
and if it gets on a carpet or your
clothes it's in there to keep so keep a
piece of paper towel handy
just spray a little bit of graphite lube
in there put the key in turn it in and
out a few times
strengthens and that may get it they
might do it a couple of times you want
to wipe off this and want to wipe your
key off too because it's full of that
black stuff so let's say you use the
graphite lube and your key still doesn't
want to turn still too stiff or you've
got to wiggle it all around and get a
turn that means that basically the
cylinder is is worn and you need to get
a new cylinder or dead book the easiest
way to do that is to take this whole
thing out first of all call down to your
local locksmith if you got one see what
they'll love if they can do it while
you'll wait to put a new cylinder in
there you know is going to cost you
fifteen to twenty five the question is
how do you get the deadbolt off the door
easy there's two screws on the back of
it
ie that part that faces inside the house
and you just unscrew those so you have
the screws out going to pull off the
back here
I'll let the front part and you have
Keis out of the deadbolt take that down
to your locksmith he's going to put a
new cylinder in it and you're going to
be good to go
installation is just the reverse this
goes in the outside part this goes on
there and the two screws go in and
you're done another thing that can cause
this to be stiff is wear or damage
inside the actual lock mechanism or this
thing's it's not being aligned properly
you're going to be able to tell if
there's a problem inside the deadbolt
from both the back here and the front
the key will be difficult to open and
close the deadbolt it will just be stiff
first thing to try is just loosen off
these screws move the whole thing around
a bit it will flex just a little bit and
see if you can open and close it nice
and smoothly if that's the case okay
tighten it up and see if you got it if
it will open and close you know if it
doesn't try that again until it works
the other thing you can take off this
whole back plate give it a good spray
with the graphite lube put it back
together see if that works
if that doesn't work you might want to
look at replacing the whole dad
sometimes the deadbolt can get out of
alignment with the door as the house
settles and that can make it rub this is
where the bolt goes in ah it can rub
against the back the back the front top
or the bottom it can adjust that by
filing it we're taking a dremel to it
and making it basically a bigger hole
where it's rubbing I am just taking the
strike plate off right now
and that's the strike plate and it's
usually fairly soft metal so if you take
a file you can usually take a fair bit
out or a dremel sometimes if the bolt
doesn't go in there very easily and you
look inside it might be some wood
sticking up that hasn't been trimmed
completely
this one's just perfect but you can trim
that wood using a chisel or a razor
knife you get in there