Commercial locks often experience heavy use, employees, clients, suppliers and delivery people may enter and exit through the same doors several times per day. Gradually, the lock may loosen up, become harder to turn, misaligned or even stop working.

Services of commercial lock repairing or installation will help maintain safe and reliable access. The locksmith will analyze the problem and decide whether the lock needs fixing or should be changed.

Fixing locks quickly will save you from unexpected lockouts and minimize chances of the door being left unlocked.

Signs That Your Commercial Lock Needs Attention

Any lock should work properly without additional efforts. Signs of malfunction include keys that stuck, difficulty of turning the lock, loose handles, inability to latch, and necessity to lift or push to lock the door.

The rust on your lock, the visible damage and any strange movements near the cylinder also point to some problems. If the lock becomes harder to use all of a sudden, it should be fixed since the key may get stuck inside the cylinder.

Electronic locks show their problems with flashing warning lights, slow reaction to pressing buttons, rejection of credentials or intermittent unlocking. Such behavior indicates the problem with battery, wiring, reader or mechanical lock hardware.

Typical Commercial Lock Repairs

Some problems can be solved without changing the lock. The locksmith may just tighten loose screws, adjust the strike plate, lubricate lock internals, replace the cylinder, repair the latch or align the door properly.

One of the most common problems of commercial doors is door misalignment. The temperature changes, settling of the property, worn out hinges and damaged door closers may make the latch and strike plate move.

In situations like this, replacing the locks would not resolve the issue, a professional technician will need to examine the entire door hardware consisting of the hinges, door frame, door closers, latch and strike plate.

When You Should Replace Your Lock

Lock replacement is a better decision when the lock is worn out, broken during a burglary, too old or not suitable for the building anymore.

Businesses can change locks during the renovation, when moving to a new office or during installing the electronic access control system. Old hardware will not offer good protection against breaking in and unauthorized key copying.

Choosing a new lock depends on the door style, frequency of use, security needs and building codes. Commercial grade hardware is more durable than the standard residential hardware.

Lock Rekey as an Alternative

Not all security problems require the replacement of the lock. When the key gets lost, stolen or not returned by one of your employees, rekeying will be enough.

During the rekeying, the locksmith will change the configuration of the lock so that old key cannot be used anymore. New keys will be created for your authorized people.

Rekeying is less expensive than changing several functional locks. Besides, rekeying can be used for creating the compatible locks for one key or making a master key system.

The locksmith will help you to decide whether your hardware is in good condition to rekey.

Fixing the Electronic and Keyless Locks

Electronic locks combine mechanical hardware with batteries, wiring, readers and control system. A malfunction may occur in the physical latch, not in the electronic part.

A professional commercial locksmith can check the device, test the power source, replace the batteries, adjust the locking hardware and identify the damaged parts. Some problems related to software or networks may require the cooperation of the system supplier or an IT specialist.

Do not try to slam and force the malfunctioning electronic door since it will damage the reader, electric strike or the door frame.

Improving Security During the Replacement

Changing a broken lock gives a chance to improve the whole door security. The locksmith will recommend to install the reinforced strike plates, extended mounting hardware, stronger cylinders, restricted keys or commercial deadbolts.

For the high traffic doors, the hardware should be durable enough to work every day. High security locks will be required for limited access doors.

Schedule Commercial Lock Service

Problems with commercial locks can influence the safety, accessibility and business processes. Timely fixing will help you to avoid turning small problem into emergency.

A professional commercial locksmith will restore the function of your lock, provide cost efficient solutions and keep your entrances safe.