When your Maryland home, business, shed, or other valuable property is protected by a padlock, you have the peace of mind in knowing that it’s securely guarded. However, when the padlock isn’t working and can’t open, even you won’t be able to access your own property – and what good is that? In this brief blog entry, the lock repair experts at Top Locksmith will detail the various ways that you can find solutions to broken/jammed padlock issues.
Cleaning the Padlock
It’s possible that the padlock has been clogged through normal gathering of dirt or a potential attempt to break through the lock. There may be rust, dirt, or a burglar’s insertion of spray foam inside the lock, Try putting some lubricant inside the lock in order to help the key slide through, and see if that works.
Shimming
Shimming is a possible solution for locks that have locking pawls instead of ball bearings. Ball bearing locks have cuts that have embedded crescent shape cuts. Locks with pauls have squared or fish hook shaped cuts inside it. Shims are slim metal pieces that can be purchased or even made out of a soda can. Put the shim between the shackle and the lock body and press it down, it’s possible that the lock will open. It’s simple, but requires some deft handywork.
Cutting through the lock
Most locks can be cut through with the proper equipment. Purchase or borrow some bolt cutters, angle grinders, or die cutters. Try cutting the shackle, which is usually the thinnest part of the lock – although locks with shrouds might cover up the shackle. If the shackle has to be released from both sides, you will need to cut it on both sides.
Drilling the inside of the lock
You could try to drill out the core of the lock. Professionals can do this in a way that allows the lock to continue to function afterwards, and amateur attempts to do this usually ruin the lock. You need to drill out the shear line of the lock – and in some cases, the core of the lock needs to be completely drilled out, allowing you to remove the internal mechanisms of the lock.
Contact an experienced licensed locksmith
This is the easiest and safest fix. Contact a licensed locksmith provider like Top Locksmith who has the necessary experience and professional equipment to safely open up the lock in a method that not only is much faster and more efficient than any amateur attempt, but also will likely allow you to continue using the padlock – eliminating the costs of having to replace it yourself, or those of purchasing professional lock equipment that you don’t really need for any other action.