How to Use a Locksmith Repair System to Replace Door Lock Parts Contrary to popular belief, you can repair and replace many door lock parts on your own, without having to hire a locksmith. All you need is a Locksmith Repair System. Latches The portion of the door that extends into the door frame through the strike plate is called a latch. Latches may become sticky, broken or dysfunctional after years of protecting you from intruders. For added security, you may want to replace a flexible latch with a deadbolt or a positive locking latch since standard latches can be forced open easily. Note that individual latches cannot be bought at a standard home improvement hardware store. However, you may always order them online, or find them at a specialty store that caters to any locksmith. Victoria has locksmiths that point out the fact that replacing latches using a locksmith repair system is very simple. All you need to do is to bring the old one with you, or know the style and type of the old latch. Strike Plates The strike plate is the component of the lock that attaches to the door frame. The door lock only secures or will have positive closure when the latch goes through the strike plate. Since strike plates come in different shapes and sizes, distinguishing whether its opening is rounded, squared or flat on one side and rounded on the other is very important. The latch that goes into the strike plate will depend on its shape. Note that the exterior shape of the strike plate will vary according to the aesthetic features of the door lock. Always remember that the exterior feature is less important to the function of the lock than the interior shape. Since it only needs two screws to mount into the door frame, the strike plate is the easiest portion of the lock to change and doesn’t require the help of a locksmith. Lee-made strike plates are similar to latches in a sense that they are not sold separately, but instead as parts of a lockset at hardware stores. However, online retailers and specialty hardware stores will sell them separately. Cylinders The lock cylinder is the heart of the door lock. Cylinders are parts of a lock that contain the ‘combination’ for the key and regulate whether the door locks or unlocks. There are different methods for changing the cylinder in a door knob, suggests a renowned locksmith. Feltham has locksmiths that would rather opt for re-keying the cylinder rather than replacing it, if a new lock is needed when the key to the door is lost. You may need to replace the entire cylinder rather than just easily re-keying it when a cylinder is sticking, has a broken-off key stuck in it or is damaged. You can purchase a brand-specific locksmith repair system to rekey a cylinder. If you only have a single door
that needs to be re-keyed, a more economical option is to call a locksmith. Dulwich locksmiths will only charge about ÂŁ7 and may be a better choice.