Broken Door Key Extraction

If you have snapped a key off in your lock and cant get it out, or the lock was stiff, broken and the key snapped whilst you were trying to unlock the door, don't panic.

Call me today and I can be there in as little as 30 minutes to remove the broken key from the lock and get you back into your home or office.

Why Do Keys Snap?

Some keys especially from mass market key providers or chain/franchise key cutters are of a poor standard, they are purchased in bulk as blanks and are often of inferior quality and design. This means they can easily snap after a few uses or in a stiff lock. Sometimes the blanks use for key cutting are brittle as they have not been treated properly in manufacturing, this means as soon as they are cut, flaws can develop in the sharper contours of the key leading to fractures and splits. These can be microscopic and you cant always see them, but over time the key fatigues enough to eventually snap. This can happen sometimes in days or it can happen in months.

Whenever it happens its a complete nightmare as it means the front of the key is now inside your locks while you hold the other half in your hand. Because its snapped off, you cannot use a another spare key as the broken bit is in the way. Sometimes you may be lucky and be able to pull it out if its loose, but most of the time, the lock grips the broken part and its hard to get out.

What Do I Do If My Key Snaps?

The best thing to do if you can get hold of the key with your fingertips or nails is to try and gently pull it out. If however the lock has turned even slightly this may be impossible. Don't use tools or sharp instruments to remove the broken key as this can mean more damage to a lock that could otherwise have been repaired.

Often a lock is just stiff because it needs a good service or the key was bent or worn.

More often a key breaks in the lock because its inferior quality, the lock is poorly serviced, worn or the key has worn so much over time its no longer working properly.

If you snap a key in a lock, the best thing to do is call a locksmith, a good locksmith can remove the key, probably get the lock working again and also cut a new key from a quality blank that will work properly and last.