Jammed or blocked door — unjammed without breakage

You have the key, it enters the lock — and the door still refuses to open. Or worse: the key turns loose, the bolt stays out, the handle is dead. A jammed door is the most treacherous case in locksmithing, because every forced attempt worsens the failure. Our approach: diagnose first, unjam cleanly, and replace only the part that is actually dead.

The six most common causes

A stuck deadbolt — the frame has shifted with the seasons and the bolt binds in the strike. A seized mechanism — years without lubrication, or greasy sprays that turned to paste. A key turning loose — usually a broken cylinder cam, sometimes a disconnected multipoint linkage. A swollen door pressing on the frame and pinching the bolt. Desynchronised multipoint rods — a top or bottom point no longer follows. A foreign object in the cylinder. Each has its own fix — and none of them is solved by forcing the key.

Prices

Fixing the cause, not just the symptom

A jam never comes from nowhere: it is the end point of wear or misalignment months in the making. After unjamming, we treat the cause — strike and hinge adjustment so the door no longer loads its bolt, full dry lubrication, swollen-door correction. Two habits then keep your lock alive: an annual shot of dry lubricant (graphite or PTFE, never cooking oil), and never slamming a door by pulling on the key.

FAQ

My key turns loose — full replacement? Rarely. Usually the cylinder alone, or the cylinder-to-case link. The on-site diagnosis settles it before anything is replaced.

My door has been rubbing for weeks — related? Very likely: a rubbing door loads its bolt. A hinge adjustment now prevents the complete jam later.

See also