What goes wrong
We handle the common emergencies that send people to the phone: locked out of a house or apartment, a key that snapped off in the cylinder, a deadbolt that won’t throw, a latch jammed behind a warped frame, or an office lock that refuses to release. We work on knobsets, single- and double-cylinder deadbolts, rim locks and mortise locks, and on many vehicles’ door locks when a key is involved. Calls from Nether Providence Township usually describe a stuck thumbturn, a key that turns and slips, or a bolt that won’t retract.
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What the job involves
When we arrive we size up the hardware and pick the entry method that does the least damage. We try non-destructive techniques first: lock picking, using a tension wrench and picks, manipulating the latch, or safely extracting a broken key with specialized extractors. If a cylinder is ruined we remove and replace it, mating a new cylinder to existing keys or rekeying the whole lock. Drilling is a last resort when the mechanism is seized or corroded; when it’s necessary we replace the cylinder and the strike so the door functions properly again.
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Good to know
While you’re waiting, stay where you can control access and keep children and pets out of the doorway. Turn on the exterior light if you can, and clear the immediate work area of plants, mail, or furniture. Give us the facts about the lock over the phone and we will tell you honestly how soon we can come; that helps you decide whether to wait here or make other plans. If you’re at a business, let a manager know we’re coming and where keys or alarm codes are kept.
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Worth knowing
Have these items ready when we arrive: a photo ID and something that shows you live or work at the address, any existing keys, and the door’s behavior, whether the door binds on the frame, how far the deadbolt throws, whether the strike plate is loose or reinforced. If you know the lock type: cylinder, mortise, or rim, tell us, and note whether the door opens inward or outward. We drive out from Havertown to serve Nether Providence Township and nearby towns such as Media or Swarthmore, and having the right information speeds the work and helps us get you back inside with the fewest parts changed.
