Swelling timber, pitting metal: two very local faults
On the solid timber doors of the échoppes and town houses, the leaf swells with the damp then shrinks again in dry spells. The result: in winter you have to push or lift the door to engage the bolt, when everything worked perfectly a few months earlier. The instinct is to blame the lock; in reality the strain comes from the door frame, the strike plate or hinges that have dropped. An adjustment deals with the cause, whereas replacing the lock leaves it entirely untouched.
The other recurring fault involves metal opening leaves, of which there are many here: doors from former workshops, gates, garage doors exposed to the rain and the damp air off the river. Bolts, rollers and rods develop play, corrosion sets into the keyway, and in the end the key catches every morning. A suitable dry lubricant, a check on the tightness of the faceplate screws and a realignment of the strike plates are often enough, provided the work is done before the mechanism seizes altogether.
Shielded multipoint locks by the river, up-and-over doors in the suburban streets
The recent schemes lined up along the river and towards the route de Toulouse are fitted with shielded multipoint locks, whose rod linkage is protected by a cover. When one point stops engaging, the symptom looks harmless and you get into the habit of forcing it a little: that is how the locking gear ends up bent out of shape. Removing the cover takes method, and getting the door working again often comes down to simply repositioning the top or bottom strike plate rather than to a full replacement.
In the suburban streets of Birambits and the terraced workers' houses of Yves Farge, the garage door serves as the everyday entrance. Its lock takes the rain, its springs and rod linkage work several times a day, and the connecting door between the garage and the house is rarely maintained even though it opens straight into the home. Both of these deserve the same annual check as the front door: fixing screws, play in the leaf, lubrication, condition of the strike plate.
How does this service work?
Techniques, typical situations, standards and things to watch out for: it is all on our locksmith repairs page. This page focuses on what the service involves in Bègles.