Manufacturer’s Recommended
Care & Maintenance of Locksets
 
  Mechanical Maintenance of Locksets
Locks are sold with varying mechanical warranties, 5 years, 10 years, 25 years and even lifetime warranties. The brand, warranty, or price you pay for your locks is not as important as the few easy minutes twice-a-year you should spend on preventative maintenance. Locks almost never fail due to mechanical failure but to improper lubrication and most often no lubrication at all.  Door knobs/levers and handlesets are one of the most used items in a house but are often the most forgot about, until there is trouble.

Signs of a lock needing lubrication are:
1.  The lockset is a new installation
2.  It is difficult to insert key
3.  Key will not insert at all (assuming you have the correct key)
4.  Lock cylinder does not turn easily
5.  Lock cylinder does not turn at all (assuming you have the correct key)

All locks should be litely lubricated at the time of installation and in the Spring and Fall with a spray-in graphite. Most installation and lock care documentation that is provided with your new lockset will impress the importance of preventative maintenance. It is important to use a graphite base product and not an oil-based product! Your entry locks are exposed to heat and inclement weather (some parts of the country worse than others), wet oil-based lubricants tend to collect dust and dirt which tend to shorten the life of  lock cylinders.

   
 

Powdered Graphite Lock Lubricant
A fine, dry, powdered graphite lubricant specially refined and carefully compounded to eliminate harmful abrasives and provide maximum lubrication. Oil-less, stainless, odorless, greaseless, and dripless. Unaffected by heat or cold. The puffer-type dispenser air-floats the powdered lubricant into hard-to-get-at places, eliminating the need for disassembling locks. Use it on your car locks, padlocks and garage door locks too!  Order Here
 
  Appearance Maintenance of Locksets
  The tarnishing of door hardware, especially on an exterior application, is a natural process. This is due to a breakdown of the lacquer coating as it's exposed to environmental conditions such as salt air, ultra violet rays, chemical, and air pollutants. Some areas are more affected by these conditions than others. (Painting the door with hardware installed, installing the hardware on non-cured paint or stain, and cleaning with chemicals are the number one reasons for finish failures.)

To prolong the original finish, several steps can be taken to retard the tarnishing process.
These are:

  • Apply a non-abrasive polymer-based automobile wax to new door hardware before installation. This wax should be applied two or three times a year.
  • Do not install door hardware until after the treating of the door has been completed (paints and stains) and the treatment has cured. These chemicals will accelerate the breakdown of the lacquer coating. You may want to contact the manufacturer of the treating compound to determine when they consider the curing process complete.
  • To clean, use a soft cloth dampened with mild, soapy water.
  • DO NOT use harsh chemical or abrasive cleaners on polished brass door hardware.