New York winters punish locks: moisture gets into cylinders, freezes overnight, and leaves you jiggling a key at 7 AM in the cold. A little prevention beats a lot of cursing.
The single best winter habit: keep your locks lubricated with a dry graphite or Teflon-based lubricant — never WD-40 or oil, which gum up in cold weather and attract dirt. A quick puff into the keyway each fall is enough.
If a lock is already frozen, warm the key with your hands (not a lighter — you'll damage modern key coatings) and work it gently. De-icer sprays made for locks work too. Never force a frozen lock; that's how keys snap.
Exterior padlocks and gate locks are the most vulnerable. If yours freezes regularly, consider a weatherproof cover or upgrading to a winter-rated model.
And if a key does snap in a frozen lock — stop, call us, and don't try to extract it with tweezers. We'll get it out without damaging the cylinder.
Open 24/7 across NYC. (212) 300-7173