Keys can be prone to breakage, especially if they are old. When your key breaks inside the cylinder, it can prevent you from accessing your home or business or securing the building.
You can either attempt to remove the key yourself or contact a professional locksmith. Locksmiths are professionals who ensure the safety of buildings and possessions with their specialist knowledge of locks and keys. Locksmiths install, repair, provide emergency lockout assistance, and duplicate and cut keys.
If you are attempting to extract a broken key, extreme care must be taken to avoid further damage. Let’s take a look at some useful tips:
Methods
- Appropriately sized tweezers may help to extract a broken key; however, there is a risk of the key being pushed further into the cylinder. Ensure you have enough clearance around the key to carry out the extraction without causing further damage.
- A broken key extractor tool is a professional piece of kit used by locksmiths. Whilst they are effective, you may not have the equipment to hand.
- A small jigsaw or hacksaw blade may be used to slot along the keyway alongside the broken key. The blade needs to be lined up before turning it to leverage the key out.
- The use of superglue may seem counterproductive; however, by supergluing a match or something similar directly to the broken key, you may be able to pull it out.
- If you can rotate the key cylinder so that it is facing the ground, tapping the cylinder may be successful in dislodging the broken key.
Locksmiths
Services such as a locksmith Greenwich and the surrounding areas may be able to assist when you have a problem with a lock or key that prevents access or undermines security.
Emergency locksmiths such as www.allcitylocksmiths.co.uk/local/greenwich/ provide a reliable, professional, and expert service, even out of hours.
Professional locksmiths will be open and transparent about their fees and pricing before they carry out any work, and some will have no call-out charges.
