Failure of locking devices through severe weathering.
One of the issues that we face here in Cornwall and indeed around the coasts of Great Britain is weathering and failure caused by the weather. Working as your local locksmith Marazion and across West Cornwall, one such task was undertaken way back at the end of September 2011 which highlights this issue well.
We were requested to carry out a number of jobs at the very nice Godolphin Arms in Marazion, Penzance. One job was very basic and was to just change the latch in an internal bedroom door.
However, the other job was to change a very rusty rim cylinder in an old Yale High Security night latch (Pics 1–3). Because this door is nearly sea facing and right by the edge of the sea front it was no wonder the lock was in such bad condition. The original job was to just change the cylinder but unfortunately when we took the lock off of the door in order to separate it, the whole lock simply fell apart. After nearly 45 minutes trying to put it back together and get it to work correctly, it was decided to replace the whole thing. Due to the size we did not have one in that size in stock so it was ordered for next day delivery. The property was still secure in the meantime as this was a second lock in the door.
Coastal corrosion like this is something we come across fairly regularly working as locksmith Marazion and along the Penzance coast. The sea air, particularly in an exposed position like this one overlooking Mount’s Bay, gets into every part of a lock mechanism over time. The springs, the cams and most critically the cylinder all suffer and once corrosion takes hold there is very little that can be done other than replacement. It is something we would always recommend keeping an eye on if you own or manage a property close to the sea – a new cylinder is a fairly small outlay compared with the cost and inconvenience of a lock that has failed completely at the wrong moment.
Locksmith Marazion: Door Repairs and Lock Replacement
Unfortunately we did not take more photos than the couple here but the door was also in bad condition around the old lock site so it was decided to move the lock further up the door and repair the old site. We patched the old site and then filled and rubbed it down (Pics 4–8) and once it is painted you should not see the old site at all.
The last two photos show the finished job for the replacement lock. The night latch we fitted was not the same standard as the one removed as the cost would be quite considerable and as they had a very good quality British Standard mortice lock it was decided that a decent standard quality would do.
Although the replacement night latch was not the same high specification as the original, it was more than adequate for the job in hand. As already mentioned, the door also had a very good quality British Standard mortice lock fitted, which is really the main security lock on the door in any case – the night latch being primarily for convenience and as a first line of defence. The two together gave a good overall level of security for the property and the customer was happy with the end result, both in terms of security and the general condition of the door.
The job was topped off with a very nice fish and chips and the food and the service is highly recommended and well worth a visit.
Need a locksmith Marazion or locksmith Penzance? Owl Locksmiths cover Marazion, Penzance and all of West Cornwall seven days a week, including 24-hour emergency call-outs. Give us a call on 07503 985947.
