How often should I lubricate my door locks?

Once or twice a year is enough for most homes in Burlington and Hamilton. If you notice a lock becoming stiff or slow to turn — especially after a cold winter — lubricate it sooner. Use a dry graphite powder or a silicone-based spray; avoid oil-based products, which attract dirt and gum up the mechanism over time.

Is rekeying cheaper than replacing a lock?

Usually, yes. Rekeying changes the internal pins so old keys no longer work, while keeping the existing hardware. It's a cost-effective option when moving into a new home, after a breakup, or any time keys have changed hands. Lock replacement makes more sense when the hardware itself is worn, damaged, or a lower-security grade you want to upgrade.

What causes a sticky or hard-to-turn lock?

Common causes include debris in the keyway, worn or slightly bent keys, misaligned door hardware, or dried-out internal components. Ontario winters can also cause door frames to swell and shift, putting side-pressure on the bolt. Don't ignore a stiff lock — small problems tend to get worse and can lead to a lockout at the worst possible moment.

Residential Security Updated June 27, 2026

Door Lock Maintenance and Home Security Tips (Burlington and Hamilton)

By Treco Locksmith & Security · rated 5★ across 205 Google reviews · serving Burlington & Hamilton

Locks are easy to ignore until something goes wrong. A stiff deadbolt, a key that won’t quite turn, or a worn spare you never got around to testing — these small things tend to surface at the most inconvenient times. The good news is that a little routine attention goes a long way.

Here is what actually matters for keeping your locks in good shape and your home properly secured in Burlington, Hamilton, and the surrounding Halton and Hamilton regions.

Keep Your Locks Clean and Lubricated

Lock mechanisms are precision hardware. They work thousands of times over the years and are exposed to weather, dust, and the general grime that builds up around any high-touch surface.

A few times a year — and always after a harsh Ontario winter — give your deadbolts and knob sets a quick inspection:

Apply a dry graphite powder or silicone-based spray to the keyway and moving parts. Avoid WD-40 and oil-based lubricants; they feel good initially but attract dirt and leave a sticky residue that worsens over time.
Tighten the screws on strike plates and hinges. Loose hardware lets the door shift, which puts side-load on the bolt and accelerates wear.
Check that your deadbolt throws and retracts smoothly without forcing. Resistance is a warning sign, not a quirk to live with.

Canadian weather deserves its own mention. Freeze-thaw cycles cause door frames to swell and contract, and that movement can throw off deadbolt alignment even on a well-installed door. Our post on how Canadian weather impacts your locks and hardware covers the seasonal patterns specific to this region.

Inspect and Replace Worn Keys Before They Cause Problems

A worn key is a slow-motion lockout. As keys get copied and used, the cuts gradually lose sharpness. At some point, they will skip over the pins rather than lifting them cleanly.

Replace any key that feels rough going in, requires jiggling, or only works at a certain angle.
Test your spare keys periodically. A spare that has been sitting in a drawer for two years may have developed a slight bend or been cut poorly in the first place. Find out now, not when you need it.
Never leave a spare hidden outside — under a mat, in a fake rock, on a ledge. Burglars know every hiding spot. Leave a spare with a trusted neighbour or family member instead.

Deadbolts, Door Knobs, and Why You Need Both

One of the most common security gaps in residential homes is relying on a door knob lock alone. Knob locks are not designed to resist forced entry — the mechanism sits inside the knob itself and can be sheared off. A properly installed grade-1 deadbolt, with a bolt that throws at least one inch into a reinforced strike plate, is your primary line of defence.

That said, deadbolts and knob locks serve different functions and work best together. Our breakdown of deadbolt vs. door knob lock security explains exactly how they complement each other and what to look for when upgrading.

High-traffic doors — front entries, back doors off decks — wear out faster than interior hardware. If a lock is more than ten to fifteen years old, or if you can feel looseness in the cylinder, it is worth having it evaluated. Worn locks are more susceptible to forced entry and more likely to fail at a mechanism level.

Rekey When Keys Change Hands

Most break-ins happen through unlocked or inadequately secured doors, not sophisticated bypass techniques. Controlling who holds working keys is a basic but underestimated part of residential security.

Rekey your locks any time:

You move into a home (you have no way to know how many copies of those keys exist)
You lose a key, even briefly
Keys have passed through a contractor, cleaner, or previous occupant

Rekeying changes the internal pin configuration so that old keys no longer operate the lock, while your existing hardware stays in place. It is almost always less expensive than replacing a lock and accomplishes the same security objective. Our residential locksmith services include rekeying, lock replacement, and security consultations for Burlington and Hamilton homeowners.

Smart Locks Still Need Mechanical Maintenance

Smart locks add convenience and remote access, but the underlying mechanical components still wear, still need lubrication, and still depend on a properly aligned door frame to function correctly. The electronics do not compensate for a stiff bolt or a frame that has shifted.

If you have or are considering a smart lock, keep the same inspection habits you would with a traditional deadbolt. The battery level gets most of the attention — the physical mechanism often does not until something fails.

When to Call a Professional

Some issues are not DIY fixes: a cylinder that spins freely, a deadbolt that no longer latches, or a door that has shifted significantly in its frame. Attempting to force a malfunctioning lock can turn a service call into a lock replacement or door repair.

If your lock is not behaving the way it should, or if you want a straightforward security assessment of your home’s entry points, contact Treco Locksmith & Security. We serve homeowners across Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville, Stoney Creek, and the broader Halton region — and with a 5.0-star rating across 205 Google reviews, getting this right for our clients is something we take seriously.

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