Door maintenance is often something we put off. Case in point: This morning, as I was heading into my on-suite to get ready, the door hinges gave off a nice loud squeeeeeeak!
For most people, this wouldn’t be an issue. However, when there is a baby in the room who I just got back to sleep, the loud noise made me freeze and cringe. Thankfully the cries never came and my daughter was blissfully unaware of the noise—crisis averted!
While squeaky hinges may not constitute urgent door maintenance for most, you can bet I will oil the hinges tonight.
There are some door maintenance issues that should concern you, though. Let’s review the top four easy, but urgent lock and door maintenance issues for your facilities.
Top Five Urgent Lock and Door Maintenance Fixes
Change Batteries
If you have ever heard the annoying low battery chirp, you will definitely agree that low batteries are an urgent issue. You’ll either replace batteries or hand out lots of Advil for the headaches that ensue if you don’t.
It is important to regularly replace the batteries in your electronic locks and alarms to ensure they continue to function properly.
Generally, it’s very easy to replace the batteries. Most devices take AA batteries, and the battery compartment is easily located and removed with a Philips head screwdriver. We always recommend you use brand name batteries as they will last much longer than generic batteries.
Clean Debris Out of Latch Pockets
If you have doors with vertical rods (shown to the right), it’s important to check the bottom latch pocket into which the rods engage to ensure that they are free of debris.
A lot of foot traffic generally leads to a lot of debris, which can easily work its way down into these holes. If there are rocks or trash in the pocket, there is no space for the rod to fully engage.
This leads to two things.
- It will be easier to shake the door loose because the rod isn’t as secure; and
- The device can eventually break from constantly jamming into a shallow latch pocket.
Slamming Doors
While a slamming door may not seem like an urgent door maintenance, it tells you that either the closer has leaked fluid and needs to be replaced, or that it needs to be adjusted.
Slamming doors that are not quickly repaired end up with a host of other issues that will cause damage to the door hardware, locking hardware, and ultimately the door itself.
If you have a slamming door, it’s important to call a door technician to come take a look.
Dragging Doors
Similar to slamming doors, dragging doors are urgent door maintenance issues that can lead to numerous other problems if not addressed.
Unfortunately, if your door is dragging, you likely already have some other serious door maintenance issues such as loose hinges, misaligned hardware, and undue stress on locking hardware and closers.
Dragging or sticking doors necessitate an immediate call to a technician. The fix could be as simple as tightening hinge screws, or it could be more in-depth. The sooner you call the better.
If you keep up with these four door maintenance issues as soon as you notice them, your repair bill will be much lower than if you don’t.
Are there other lock and door maintenance issues you regularly inspect? Do you need help with lock and door maintenance? Let us know!