Door locks are an essential part of your doors. Without them, you wouldn't guarantee your safety or that of your belongings. Knob locks are among the many types of locks that you can go for when you are looking to secure your home. They are often used alongside deadbolts to ensure that a burglar cannot access your house in case he or she bypasses the knob lock with a hammer, pliers or pipe wrench. Notably, it is common to run into a couple of problems when you are using the knob lock after installation. The following are some of the challenges you might encounter and a few suggestions of the things you can do to resolve these challenges:

Door Misalignment

If you have trouble operating your knob lock, start by inspecting the alignment of the door on the frame supporting it. The hardware making up the knob lock will only function well if the door is aligned properly to the frame. If your door is sagging, the knob lock cannot latch properly. This will force you to bang the door when closing the door or use lots of force to open it.

You can easily tell if your door is misaligned by examining the space above and below the door. For instance, tight alignment at the top of the door with a large gap on the lower side is an indication of sagging. Such misalignment requires you to reset the door instead of changing the hardware on the knob lock.

Sticking Latches

Sometimes, the door may be aligned properly, but the lock's latch keeps sticking in the lock set. The latch fails to spring back into place after you've turned the knob. This may be due to rust and corrosion of some sections of the lock, especially in cases where the lock has been exposed to moisture and cold conditions. Lubricating such latches will go a long way in restoring their smooth operation, making it easy for you to close or open the door. Spray the lock generously with silicon spray while working the knob lock back and forth until it starts to move freely.

Difficulty Turning the Knob

Are you having difficulty turning the knob? Lubricating the set with silicon spray will reduce the friction between the inner parts of the lockset. In some instances, the knob might be clinging onto the mortises. Therefore, you will need a professional to come in and check if the mortises are moving freely, especially of the problem persists even after lubrication.

For more advice, contact a local locksmith.