A customer in Weybridge got in touch because the internal door to the garage was locked shut. They had the key, but the deadlock would not open.
This turned into one of those jobs where the actual cause only became clear once the lock was finally out of the door.
A small screw inside the mechanism had worked loose. That was enough to shift the internal gearing out of position and block the lock completely.
I spent more than an hour trying different ways to release it without damaging the door or lock. I tried to gain enough access to manipulate the internal mechanism manually, but the hardened components and the way the gearing had shifted meant the bolt simply would not retract.
I also tried to get the mechanism to realign, but it would not move back into a position where the key or internal parts could operate it normally.
Eventually there was no sensible non-destructive route left, so I removed the failed lock destructively. Once the case was out, the internal fault confirmed why the earlier attempts had not worked and why the lock had been so completely jammed.
The customer did not want a replacement fitted at that time, so I cleaned the area thoroughly, removed the debris and left the opening safe and tidy.
It was not one of my favourite outcomes, but sometimes a completely seized mechanism leaves very few realistic options, even after a lot of careful troubleshooting.
