Door lock repair and broken key extraction in Toronto

What probably happened

Keys snap when the brass is thin at the shoulder or when you had to force a sticky lock. The cylinder may still turn with no key in it if set screws loosened or the tailpiece slipped.

Front doors, side doors, mailboxes, and garage entries use different hardware. The tools and price are not the same job.

Cold weather makes old keys brittle. A key that worked yesterday can shear when you rush with gloves on.

What we do on arrival

We check how deep the break sits, whether the door is locked, and if the lock is standard residential or high-security.

Extractors follow the key profile to pull the fragment without widening the plug. Pliers only work when metal still sticks out straight.

After extraction we test the cylinder with a fresh cut from code. Worn copies are a common reason the next key breaks too.

• No superglue: it often seals the lock shut
• Drilling is a last resort, with price confirmed first
• Fresh keys cut from code after extraction when needed

Repair or new cylinder

Scored pins, cracked housings, or a cylinder that was drilled before usually mean replace the core instead of another extraction next month.

Loose knobs and spinning handles are often fixed with set screws, tailpiece alignment, or lubricant meant for locks.

We tell you when a $40 fix beats a full hardware swap, and when cheap fixes will fail again in a week.

Mailbox and garage doors

Mailbox keys are small but the locks are easy to damage with improvised tools. Extraction is usually quick when called early.

Garage side doors often use the same key as the house. Mention if you want everything keyed alike after repair.

What to tell us when you call

Door type (wood, metal, condo fire door), which lock (handle vs deadbolt), and whether any piece still shows.

A photo of the lock face helps us quote faster. You get a range on the phone and approve the final price on site.

If the door is already open, say so. It changes tools and urgency.

Repair vs replace: how we decide on site

Loose set screws and worn tailpieces often repair in place. Cracked keyways, pitted pins, or bent latches usually mean cylinder replacement.

High-security profiles need matched blanks; big-box keys may not enter the keyway at all.

We quote after seeing the lock face, not from a generic “lock repair” price online.

Linked guide for partial broken keys

If metal still sticks out of a house lock, our broken-key how-to walks through safe DIY first steps.

When the fragment is flush, or the lock is automotive, stop and book extraction. pushing deeper raises cost.

Extraction plus a fresh cut from code is often one trip.