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First off, I never enter through the front door, only the garage, so if you can believe it I've misplaced the key to the deadbolt but never noticed since I don't use it.
But, I also rarely open the door from the inside - only very occasionally if there's a package. The inside lever has been hard to turn for a long time but I figured it was due to the door and humidity/dryness whatever - not the lock per se.
Well, I've forced the lever with success in the past..but now the lever is actually turning all the way around but not unlocking the door - I wanted to unlock from the outside but like I said, I can't find the &$%^* key!
Despite the lever turning completely, it almost seems like if I can turn it a little more that it will unlatch...but now I'm confused WHICH WAY to turn it to open - clockwise or counterclockwise?
Or - have I already "broken" the lock and that's why the lever is turning all the way around? Should I call a locksmith? I'm not gonna be able to take out the lock on my own...
You probably broke the bar on the cylinder. Not sure what that part is called (think is cam bar). Take out the two screws from the inside see what's going on.
Most deadbolts I have seen have a slot in the body of the deadbolt. Usually if you take the 2 screws out that hold the inside and outside parts together, you can put a screwdriver or some other object in to turn and release the bolt. if that part turns without moving the bolt, you have more serious problems that will require other means to get the door open. That however is very rare.
You may need to replace the deadbolt once you get it open. If the bolt moved freely once the door was open in the past, the problem is with the alignment of the deadbolt with the hole in the jamb. A new deadbolt will not correct that issue. If the bolt still stuck when the door was open, the problem is with the deadbolt itself.
Yes... or you can grab a screwdriver and take the back of the lock.
Never a good idea to force things... sometimes a door will need to be "Lifted" or "Pushed Down" if things have settled... happens a lot here with the drought.
The strike may need to be raised or lowered or if just a little... I use a file or my dremmel... to enlarge.
Just unscrew the lock from the inside of the house and take a look. If you can get the lock assembly out of the door, all you have to do is go to home depot or lowes and get a new one. I replaced my front door knob and deadbolt myself... I am a 67 year old female. This is not rocket science!
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