Any locksmiths here? Issue with deadbolt on shop door

[scherp69]

This afternoon I had the shop door open. When I was done in the shop, I shut the door and locked it up like I normally do. I went back out to shop tonight and when I tried to open the door, I found the key in the deadbolt won't move at all. I tried two keys, wiggling the key while turning, tried tapping the deadbolt while turning. I have no clue why it won't open now. My only other option, other than calling out a locksmit, is to break a window to get in. It is a Weiser deadbolt that is only a couple years old. It's not a cheap one either and has the anti theft options. Anyone have any suggestions?

[glassman]

The type of door and exposure to south-west-east-north has a lot to do with that. try moving/prying the door up or down (with considerable force) and using the key. sounds like everything has expanded all around it (all the components) and could be binding the mechanism. We run into this a lot with storefronts. Hope this helps....

[scherp69]

Thanks Mike. Tried that and didn't work. The keys not even budging. It just clicks when I turn it, almost like it's broken inside.

I stopped at a locksmith on the way home. He basically told me that Weiser locks fail regularly. He had a box of ones that he has had to take off for people. Said the only way to get past it is to drill it out. Bad thing.....my drill is in the shop. Ugh. Looks like I have to break a window to get in. I've been debating about getting rid of the window anyways and boarding it up as it will give me more wall space inside. That's what I'll be doing tomorrow. I ended up buying a Hecules dead bolt. It looks like a super solid unit, and at $250 it better be. They have ball bearings so they can't be drilled, beefier strike plate where the deadbolt actually attaches so the door can't be kicked in without destroying the frame plus other cool features. Never thought I'd pay that much for a deadbolt.

[glassman]

If you have a conventional storefront the glass can be removed from the outside, carefully (hence my recomendations for alarms) .....(oops, this is a public forum, hope no theives on here lol, but i'm not showing y'all how :superhack: )

[scherp69]

If you have a conventional storefront the glass can be removed from the outside, carefully (hence my recomendations for alarms) .....(oops, this is a public forum, hope no theives on here lol, but i'm not showing y'all how :superhack: )

We had a guy running around the city doing just that. He would take out a bottom window and climb into the store. He'd also beat wait a few of the motion sensors as he would crawl along the floor. We finally caught him but it was a lot of work to get him.

Got the deadbolt replaced without having to break the window. A buddy of mine came over this morning so I told him to bring his drill and bits. Very scary how easy it is to get around a dead bolt with a drill. Definitely worth spending money for a good deadbolt. Here's the style I got: http://www.mul-t-lock-online.com/store/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=152