Just last week, we got three calls about drilled locks. Three, in one week. They came from homeowners and even a real estate agent, and each one had the same problem: a lock someone had already tried to drill.
One of those calls came from a real estate agent with a condo on the market. The lock was being tricky, and the agent asked us to come fix it. When Mike took a closer look, he found it wasn’t just tricky. At some point, someone had drilled that lock and then jerry-rigged it just enough to keep it working. A drilled lock, quietly patched together, on a home for sale.
Most of these calls start with the same sentence:
“I already tried to fix it myself, but...”
Then Mike pulls up, takes one look at the door, and sees a hole drilled right through the lock face.
Sometimes a key snapped off in the cylinder, and a drill seemed like the quickest way to pull it out. Sometimes someone got locked out at the end of a long day, and the cordless drill in the garage looked like the fastest way back in.
I get it. When you’re standing on your own front step with a key that won’t turn, you just want to be inside. But after enough of these calls, I want to share what we see on the other side of that decision, because a drill can turn a simple fix into a much bigger bill.
So let me show you a few of the locks that have come home with Mike.
What’s been landing on our workbench
First, this Schlage deadbolt. Look around the cylinder, and you’ll see holes drilled on either side, with the cylinder chewed up in the middle. There’s no fixing this one. It’s headed for the replacement pile.
Next, a handle from an Andersen patio door. See that rough hole just above the keyhole? That’s where the drill went in. Now it isn’t only the lock that got hurt. The trim around it took a beating too.
And then there’s this one, which honestly makes me a little sad.
It’s a heavy mortise lock, the solid, old-fashioned kind built to last a lifetime. It’s stamped 6-15-89. That lock had been opening and closing for someone, day in and day out, for more than 35 years.
Then someone drilled it.
The bit went through the cylinder opening and tore into the steel case. Once the inside of a lock and the case around it are damaged like that, nobody can bring it back. Thirty-five good years, and it ended up in the scrap pile.
Why a drill does so much damage
A lock cylinder looks like a solid piece of metal from the outside, but it isn’t. Inside are tiny pins, springs, and a little plug, all made to fit together just so. A drill goes through each one in seconds.
Something most people don’t know: good locks are often built to fight back against drills. They have hardened steel pieces inside for exactly that reason. So the bit slips and wanders, and before you know it you’ve scratched up the faceplate, the housing, the trim, and sometimes the door itself. It’s the same reason a quality lock is worth paying for: the cheap one gives up the moment someone goes at it.
Yes, a locksmith will sometimes drill a lock. But for us it’s the very last thing we try, not the first. Mike knows where to drill on a particular lock and has the right bits. That’s a far cry from a cordless drill and crossed fingers.
What we can usually do instead
The good news is that most of the time, we can fix things without hurting the lock at all.
A broken key? Mike has special tools made just for pulling broken key pieces out of a lock. Once the piece is out, he checks that the lock still works the way it should, and you can go right back to using it.
Locked out? In most cases, we can get you back inside without a scratch on your lock or your door. That goes for homeowners in Germantown, Maryland, just as much as anywhere else in Montgomery County.
That’s what we try for every time. We’d much rather you keep the lock you already have than pay to replace one that didn’t need to be ruined.
The math nobody does in the moment
When you’re stuck outside, grabbing the drill feels like the quick, free option.
It usually isn’t.
If you call us first, it’s often one visit. The key comes out, or the door opens, and you go on with your day.
If you drill it yourself, you may end up buying a new lock, paying to have it put in, maybe getting it rekeyed to match your other doors, and fixing the trim or the door on top of all that. And once a lock is damaged, there’s no undoing it. A lock installed wrong is a problem of its own, so even the replacement has to be done right.
That “free” fix can turn into the most expensive way into your own house.
So what should you do next time?
Keep it simple. Don’t attempt to fix it yourself. Call a reputable locksmith.
If a key breaks off in the lock:
Stop turning the key.
Don’t go fishing for the piece with tweezers, bobby pins, or anything else from the junk drawer.
Please skip the superglue. It makes it much harder to get the piece out.
Hang on to the other half of the key. It helps us.
If you’re locked out, leave the toolbox where it is and pick up your phone.
And if a child, a pet, or anyone’s health or safety is at risk inside, call 911 first.
How to find a locksmith you can trust
The best time to find a good locksmith is before you need one. Put a local locksmith’s number in your phone today, so you’re not searching online while you stand on the porch. If you live in Germantown, Gaithersburg, or anywhere along the I-270 corridor, that’s the number to have ready before you need it. Here’s how to tell a real locksmith from a fake one.
A few things to look for:
A real local business. An actual address nearby, and someone who answers the phone with the company’s name.
Honest pricing. Ask what it will cost before the work starts. Be careful with a very low price online that suddenly grows once the truck pulls up.
They ask who you are. A good locksmith will want to see ID or proof that you live there before opening a door. That’s them looking out for you.
Neighbors who’d call them again. Real reviews, and people you know who’ve used them.
We’re just a phone call away
At Mike’s Locksmith, Mike goes out on the calls himself, and he takes real pride in fixing things the gentle way. Broken key, stubborn lock, or locked out at the worst possible moment, he wants the same thing every time: get you back in and leave your door in one piece.
We offer free estimates and assessments, and we stand behind our work with a 100% guarantee on materials and labor. If you’re a homeowner in Germantown, Maryland, Mike comes to you, whether it’s a snapped key or a door that won’t open. Our residential locksmith team also serves Rockville, Bethesda, Silver Spring, and the rest of Montgomery County.
So the next time a key snaps or the door clicks shut behind you, think of that poor 1989 lock.
Put down the drill. Pick up the phone. Your lock and your wallet will thank you.
If you're in the DMV area and thinking about upgrading your home or business security - cameras, locks, smart access, or all of the above - we're always happy to talk it through.
Mike's Locksmith proudly serves homeowners and small businesses across Maryland, Virginia, and DC. Read it on Substack.
