Broken Key Extraction & Seized Lock Removal

A key snaps because it was worn, because the lock was stiff and nobody oiled it, or because it was cold and somebody leaned on it. Whatever the reason, half of it is now in the cylinder and the other half is in your hand.

Extraction is a careful job rather than a forceful one. Done right, the broken half comes out, the lock survives, and a fresh key works. Done with pliers and optimism, the cylinder is destroyed and the door frame tends to come off worse than the lock.

Snapped keys

We extract the broken section with proper extractor tools rather than improvising, then check why it happened. A key almost never snaps in a healthy lock. There is usually a worn cylinder, a misaligned keep, a dropped door or a dry mechanism underneath it, and if that is not corrected the next key will snap too.

If the cylinder survives we will service it and cut you a fresh key from the surviving half where possible. If it is worn past saving, we will say so and fit a replacement there and then.

Seized, jammed and failed locks

Mortice locks whose levers have worn or whose bolt has jammed part-thrown
Euro cylinders that have failed internally and now spin without engaging
UPVC multipoint gearboxes that have given up mid-throw, leaving the door locked shut
Rim nightlatches with a broken follower or a seized snib
Padlocks corroded solid on gates, shutters and containers
Locks filled with debris, glue or a snapped key from an attempted break-in

Each of those comes out differently. The point of calling somebody who does this regularly is that the door, the frame and the ironmongery around the lock all survive.

Extraction after an attempted break-in

Vandalised and glued locks, snapped anti-snap cylinders and drilled mechanisms all need removing before the door can be secured again. We extract what is left, fit a replacement, and where the door or frame has been damaged we can make it good or board it the same visit. See boarding up and door and window repairs.

Questions we get asked about lock & key extraction

Can a snapped key be removed without replacing the lock?

Usually yes. The extraction itself rarely damages a healthy cylinder. Whether the lock then stays depends on why the key broke: if the mechanism is worn enough to snap a key, it is worth replacing while the door is open.

I have part of the key. Can you cut a new one from it?

Often, if the broken piece plus the extracted section give us enough of the profile. Keep both halves and bring them out with you. It can save a lock change.

My UPVC door is locked shut and the handle spins. What is that?

A failed multipoint gearbox. The handle is no longer driving the hooks. It usually needs the door opening by manipulation, then the gearbox or the whole strip replacing. We carry common sizes so it is normally one visit.

Why do keys keep snapping in the same door?

Because something is misaligned and the key is doing work it should not have to. A dropped door, a keep that is a few millimetres out, or a dry cylinder will all do it. We fix the cause, not just the symptom.

Emergency locksmith

Locked out, keys gone, or a lock that has simply given up. We open it, usually without damage, and make it secure before we leave.

Lock replacement

New tenancy, lost keys, a relationship ended, a break-in, or an insurer asking for a standard you do not have. All the same job, done properly.

Non-destructive entry

Opening a door without destroying the lock. It takes longer and it costs you less, which is exactly why it is not the industry default.

Enquire about lock & key extraction

Free estimates. Tell us roughly what has happened and where you are, and we will come back to you with a price and a realistic date.

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We reply by email, usually the same working day. We will only use your details to answer this enquiry. See our privacy notice. In a genuine emergency, call 07538 094345.

Broken key extraction and seized lock removal