mortice locks colapsed

[cabbyste]

I have 2 mortice locks on the back door of my house , one of the locks has collapsed in the locked position and the key to the other one has broken in the lock also in the locked positon , any sugestion' s as to how i can get them open, thanks

[Prudentia]

either call in a locksmith or simply drill them out.

[cabbyste]

how do i drill them out ? what part do i drill , apologises for my ignorance !!

[scotman]

Are you saying that the door is now permanently locked or just that the locks no longer work.
If the door is locked shut then get a locksmith

[Prudentia]

the levers are like a wing, the hub is about one quarter of an inch from the left hand edge.

[Prudentia]

are you anywhere near derbyshire or stoke on trent!

[cabbyste]

i live in liverpool , the door is locked shut ,

[alavahalf]

I often get called to this predicament...lost key or broken lock..
There are various tools readily available to pick mortice locks..but they are expensive, and as you only want to open the door once...they are out of the question.
Depending on what quality of lock you have will determine how you open it....
If it is the cheaper 3 lever lock..as a rule I get a hacksaw blade and cut through the latch...just lower the blade down between the door and the frame until you feel the latch, and get sawing...it's normally brass and you will be through it in no time.
If its a better quality 5 lever lock it may have an anti- saw hardened steel roller fitted in the latch...(you cant see this unless you have the door open)...once you start to saw you will find the blade seems to skid without cutting...this means you have hit the hardened steel roller...
Not a problem....get a grinder with a thin metal cutting disk.
You need a slightly larger blade than the common 115mm, to allow you to get a deep enough cut.
I've done dozens of them...and the grinder never fails.

[alavahalf]

One more thing... if we get a call at work... requesting to gain entry to a premises, and I am not available, the office usually call a locksmith to cover for me...

For a mortice/deadlock we usually pay around �150-170..
...another reason for having a go yourself.

[cabbyste]

thx for all your assistance , well i never knew it but i did have a 'cheaper 3 morticeone' ....hacksaw worked a treat ....!!!! cheers

[alavahalf]

Hope it's not too late....but dont re-fit the same type.
Have a look on eBay and you will get some 5 lever ERA or Chubb locks... for the same price as the 3 lever in a local hardware store. ...Altogether a better lock..
The trouble with most 3 leverlocks, is they are easily opened with 2 bits of wire.

Dont worry only 8 out of 10 of us are likely to have an attempted burglary...!

Have a good nights sleep..!

[BillyBB]

Avoid ERA they wear out too quickly these days.
Alva, outside of London you shouldn't be paying more than �75 - �95 to open and replace a BS mortice during office hours. Get your lot to track down the local ICL member.

[Roddyspidercreat]

Look in keyhole, if it looks like a piece of metal across the keyhole, put small screwdriver in the little horseshoe shaped hole at top and turn the direction that clears the hole. Broken key.. if you can see the key use small screwdrivers and long nosed pliers to ease out. If key bit is not visable then it should open with a spare key. Any other problems that iv not answered youd probably need a locksmith?

[alavahalf]

You learn something every day .. I never knew you could add an answer to an 11 year old question !
Hope cabbyste isn't still sat by the back door !