Locked in
Can't believe it's nearly a week since I last posted. I have this big work project that I'm working on right now and it's consuming all my spare time.
We had an interesting weekend in which we were prisoners in our own home. Well, OK, that's a slight exaggeration but it almost felt that way.
It all started on Saturday. I was sitting at home watching the
FA Cup Final on TV, Sue and Daughter had gone shopping and Son was out so I was enjoying the most exciting FA Cup Final in ages in peace and quiet. West Ham were playing the team that I support, Liverpool (it's a long story as to why I support them). West Ham were 3-2 up and looking the likely winners when Liverpool scored a dramatic goal in the closing minutes to level the score and take it to extra time. Then half way through extra time there was no further score and it looked like it was going to go to a penalty shoot-out. And then the phone rang.
It was Son wanting to be collected. Argggh! Could he just hold on for 20 minutes until the match finished? He said he'd start walking home. The road he would have to walk along is a narrow country lane with no pavement. If he'd got hit by a car I would never have forgiven myself so I told him he could walk the first quarter of a mile where there is a pavement and he had to wait for me there. With luck I would just make it back in time to see the penalty shoot-out.
I drove as fast as I dare through the country lanes, picked him up, raced back, yes I would be just in time to see the start of the penalty shoot-out, put the key in the door…quick, quick quick…just gonna be in time… and the key stuck in the lock and refused to budge. Argggh! My first inclination was to put my shoulder to the door and bust it down, but I thought better of that. Time to take a deep breath, calm down and figure out what was happening. Something in the door lock had jammed and the key was only turning half way round in the lock. We have a back door, but that was locked from the inside. So more deep breaths and try to gently coax the key to turn in the lock. Finally, after a few minutes it worked - we were in.
I was just in time to see the last penalty - Liverpool won.
So I figured it was time to get a new front door lock - I didn't want to have to go through that again. Off to the local DIY store, found a lock of the right type and size to fit without major carpentry required to the door. It's a mortice lock like the one in the photo. I had some minor adjustments to do to make it fit but no real problem.
So - problem solved…or so I thought.
The next morning (Sunday) Daughter had to get up early to do her paper round, went to open the door - the lock had jammed and she couldn't get out. I tried too, fiddled about with it for ages but couldn't get the lock to open - it was jammed tight. And, of course, it's impossible to remove the lock without opening the door.
We do have a back door, but because of the layout of our house to get out that way you have to walk down the garden, through a gate into my parents' garden, through a neighbour's garden, out on to a road and then round the block to get to the main road. (The bit about the neighbour's garden, by the way, is a typical situation with old houses in the UK where there are often complicated arrangements with back gardens.) So that was what we had to do every time we had to get in or out of the house. Major hassle? Umm…yep.
I decided that we'd have to put up with it on Sunday, though, because to call out a locksmith for an emergency call on a Sunday would have involved major expense.
On Monday morning I called the manufacturer of the lock, explained what had happened and asked if they had any advice. I was told to hit it with a hammer! One of the levers inside the lock had probably jammed and putting a block of wood on the door and hitting it hard with a hammer would probably free it.
Anyway, after quite a lot of hammering, just as I was about to give up and call a locksmith, it finally worked. Then it was another trip to the DIY store, exchange the lock for a new one.
So by Monday lunchtime we finally had a functioning front door. And without the cost of calling a locksmith. Phew! And I'm very glad to say the new lock has been fine…so far.
So our weekend was rather dominated by a damned door lock. It certainly makes you appreciate when something works properly, something that you've always taken for granted.
We had an interesting weekend in which we were prisoners in our own home. Well, OK, that's a slight exaggeration but it almost felt that way.
It all started on Saturday. I was sitting at home watching the
FA Cup Final on TV, Sue and Daughter had gone shopping and Son was out so I was enjoying the most exciting FA Cup Final in ages in peace and quiet. West Ham were playing the team that I support, Liverpool (it's a long story as to why I support them). West Ham were 3-2 up and looking the likely winners when Liverpool scored a dramatic goal in the closing minutes to level the score and take it to extra time. Then half way through extra time there was no further score and it looked like it was going to go to a penalty shoot-out. And then the phone rang.
It was Son wanting to be collected. Argggh! Could he just hold on for 20 minutes until the match finished? He said he'd start walking home. The road he would have to walk along is a narrow country lane with no pavement. If he'd got hit by a car I would never have forgiven myself so I told him he could walk the first quarter of a mile where there is a pavement and he had to wait for me there. With luck I would just make it back in time to see the penalty shoot-out.
I drove as fast as I dare through the country lanes, picked him up, raced back, yes I would be just in time to see the start of the penalty shoot-out, put the key in the door…quick, quick quick…just gonna be in time… and the key stuck in the lock and refused to budge. Argggh! My first inclination was to put my shoulder to the door and bust it down, but I thought better of that. Time to take a deep breath, calm down and figure out what was happening. Something in the door lock had jammed and the key was only turning half way round in the lock. We have a back door, but that was locked from the inside. So more deep breaths and try to gently coax the key to turn in the lock. Finally, after a few minutes it worked - we were in.
I was just in time to see the last penalty - Liverpool won.
So I figured it was time to get a new front door lock - I didn't want to have to go through that again. Off to the local DIY store, found a lock of the right type and size to fit without major carpentry required to the door. It's a mortice lock like the one in the photo. I had some minor adjustments to do to make it fit but no real problem.So - problem solved…or so I thought.
The next morning (Sunday) Daughter had to get up early to do her paper round, went to open the door - the lock had jammed and she couldn't get out. I tried too, fiddled about with it for ages but couldn't get the lock to open - it was jammed tight. And, of course, it's impossible to remove the lock without opening the door.
We do have a back door, but because of the layout of our house to get out that way you have to walk down the garden, through a gate into my parents' garden, through a neighbour's garden, out on to a road and then round the block to get to the main road. (The bit about the neighbour's garden, by the way, is a typical situation with old houses in the UK where there are often complicated arrangements with back gardens.) So that was what we had to do every time we had to get in or out of the house. Major hassle? Umm…yep.
I decided that we'd have to put up with it on Sunday, though, because to call out a locksmith for an emergency call on a Sunday would have involved major expense.
On Monday morning I called the manufacturer of the lock, explained what had happened and asked if they had any advice. I was told to hit it with a hammer! One of the levers inside the lock had probably jammed and putting a block of wood on the door and hitting it hard with a hammer would probably free it.
Anyway, after quite a lot of hammering, just as I was about to give up and call a locksmith, it finally worked. Then it was another trip to the DIY store, exchange the lock for a new one.
So by Monday lunchtime we finally had a functioning front door. And without the cost of calling a locksmith. Phew! And I'm very glad to say the new lock has been fine…so far.
So our weekend was rather dominated by a damned door lock. It certainly makes you appreciate when something works properly, something that you've always taken for granted.
posted by Ed at 11:47 PM
6 Comments:
One of those unforeseen inconveniences huh? At least you won't have to worry 'bout the lock for the next few decades. :)
Wow, i'm glad you finally got that fixed. If that happened to me ... I'd have to rappel down three stories to get out! :)
Whew, Ed...
got that door opened just in time!
My grandmother was born in Liverpool...
and my family, throughout England, all root for Liverpool. I have even visited their field on my only trip to England. My son even received as a gift, one of their beautiful jerseys, and wore it until he could not fit it any more. :+)
Ed: There's much to be said for the benefits of "percussive maintenance".
It works just as effectively with old-style door locks as it does with staticky radios and dashboards.
Fly, unforseen inconvenience - yep, I think that about covers it. :)
Bellarosa, hope you've got your abseiling gear ready!
Steve, I don't actually have any connection with Liverpool, other than having some fairly distant family there. When I was young my father and I used to go and watch a local team here in Wales and their star player signed for Liverpool. I started following him at his new team and ended up supporting Liverpool as a club. I don't actually get to go to their matches, though, due to the distance involved and the fact that Son has no interest in football - he prefers rugby.
Mossy, percussive maintenance - I like that! If in doubt hit it.
Good grief. I never knew locks could be such a pain in the butt. I'm glad you got that thing fixed but man what a pain. Oh - and congrats on Liverpool winning the game --- glad you got to see it.
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