Lever locks that sag or spin, mortise locks that jam, keys that stick, deadbolts that stop short. Priority Lock and Security repairs, rekeys and replaces the locks on commercial doors across Tampa, with grade 1 and grade 2 hardware matched to the door's traffic.
We install, repair, rekey and replace the locks on suite entries, office doors, interior passages, restrooms, storage rooms and back doors: cylindrical lever locks, mortise locks, commercial deadbolts and ADA lever hardware. The hardware is chosen by grade for the door it goes on. ANSI/BHMA grade 1 is the heaviest duty commercial rating and belongs on main entries, common area doors, stairwells and back doors that get hit with carts. Grade 2 is a sound choice for suite entries and interior doors with normal traffic. Grade 3 is residential hardware and does not belong on a commercial door. Most of the failed levers we see on busy doors are the wrong grade for the door, not defective locks.
A loose lever usually means the through bolts that clamp the lock through the door have backed out with daily use. Caught early, the lock comes apart, gets checked and goes back on properly tightened. A drooping lever is a worn return spring, often a light duty lock on a busy door. Left alone, the lock shifts in the door, the latch stops lining up, internal parts wear, and eventually the lever spins free or comes off in somebody's hand. At that point replacement with the correct grade is the better repair, and we can keep the new lock on your existing key.
A mortise lock is a heavy lock body that sits in a pocket cut into the edge of the door, with the lever, the cylinder and often a deadbolt all working through one case. They are common in the older buildings of Ybor City and downtown Tampa, and most can be repaired: the case opens, gets cleaned and rebuilt with new springs and parts, and the cylinder threads out separately, so rekeying does not disturb the lock body. When a mortise lock is past repair, the replacement has to match the pocket in the door and the existing trim holes, so identifying the lock correctly matters before any parts are ordered. A photo of the edge of the door tells us most of it.
Try the key with the door open. If it turns freely, the lock is fine and the door is out of alignment, so the bolt or latch is rubbing the strike. If it is still stiff with the door open, the problem is the key or the cylinder. Keys that are copies of copies drift out of spec, and a fresh key cut from the original code often fixes it. Cylinders also wear and collect grit, especially on exterior doors. Do not spray oil into the keyway; it holds dirt and makes things worse. A key that is getting harder to turn is a key that will eventually break off in the lock.
A deadbolt is only locked when the bolt is thrown all the way out. A bolt that stops halfway into the frame has almost nothing holding it and can be forced. If your key stops short or grinds, or you have to pull the door toward you to turn it, the frame or the strike needs correcting, not the lock. We fix the strike, the alignment and the hardware in one visit, and we replace worn commercial deadbolts with the right grade for the door.
Lever handles that operate with a closed fist, without tight grasping or twisting, are what accessibility rules expect on doors the public uses. We replace knobs and worn levers with ADA lever hardware and set the door's closer so it opens with reasonable force.
Text a photo of the door and the hardware to 813-421-4787. We will tell you what it is and what it takes to fix it.
Text a photoGrade 1 is the heaviest duty commercial rating and grade 2 is a step below it, built for lighter commercial use. The grades come from ANSI/BHMA standards, which test locks for how many open and close cycles they survive, how much force and abuse they take, and how the finish holds up. Grade 1 belongs on doors with heavy traffic or rough treatment; grade 2 suits suite entries and interior doors with normal traffic. Grade 3 is residential hardware and does not belong on a commercial door.
A loose lever means the mounting screws that clamp the lock through the door have backed out. A drooping lever means the spring that holds the lever level has worn out or broken. Caught early, the lock can be taken apart and properly tightened; a sagging lever is usually a worn spring in a light duty lock on a busy door, and replacement with the correct grade is the better repair.
Most mortise locks can be repaired. They are built to be serviced: the case can be opened, cleaned and rebuilt with new springs and parts, and the cylinder comes out separately for rekeying. When one is past repair, the replacement has to match the pocket in the door and the existing trim holes, so the lock has to be identified correctly before parts are ordered.
Usually, yes. If the new lock uses the same keyway as the rest of the building, we pin it to your existing key or to your master key system. If the building has a mix of lock brands, some cylinders may need to be swapped so everything accepts one key.
Yes, for multi-tenant buildings: we replace and rekey the tenant compartment locks on privately owned cluster mailboxes at turnover or when keys are lost. The carrier's master lock on the panel belongs to the Postal Service, and only they can service it.
More answers: the full question and answer page. If your question is not there, text a photo of the door to 813-421-4787.
We will tell you what it is, what it takes, and when we can be there.
