Can Sea Air Rust Your Locks?

Can sea air rust your new locks? How can we help you with salt air corrosion protection? Call 247 Locksmith Near Me today to get the best price.

If you live near the ocean and love every second of it but you also own a vehicle, you might be confronted with a paradox. The gorgeous sea and the amazing scent you breathe every day apparently has a less fortunate effect on your beloved car and your home. Namely, you are prone to various types of lock and key problems due to salt air corrosion taking its toll on your locks.

While you might feel more relaxed and peaceful, the locks on your car or home's entryway might be suffering. It's not just the locks that might suffer from your proximity to the sea., the entire body of the vehicle and everything made of metal will eventually deal with the hassle of being covered in rust from the exposure to sea air and salt air.

To come to your help, here are a few of the most efficient preventive methods you could consider if you wish to stop your car or home locks from turning into a victim of sea rust. But first, let's find out exactly what rust does to your car or home locks and why it is essential to know how to steer clear from it.

What Does Salt Do To Your Vehicle?

Shortly put, rust is nothing but iron oxide on metal surfaces that is responsible for triggering changes into the aesthetics of the respective metal. Whenever metal is exposed to water you have the conditions for rust and as there is more salt the oxidization process is accelerated.

Living near the ocean automatically means you are subjecting your vehicle or home locks to these chemical changes. The result will consist of changes in the texture of the surface, as well as the problematic weakening of the metal.

Salty sea air that surrounds your car is also part of the same list of negative factors influencing the look of your car. A rusty lock will eventually turn brittle, lose its normal sturdiness and prevent you from inserting a key into the cylinder. Therefore, lockouts are almost inevitable. A lock that is not working under normal parameters will make your vehicle more vulnerable in the hand of potential thieves. If you are already dealing with a key stuck in lock issue, pick up the phone and give us a call. We are available 24/7 for all car lockout problems and we can reach any address within approximately 30 minutes from getting in touch with us.

If you looking to learn how to handle a rusty lock issue caused by salty sea air, these next few pointers should come in handy.

Reasons To Replace Your Rusty Locks

• You notice your locks have lost their original colors or you see any signs of fading metal. Look for traced f brown, orange or red on the locks.

• Search for a rough texture on the locks. Feel a “healthy” set of locks on a different vehicle if you are not sure what your locks should feel like when touched.

• You are having issues inserting the key inside the locks, or pulling them out safely.

• Your key is stuck in one of the door locks and you are afraid you might risk breaking it in half in case you try to extract it on your own.

If one or several of these issues may have turned into reality, you could try to have the rust cleaned using DIY or professional rust-removal methods. Just keep in mind, at times, because of prolonged exposure to rust and salted sea air, a locksmith may recommend you to have your car or home locks replaced.

Use Locks That Handle Saline Conditions Well

One of the best preventive measures you can take to stop your locks from falling victim to the sea air in the area is replacing your old locks with marine locks. These are specialized locks that have been designed to effectively withstand the harmful effects of exposing the vehicle to the salt in sea and ocean water. The manufacturing of these particular types of locks is normally completed with the help of stainless steel. This material can handle corrosion caused by salt a lot better than other materials. The same locks also feature plastic coatings for enhanced protective features. It is also common to discover rubber gasket on these special rust-resistant locks, in the area between the body and the shackle.

At times, a marine lock will feature a weather-resistant body, while the inner-workings will be made of different materials that do not have the same characteristics. Feel free to get in touch with our professional, licensed and insured lock technicians and find out what kind of marine locks we can provide you with for enhanced protection against rust caused by sea air.

Keep in mind keys can also be affected by the same rust since they are also made of metal so be sure to keep them in a safe and dry place, away from the conditions that cause rusty locks.

Can Regular Lock Maintenance Help?

Shortly put, salt air corrosion protection can help, but only to some extent. This type of preventive measure cannot prevent a lock from eventually corroding. However, if you are only dealing with a small amount of rust, our skilled technicians can help you get rid of it without too much hassle. They can fix the damage caused by the surface rust or recommend you to have the locks re-keyed if the problem is more serious.

Boat locks can also be affected by rust-causing salt air. Give us a call, let us come to your help and send you off on that fishing trip in no time. We handle all types of home, vehicle, and boat lock issues and we can clean rust, replace or re-key any known type of lock for good rates. Contact us today for more information!