Garage Door Manual Lock Repair: before you call

It is a February morning and the key goes only halfway into the garage handle. Yesterday's melt ran down the door face and into the keyway, and overnight it set like glass. The key flexes; the cylinder stays put.

Worth answering before the call

Does the door close fully to the floor and sit level? Do you want to be able to lock the door by hand during a power outage? Would you like the garage lock keyed to match your house key?

Why does my slide lock stop short of the hole in the track?

Because the door is not resting where it rested when the lock was fitted. A heaved or settled slab, a loosened track bracket, a flattened bottom seal, packed snow at the threshold or an opener limit set a little high all move the door a few millimetres, and a few millimetres is all it takes. The technician corrects the door's closed position or resets the guide so the bar finds its slot again.

How do I keep the slide bolt from rusting solid again?

Keep the bottom corner it lives in as dry as you can: push slush away from the inside edge of the door through winter and wipe salt off the bar and guide on a mild day. A light silicone film in late autumn sheds meltwater. Work the bolt once a month even if you do not use it, since a bar that moves regularly stays free. Any stiffness is worth a call while it is still a small job.