Broken Key in Lock
Your key broke inside the lock? Damage-free extraction. Our locksmith arrives in 30 minutes and solves your problem without damage.
Fast intervention
Arrival in 30 minutes
The technician closest to your location is dispatched as a priority. No call center: you speak directly to the locksmith who will handle your job.
No damage in 95% of cases
Bypass, lock picking, decoding: our technicians master all three non-destructive opening methods. Cylinder drilling is only used as a last resort, with your prior approval.
Available 24/7
Dedicated on-call team from 9 PM. Same technicians, same tools, same rates. No nighttime subcontracting.
Free quote by phone
The price quoted by phone includes travel, labor, and standard parts. If a cylinder replacement proves necessary, the additional cost is communicated before any work begins.
Broken Key in Lock right now?
Don't stay locked out! Call us, we arrive in 30 minutes.
How does it work?
1. You call us
Briefly describe your situation. We give you a precise arrival time. Mention the cylinder brand and door type if you know them — it speeds up preparation.
2. We arrive quickly
Our locksmith arrives with all necessary equipment. They contact you 5 minutes before arrival to confirm the exact address.
3. Quote before intervention
We give you the exact price before starting. You approve, then we intervene. If the on-site diagnosis reveals a different issue, a revised quote is provided with no obligation.
4. Problem solved
Quick and clean intervention. You regain access to your home. The technician tests everything in front of you and provides an official invoice.
Our guarantees
Frequently asked questions
Can you extract a broken key without damaging the lock?
Can I get a new key made from the broken piece?
My key broke in a security lock, is it more complicated?
How can I prevent a key from breaking in the lock?
Broken key in the lock: why it happens and how we fix it
You turn the key and feel it give way. Half stays in the cylinder, the other half in your hand. It is a jarring moment, but take a breath — this is one of the most common calls we receive, and in the vast majority of cases, we extract the fragment without needing to replace anything.
Why keys break
A key does not snap out of nowhere. There are always contributing factors, and knowing them can help you avoid it happening again.
- Metal fatigue — every time you turn a key, the metal flexes slightly. After years of daily use, micro-cracks develop in the brass or nickel silver. We regularly see keys that were visibly worn — flattened teeth, hairline cracks along the blade — long before they finally snapped.
- Cold weather — Belgian winters make metal more brittle. Brass keys are especially vulnerable below freezing. We see a noticeable spike in broken-key calls between December and February.
- Forcing a stiff lock — when the key meets resistance, the natural instinct is to push harder. That extra torque is exactly what causes the break. A lock that resists needs servicing, not force.
- Poor-quality copies — keys duplicated at supermarket kiosks or automated machines are often slightly less precise and made from softer alloys. They work for a few months, then snap unexpectedly. A professional key copy lasts significantly longer.
How we extract the broken fragment
The approach depends on where the fragment sits inside the cylinder. If any part of it protrudes — even a millimetre — we grip it with fine-nose pliers and pull it straight out. Takes a couple of minutes at most.
When the break is flush with the cylinder face or the fragment has been pushed deeper inside, we use a key extractor: an ultra-thin serrated tool that slides alongside the broken piece, hooks into the key's grooves, and draws it out. The technique requires patience and a steady hand, but it is non-destructive. The cylinder is not drilled or damaged in any way.
Does the lock need replacing afterwards?
Not necessarily. In around 80% of cases, the cylinder works perfectly after extraction. We test it on the spot with a control key. If the mechanism turns smoothly and without unusual resistance, you are good to carry on using it.
However, if the key broke because the cylinder was already worn or seized, a cylinder replacement is the sensible move. We carry cylinders from Vachette, Bricard, Mul-T-Lock, and Wilka in our service vehicle, so we can fit a new one on the spot.
Preventing broken keys: a few practical habits
- Lubricate your lock twice a year with a dry graphite or PTFE spray. Avoid WD-40 — it attracts dust and eventually clogs the mechanism.
- Replace worn keys early — if you notice the teeth are visibly smoothed or the blade has developed a slight bend, get a fresh copy made before the old one snaps.
- Never force a stiff lock — resistance when turning means something is wrong inside. Have it looked at rather than muscling through it.
Got a broken key stuck in your lock right now? A Janssens technician can be with you within half an hour. Call 0495 205 400, day or night.