Stuck Key in Lock
Key stuck that won't turn? Careful extraction without damage. 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.
Stuck 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
My key is stuck but not broken, can you extract it?
Why does my key get stuck in the lock?
Can I try to unstick my key myself?
Should I change my lock if my key got stuck?
Key stuck in the lock: do not force it
The key slides into the cylinder but will not turn. Or worse, it turns halfway and then refuses to come back out. It is a frustrating situation, and the instinct to yank it free with pliers or twist harder is exactly what turns a minor problem into an expensive one.
Every week, we retrieve cylinders that have been destroyed by improvised extraction attempts. A stuck key is usually a straightforward issue that takes 10 minutes to resolve. A key that has been snapped off inside the cylinder after someone forced it — that is a full replacement. The cost difference is considerable.
Why keys get stuck
Several factors can cause this:
- Worn cylinder — after years of use, internal pins wear unevenly and no longer align properly. Entry-level Vachette and Wilka cylinders tend to show signs after 8 to 10 years of heavy use. Higher-end Mul-T-Lock or Fichet models last longer, but nothing lasts forever.
- Poorly cut copy — a duplicate made at a non-specialist outlet can have variations of a tenth of a millimetre. Enough to work for a few months, then jam on a cold morning. This is particularly common with complex-profile keys from Bricard or Picard.
- Debris inside the cylinder — dust, accumulated graphite residue, or a tiny metal chip from a previously damaged key. The lock seems to work fine and then blocks without warning.
- Frost or moisture — in winter, water that has seeped into an exposed cylinder can freeze and lock the mechanism solid. We see this frequently on front doors in Woluwe, Uccle, and Waterloo, where locks face the weather directly.
What you absolutely should not do
Three mistakes come up again and again:
- Pulling with pliers — the jaws crush the key profile and can tear off metal fragments that fall deeper into the cylinder, making extraction harder.
- Forcing the turn — if the key resists, applying more torque risks snapping it flush with the cylinder face. Extraction then becomes a much more delicate job.
- Spraying WD-40 — it is an oil-based degreaser that attracts dust. It might feel like it helps in the moment, but within weeks the cylinder clogs up worse than before. Use only a dry PTFE or graphite lubricant.
Professional extraction: how it works
The technician begins by applying a dry lubricant into the cylinder, then inserts a key extractor — a thin, toothed tool that slides alongside the stuck key to grip its grooves. By combining gentle rotation with a controlled pulling motion, the key comes free without damaging the pins. This works in the large majority of cases and takes between 5 and 15 minutes.
If the key has already broken and a fragment is lodged deep inside, we use specialised hook extractors. And if the cylinder is too damaged to reuse, we replace it on the spot with an equivalent or upgraded model from our replacement cylinder stock.
Key stuck and you are afraid to touch it? That is exactly the right reaction. Call 0495 205 400 and let a technician handle it properly.