020 7608 0809 help@metrolocks.co.uk

A turned curtain is when your key suddenly won’t go into your Chubb-type lock.

Chubb lock The curtain is the not-quite-closed tube that constitutes the key-hole. This is a piece of metal that defines what key can fit. If I take your key and copy it onto the wrong type of blank, the curtain will prevent me from inserting it into the lock.

You can see the curtain in the picture on the right, at the top of the key-hole.

The curtain turns with the key so that, when you pull the key out, the curtain is back in the normal position.

Sometimes, especially if a lock or key is quite worn out, it may be possible to accidentally pull the key out when the curtain isn’t in the normal position. This means that you won’t be able to put your key in, until the curtain is back in the normal position.

How do I fix it?

If you’ve access to tools, you may well be able to fix it yourself by using a screwdriver or similar to move the curtain (pictured right) into the correct position. It’s often a bit fiddly, but not too horrible to do.curtain

The best way to fix a turned curtain is, ultimately, to do something to stop it from happening. If your lock is ancient and in a bit of a state, the best thing to do is to simply replace it. That way you or the other users of the door needn’t worry about getting locked out in that way.

If the culprit is a worn-out key, then, if it’s possible, just get a new one cut. It’s not necessarily totally straightforward, because a copy of a worn-out key is likely to work like a worn-out key, even if it’s new. Ideally you would take a spare key that’s hopefully in good condition and get a copy made of that. That may well solve the problem.

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