Window locks are latches and catches that hold a window shut from inside so it cannot be slid or pried open from outside. The call we get most: the catch misses, or the sash slides open. King Locksmith and Doors Inc. installs, replaces and repairs them across Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia, licensed, insured and bonded for 25 years.
Double-hung and sliding windows use a cam lock, a half-moon lever swinging into a keeper, the hook on the other sash. Casements, the crank-out kind, use a multipoint lock: one handle throws two or more bolts into frame keepers. Vent stops, catches that let a sash open inches, complete the family.
Wood rails take wood screws, vinyl needs screws seated in molded bosses, aluminum takes machine screws, so we match fasteners first. ASTM F588, the forced-entry test for windows, tells us which lock holds. Building code requires a bedroom escape window to open from inside without a key, so keyed locks stay off those openings in District of Columbia rowhouses.
Ground-floor and basement windows are the easy way in, because a loose cam lock gives to a flat bar in seconds. A tight lock, or a pin lock through both sashes, turns that window back into a wall.
You keep your air too. A vent stop holds a sash a hand’s width open while the gap stays too narrow for a person. Most replacements fit the existing screw holes, so the upgrade costs less than one deductible. Ready to close it? We install same visit.
We fit window locks most often on basement and ground-floor windows, on shop rear windows, on daycare and classroom windows where vent stops limit how far the sash opens, and on casements in older office suites and churches across NOVA whose multipoint hardware has worn out.
They are wrong on a bedroom escape window if they take a key, and on a rotted or racked frame, where a new window is the real fix. Not sure? We survey it free.
Walk us through your home or building once. We check every window, recommend the right lock for each opening, and install them before we leave.
5 brands earned space on our trucks by fitting the windows we meet: replacement parts in stock, hardware that holds, locks that match your frame.
Truth makes multipoint locks and crank operators inside many casements, and we stock its handles and tie bars, so a stiff window locks again today.
Prime-Line sells replacement cam locks, keyed sash locks and pin locks in common screw spacings, so most worn latches swap out without new holes drilled.
National Hardware cast sash locks and vent stops fit wood double-hung windows in older homes, so a rattling sash becomes a firm, quiet lock today.
Roto hardware runs the tilt-and-turn windows on European-style buildings, and we service its gearboxes and keepers, so a window jammed mid-tilt closes and locks again.
Most common: the latch closes but misses, because the sash dropped and the cam, the swinging half-moon, no longer reaches the keeper. Second: the lock spins or pulls off, its screws stripped out of vinyl or rotted wood rail. Third: the lock has seized, pitted by condensation or corroded inside a casement gearbox.
We check sash alignment first, then screw grip, then the lock body, because a new lock on a dropped sash soon fails. Locked out? Our mobile units respond 24/7. Call (240) 345-1455 in Maryland or (202) 800-2622 in Washington DC and NOVA.
A missed catch is a repair: we shim or relocate the keeper, the cam’s hook, so the lock pulls the sashes tight. Stripped screws get longer fasteners or threaded inserts; a sound but seized gearbox is cleaned and lubricated. A cracked cam, bent tie bar or discontinued parts mean replacement.
We measure screw spacing, sash thickness and frame material so the new lock drops onto the existing holes, no drilling. Where a latch is not enough, we add pin locks or vent stops. We install, test, confirm any escape window still opens without a key, and our in-house door expert trues the frame. Free estimates.
A window that slides open from outside is an open door, not a maintenance ticket. Call (202) 800-2622 now or book window service online.
Window locks secure basement openings, shop windows and classrooms, but every door has its match. Browse our lock type resources below to see each function, its applications and our services.
Straight answers from King Locksmith Technicans to on Window locks questions customers ask us most.
(240) 345-1455
Not the escape window. Code requires it to open from inside without a key, so we fit vent stops.
Almost always. In Maryland we stock wood, vinyl and aluminum frame locks for existing screw holes.
