Margate was incorporated in the 1950s and did most of its building in the 1960s and 1970s. It is one of Broward more affordable established cities, with a housing stock dominated by single-story homes, villas, and low-rise condominiums from that period — which means a great many Margate doors are still carrying their original locks.
The 1960s and 1970s core
Margate central neighborhoods were built out through the 1960s and 1970s: concrete block single-family homes on modest lots, plus villa and condominium sections. Construction in this period was straightforward and the door hardware that came with it was builder-grade.
Locks you will find: Cylindrical knob locks from Schlage and Kwikset, with deadbolts either original on the later builds or added afterward on the earlier ones. Sixty years is a long service life for a lock. The most common problem we see in Margate is not a broken lock but a worn one — the key turns but takes effort, or has to be pulled back a hair before it will rotate. That is worn pin tumblers, and it ends with a key snapping off or a cylinder that will not turn at all.
Villa and condominium sections
Margate has a large share of attached villas and low-rise condominium buildings. These units usually have one entry door, sometimes a screened enclosure in front of it, and a rear slider.
Locks you will find: Unit-door cylindrical locks and deadbolts. In many buildings the mailroom uses cluster boxes with individual cylinders, and those cylinders are among the most frequently replaced hardware in this kind of community — they are small, they are used daily, and they jam.
If you are buying a villa or condo in Margate, rekey the unit door before you move in. The previous owner may have handed over two keys, but nobody can tell you how many were cut over thirty years.
Newer western sections
Later development on the western side of the city added newer single-family homes and townhomes with modern hardware and, on the most recent builds, impact-rated entry doors.
Locks you will find: Current residential-grade locks with deadbolts standard. These generally need rekeying rather than replacement.
What to check on an older Margate house
Three quick things you can look at yourself. Open the door and throw the deadbolt with the door open — the bolt should extend a full inch. Look at the strike plate screws: if they are short, they are only holding into thin trim and will not resist a kick. And check whether the door has any play in the frame when it is closed and locked; a loose fit means the bolt is not seated properly in the strike.
None of those require a locksmith to diagnose, and all three are inexpensive to correct.
Call Broward County Locksmith
Broward County Locksmith serves Margate and the surrounding Broward communities. Licensed and insured. Flat-rate pricing quoted before we dispatch.
Call (954) 888-8800.
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