Lock hardware in Kenner takes damage on a schedule, not randomly. Hurricane season (June to November) is when salt-laden storm surge and wind-driven rain do the worst corrosion. Peak summer humidity (July to September) is when doors swell and jam. Winter (December to February) is when hardware that survived summer neglect finally fails, because that is when it gets used hardest — more comings and goings, more slamming against a door that was already tight.
Most people maintain locks the way they maintain smoke alarm batteries — not at all, until something fails. In Kenner that is a more expensive habit than it is most places, because the climate here works on hardware in three different ways depending on the time of year. Knowing which month you are in tells you what to actually check.
January – March: the aftermath of winter use
Doors have been swinging on cold, dry hinges and getting used more than any other season — holiday visitors, deliveries, kids in and out. This is when loose strike screws and worn tailpieces show up. Quick check: grab the door handle and see if the whole assembly rocks. If it does, tighten the through-bolts before it gets worse. Why does my door lock feel loose covers the rest of the diagnosis.
April – May: the window before summer humidity
This is the best two months of the year to do maintenance, because the ground is at its most stable and the air has not turned tropical yet. If you have been meaning to rekey after a winter of visitors, get a lock cleaned and lubricated, or have strike plates reinforced, this is the calmest stretch to do it in.
June – November: hurricane season
The one that matters most. Storm surge and wind-driven rain push salt water further inland than people expect, and even without a direct hit, the humidity and salt load in the air goes up for the whole season. This is also when doors swell most — timber takes on moisture and a door that latched cleanly in April can start binding by July.
| Month | What to watch | Why |
|---|---|---|
| June | Test all exterior locks before the season starts | Last easy access before storms complicate things |
| July–August | Doors sticking or binding on the latch edge | Peak humidity swelling — see door swelling and lock alignment |
| September–October | Gritty or stiff cylinders after any storm | Salt intrusion from surge or wind-driven rain |
| November | Post-season check on any hardware near flood lines | Corrosion damage often shows weeks after the event, not immediately |
If a named storm comes through, check exterior hardware within a few days rather than waiting — salt residue left on a lock keeps corroding after the rain stops.
December: the quiet maintenance month
Humidity drops, storm season is over, and hardware has usually settled from its summer swelling. A good month for the twice-yearly lubrication that most people skip — dry graphite or a PTFE-based lock lubricant, not WD-40. Ten minutes a door.
The two-visit maintenance habit
Twice a year is enough for most houses: once in spring before humidity climbs, once after hurricane season ends. Between those two visits, check anything that starts feeling off rather than waiting for the next scheduled look.
- Spring (April–May): clean and lubricate cylinders, check strike screws, rekey if you have not since the last tenant or visitor season
- Post-hurricane season (December): inspect any hardware exposed to storm activity, re-lubricate, check for the gritty feel that means salt has gotten into a cylinder
What this means for different properties
| Property type | Highest-risk season | What to prioritise |
|---|---|---|
| Lakefront or Laketown-area home | Hurricane season | Marine-grade or stainless hardware, post-storm checks |
| Rental between tenants | Any turnover, but worse in summer moves | Rekey timed to the move-out, not delayed |
| Vacant second home | Whole hurricane season | A pre-season check before you next visit |
| Older Grade 3 hardware | Peak humidity, July–September | Consider the upgrade to Grade 2 before it fails |
There is more on hardware selection for this climate in why locks fail faster in Louisiana humidity, and on the door-alignment side of summer swelling in door swelling and lock alignment.
If you are not sure what season did the damage
Tell us roughly when it started — stuck since a particular storm, since summer, since the cold snap — and that alone often narrows down whether it is salt, swelling, or wear. Ranges are on the prices page.