If your UPVC or composite door has started playing up, you are not alone. We attend more calls for UPVC door lock problems than any other single issue across Medway. The good news is that most of these problems have a straightforward cause and a practical fix.
Here is a quick guide to what is probably going wrong and what you can do about it.
The door will not lock when you lift the handle
This is the most common complaint we hear. You close the door, lift the handle, turn the key, and nothing happens. Or the key turns but the door does not feel locked.
The most likely cause is a failed gearbox. The gearbox, also called the centre case, is the part of the multipoint mechanism that converts the handle movement into the locking action. Over time, the internal components wear out and stop engaging the hooks and deadbolts. When this fails, lifting the handle does nothing because the mechanical link between the handle and the locking points has broken.
The fix is to replace the gearbox. A locksmith can usually do this on the same visit, as common gearbox sizes are carried in the van.
You have to lift and push the door to get it to lock
If the door locks, but only when you physically push it into the frame while lifting the handle, the door has probably dropped on its hinges. Even a couple of millimetres of drop can be enough to pull the locking points out of alignment with the keeps in the frame.
This is extremely common on UPVC doors that are a few years old, particularly heavier composite doors and doors with glass panels. The weight gradually pulls the door down, and the gap at the top gets bigger while the bottom corner starts to catch on the threshold.
The fix might be as simple as adjusting the hinges to lift the door back into position. If the hinges themselves are worn, they may need replacing. Once the door is back in alignment, the locking points will meet the keeps cleanly again.
The key turns but feels stiff or grinds
If the key turns but it feels rough, grindy or requires force, the euro cylinder is probably worn. Euro cylinders have a finite lifespan and the internal pins gradually wear flat with use. A cylinder that has been in daily use for 10 or more years is living on borrowed time.
Replacing a euro cylinder is a quick job, usually under 15 minutes. If you are replacing it anyway, it is worth fitting an anti-snap cylinder. Standard euro cylinders can be snapped out of a UPVC door in seconds using basic tools, and this is one of the most common methods of burglary in the Medway area. An anti-snap cylinder has a sacrificial section that breaks away without exposing the mechanism, making it far harder to break in.
The handle is loose or floppy
If the handle wobbles, drops or feels disconnected from the lock, the handle spindle may have broken or the fixing screws may have come loose. This is a straightforward repair in most cases. If the spindle has snapped, the handle set needs replacing. If it is just loose screws, tightening them solves it.
Only some of the locking points engage
UPVC doors typically have three or more locking points along the edge: hooks at the top and bottom, and a deadbolt or latch in the middle. If only some of these engage when you lock the door, part of the mechanism has failed or the door is misaligned enough that certain points cannot reach their keeps.
This leaves the door partially unlocked even when you think it is secure. It needs looking at promptly because a door with only one or two locking points engaged is significantly weaker than one with all points locked.
Do not force it
If your UPVC door is not locking properly, the worst thing you can do is force it. Forcing the handle, slamming the door, or using excessive pressure on the key will almost always make the problem worse and more expensive to fix. If it is not working, stop, and call a locksmith.
We cover Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Strood, Rainham and the wider Medway area. If your UPVC door is giving you trouble, give us a call and we will get it sorted.
