Locksmith Oldham is a local company who specialise in the repair of faulty uPVC door locks. Our uPVC locksmiths cover Oldham, Chadderton, Royton, Shaw, Failsworth and the Saddleworth villages and can usually get to you between 15 and 40 minutes, 24 hours a day. uPVC door lock repairs usually cost between £70 and £120 depending on the problem and type of lock, and there's no call-out fee. All our locksmiths have 12 years experience and are City and Guilds trained, DBS checked and fully insured.
Common Causes of uPVC Door Lock Failure
uPVC doors usually have a multipoint locking system comprising of a number of different parts which all need to work together in order for the door to close and lock correctly. These parts include:
- Locking points: The hooks, rollers and bolts located along the edge of the door which lock into the door frame.
- Keeps: The plates located on the door frame which the locking points (hooks, rollers and bolts) lock into when the door is locked.
- Gearbox: Located behind the door handle, this is the mechanism which operates the locking points when the handle is raised or the key is turned.
uPVC door gearboxes are known to fail after prolonged use especially where the handle has been forced with the door slightly out of alignment.
If your uPVC door will shut but not lock it could be that the gearbox is at fault. Alternatively, if the door is struggling to close and locks partway down, then most likely it is sagging on its hinges. Forcing the handle when a uPVC door is dropped is not going to rectify the situation and only adds extra pressure to an already worn gearbox.
These are very common problems with uPVC doors, particularly on estates such as Fitton Hill, Limeside and Hollinwood where the doors have been in constant use for a number of years. There’s no point in changing the lock cylinder if you have a problem with the gearbox. So it pays to rule each of these problems out one by one.
uPVC Gearbox and Mechanism Repair
When a problem is found, the faulty component is replaced, and if the entire mechanism is worn, then the entire mechanism is replaced. It is common for a gearbox to be replaced while the rest of the mechanism continues to work. A loose handle may be due to worn or loose fixings or a broken spindle or wear inside the gearbox. We will determine the cause and only then advise on the repair.
We start by checking the alignment. It’s possible to adjust the hinges to prevent the door from catching, which doesn’t involve any intervention within the mechanism and is less expensive. If a door has been slammed shut for months with a bad gearbox, you may need to replace the entire mechanism rather than replacing just one component.
The same applies in the semis in Royton, Shaw and Crompton where uPVC has often replaced old doors. We also carry out repairs on uPVC window locks and handles as these also get worn over time.
uPVC Door Lockouts and Security Upgrades
Being locked out of a uPVC door doesn’t always mean that a new lock is needed. In most cases we can gain entry without damaging the lock, meaning it can be used again. We can remove snapped keys from the lock cylinder. If the cylinder has been damaged we can replace this. It can be awkward to open a uPVC door which has been locked by lifting the handle in an unusual way, as the hooks are likely to be caught halfway into the keep. This is one of the most common reasons we’re called out!
We also recommend a TS 007 3-star cylinder if required, which will give you enhanced security from lock snapping, depending on the door and lock specifications. We'll go over what your options are and why we suggest them prior to working on anything.
What uPVC door repair costs in Oldham? uPVC door/window lock repairs cost between £70 and £120 whereas if you need a new mechanism/gearbox fitted we can only quote this after inspection.
There is no call-out fee, as we quote after inspection of the door. The price will depend on the fault and the parts required. Out of hours visits can be more expensive than normal hours, but we confirm the price over the phone before the engineer sets off. All mechanisms and cylinders we fit have a 12-month guarantee.
To book a uPVC door locksmith in Oldham, call Locksmith Oldham on 0161 7110327 at any time. We will be happy to discuss what your door requires and what the job will cost before the technician starts work.
