Recently I was called out to a job that was easy for me to sort out as I have the experience and know-how of what to do. Had I been faced with the same problem before I became a locksmith, I would have been stuck, so here is some (hopefully) useful information that might save you having to call me (or, worse still, one of my more expensive competitors) – therefore saving you money. Some readers might find these tips obvious, but believe me, these are all things I have been called out for.

So starting with my most recent call; I was faced with a wooden door where the handle had gone limp on the outside of a mortice (“Chubb”) type lock. Although it was unlocked, the handle just spun around without pulling back the latch part of the lock and the customer could not get in. To an untrained eye, this looks pretty dire, but I quickly removed the handle plate and saw that the spindle that connects the handles through the door and operates the latch was only just showing through the lock. To the customer, it looked as if the spindle had snapped. This was not the case. Quite simply, when the lock had been fitted, too short a spindle had been used and over time it had worked its way through the lock until it eventually came out of the handle on the outside. I carry spindles of various lengths and was able to rectify the situation. I have also known this to happen with UPVC doors. Your own doors might very well have this same problem and you will know nothing about it until the spindle finally slips out of either handle. So it is a good idea to check your own doors and if your spindle is to short, it should be replaced with one of the correct size, or in an emergency, some thin cardboard could be rolled up and used to pack out the insides of the handles, stopping the spindle from moving, although you should remember this might be hard to get back out when you do get the longer spindle.

The next thing that happens a lot is with UPVC doors. I once had a case where, the customer could not make the mechanism engage. When I arrived, I found the floor mat had moved and was jammed underneath the door, meaning the door was not closed properly and the hooks and rollers could not engage properly. I moved the mat and the problem was solved in less than five seconds. Unfortunately this was done under sub-contract and therefore cost the customer a lot of money. But it does highlight how easily these doors move and can become problematic.

There are various things you can do to give UPVC doors a new lease of life;

• If the handles are stiff then adjustments need to be made, but sometimes the stiffness builds up over time so you might not notice it. Therefore a good test is to open the door and lift the handles while it is open. Now do the same thing again with the door closed. If it is much stiffer with the door closed, then adjustments need to be made.
• Firstly look for where signs of wear on any of the exposed moving parts and their respective keeps in the door frame as this will give you an idea of where to start, but before you do anything, give every nook and cranny a good dose of oil and then mark off a point on your calendar to do the same thing every six months or so.
• Most doors have rollers on the leading edge of the door mechanism. You will see a hexagonal hole for an Allen key that turns this roller. There will also be a small line from one edge of the hexagon to the outer edge of the roller. If this line is down, the roller is in its low position. If the line is up, it is in its upper position. Using the Allen key, you can rotate these rollers to see if it makes any difference to how easy the handles are to lift. You may find these a little stiff which is good because they should not move easily.
• If you want to be really brave, then the next step is to adjust the hinges. Most newer doors have hinges that wrap over one side of the door, and you can usually find a small cap on these that when removed, allows you to access another Allen key hole. If you rotate the Allen key through 180 degrees, and watch the edge of the door by the hinge you are working on (there will be three or four), you should see the door move away from or towards the door frame (note: you will need the door to be slightly open for this). Once you have done one half turn, close the door and try the handles again. If they are harder to engage, rotate the Allen key the other way and repeat to see if the handles are easier now. If there is no difference, move the Allen key back to the original position and try a different hinge. You will soon get the idea of which hinge need to go which way. However, if you are going to try this yourself, be prepared for it to take a while as it can take some time to get right and don’t be afraid to call the professionals.
• Some doors also have adjustable keeps in the frame. As these are very varied, I will just say have a good look and if you feel out of your depth, call your local locksmith.
• Finally, if you have an older UPVC door without adjustable hinges, there is a last-ditch thing to try. Unscrew all of the keeps from the frame and close the door. Lift the handles to make sure it now engages smoothly. Next put the keeps back one at a time and each time you do, close the door and lift the handles. If the handles work ok then that keep is good, If the handles are stiff again, then that keep needs to be either raised or lowered, usually by only a few millimetres. Secure the keep with its top and bottom screws and try the handle again. If they are harder to engage then you need to reposition the keep in the opposite direction, i.e. if you moved it up, you need to move it down and vice versa. Now try again.
• With mortice (Chubb) locks and nightlatches (Yale), the main tricks are maintenance – so oil them on a regular basis with a healthy dose of spray oil. But wooden doors expand and contract with the weather, so be aware that if the key is becoming difficult to turn, or you have to push against the door to operate the lock, then simply moving the keep will ease this problem, but again, only move it a few millimetres or else the door may rattle in the wind.

Should you have any questions about carrying out work for yourself on your doors, I am happy to help so please feel free to call my mobile number as it appears on my contacts page. If I am not in the middle of a job myself, I will be happy to talk you through any process. 

Thanks for reading.