The past 2 months we’ve seen a spike in vehicles with faulty ignition barrels. This has varied from keys that won’t even go in the lock, to cars that can’t be started because the key won’t turn. In fact we’ve had more ignition lock problems in the past few weeks than the previous year put together. Normally a difficult to turn ignition lock is down to a worn key but in none of the recent cases was the key the problem.
Most ignition locks have to have the key turned in order that the lock can be removed. If the key won’t turn it will make replacement more difficult.
Some vehicles including Land Rovers and Volvos often have the entire lock housing attached using shear bolts.
Repairing Ford ignition barrel
Before calling out a locksmith try your spare key (if you have one). If that doesn’t work you can try flushing the lock with a good lubricant (not WD40). Sometimes a gentle tap on the end the key with a screwdriver or light mallet can cure the problem.
A customer’s UPVC door had not worked since they moved in several months previously. It had clearly been a problem for years as previous owners had bodged it shut with old fashioned garden gate bolts.
When you see state of the gearbox is it’s no wonder the UPVC door wouldn’t open. For us to open the door required removing the glass, and several other steps. A new gearbox was fitted, the door aligned and the customer now has a fully working door.
Recently a landlord had been told by their managing agent that a jammed door would need a complete replacement door fitting. We were able to open and repair the door for probably 1/10th or less of the price of fitting a complete new one.
If your UPCV door is becoming difficult to lock it will probably only get worse. It may only need correctly aligning. This in turn may prevent the mechanism from breaking – saving you money.
Is your UPVC window jammed shut? More often than not it’s bathroom and kitchen windows that fail first – due to the increased moisture in the air.
Below are the parts that came out of a jammed shut bathroom windows. We had to remove both double glazed units before we could get the windows open. Being unable to open a bathroom window can lead to damp and mould in the house.
The gearbox shown in the photo is the most most common that we have to replace.
Broken window gearboxes.
If you need a UPVC door or window repair, give us a call for a free quote.
Fortunately we don’t have too many burglaries here in Ross and the Forest. Most break ins that I do see as a Locksmith have just been brute force and ignorance rather than having used any skill. A typical example would be ripping a window out of the frame, or putting a heavy concrete planter through a patio door glass.
Euro cylinder that resisted a brute force attack. Forest of Dean. Damaged euro cylinder
Perhaps it’s just coincidence but I’ve been to more burglaries or attempted burglaries in Bream than anywhere else in the Forest. On a positive note in one case Police did actually catch the suspect in the act.
Even the best locks won’t keep a burglar out if they can just smash your window with a garden ornament. Take a look around what is laying around in your garden that a criminal could use. Similarly keep ladders, garden tools etc secured and out of sight. Keep side gates locked where possible.
It might be harsh to say, but it isn’t about making your house impregnable. It’s about making it easier for someone to go and rob next door instead.
The majority of UPVC / composite door locking problems are due to misalignment between the door and frame. This can either be due to poor initial installation, or the building settling/subsiding.
Signs of poor installation may be difficult for a layman to identify. Gradually doors will become stiff and difficult to lock. After a few months or years the door mechanism can break completely. Eventually you’ll find yourself with a door that doesn’t lock, or you can’t open it. There are entire estates in Lydney and Coleford where the doors were poorly installed.
With older buildings the signs of settling / subsidence which cause misalignment can be more easily seen. Take a look around the frame or nearby to see if there are cracks. These cracks can indicate settling of the building and may be the reason your door is difficult to lock. If the settling is minor adjustments can probably be made to the door to get it back into correct alignment.
Cracks between render and UPVC frame. Sign of settling Cement covered cracks in render – signs of settlingThese cracks are part of the reason a UPVC door multipoint failed. Infill panels sometimes give a bulk of the rigidity to a UPVC door. Cracks in old UPVC door frame. Sign of settling.Whoever fitted this door just filled in with an inch of cement. Great lumps of cement falling out between frame and masonry.
We keep the most common multipoint mechanisms in stock. Sadly sometimes in the Forest of Dean you’ll come across a building subsiding so badly there’s nothing we can do. If we can’t fix your door – there is no charge.
A broken door mechanism (multipoint) is likely to also require door realigning, or at least checking. Putting a new mechanism in a badly adjusted door will cause the new parts to fail prematurely. We always check door alignment when we fit new replacement parts.
Nothing changes for Ross-Dean Locksmiths over this period Our staff Christmas dinner bowl of Frosties can wait until we get you into your house/car or fix your lock or whatever.
Christmas Eve: Open 24 hours.
Christmas Day: Open 24 hours.
New Years Eve: Open 24 hours.
New Years Day: Open 24 hours.
If you need a locksmith in Ross on Wye, Forest of Dean or surrounding areas over this period do not hesitate to give us a call. It’s cheaper for us to unlock your car than you smash your own window and replace it.
It’s pretty common when called to a broken UPVC door to be told by the customer that they’ve been squirting WD40 into. It’s understandable, but for starters it’s the wrong lubricant for the job. Secondly the difficulty locking is normally because the door is out of alignment. WD40 won’t magically re-align the door.
If you ignore difficulty locking a UPVC door eventually the mechanism is going to break. You could end up with a door jammed shut, or unable to lock. In the photo below a customer had been using WD40 to try to make the door work. No amount of lubricant was going to put all these broken pieces of metal back together. Adjusting the door in time would have prevented this breakage.
It is far cheaper to adjust your door correctly than it is to open a broken UPVC mechanism and replace the parts.
REPLACEMENT LOCK DETAINERS
With most mortise locks that are difficult to lock there are 2 main reasons. Either the door has dropped and the bolt is hitting the keep, or the keys are badly worn / cut. If the bow of the key does not have a manufacturer’s name, (or has an aftermarket brand such as JMA) the key is likely to be a copy. Take a look at the bitting of the key for worn or bent elements. If the key only works one side of the door this is a good indication of a worn key.
Worn keys can be exacerbated having too many keys/junk hanging on the bunch. This additional weight can wear levers or the curtain on one side.
If the keys are too badly worn they may have damaged the levers. It is possible to replace these levers but it’s normally cheaper to replace a complete lock. An exception to this rule is for Chubb (now Union) 3G110 lock. A detainer pack for these locks is cheaper than replacing the entire lock. Some companies do make cheaper locks that will slot straight into the hole but they’re not the same quality as a 3G110.
Renault Koleos handsfree card supplied, cut and programmed. The original key was faulty and would not lock the car. This style of Renault card are renowned for becoming damaged. They might fit nicely in your back pocket, but eventually you’re going to sit on it and break it if you keep putting it there.
UPVC door gearboxes shouldn’t look like this one above. Customer could have just replaced the gearbox but instead decided to cut the faceplate into 3 parts, requiring a complete replacement strip. Most gearboxes fail due to door misalignment (not rust or being cut into bits).
Above is an antique steamer trunk. It had regularly been across the Atlantic. The chest hadn’t been opened in decades and the key could not be found. We opened the lock without damage.
First example is programming of some Renault key cards. Work carried out for a lot cheaper than the rip off price the dealer quoted the customer. Dealer had also insisted the card reader was faulty and needed replacing before the cards could be programmed – that was a blatant lie.
Damaged UPVC door gearbox – and wrong fittings.Damaged gearbox due to somebody taking the lock out without knowing what they were doing.
Next example is a UPVC door that was jammed shut. This occurred due to a misaligned door. Once we got the door open we replaced the damaged parts and aligned the door. Previous repairers had just replaced the cylinder, ignoring the root cause of the problem (misalignment) and also put a wood screw into the gearbox instead of the correct M4 screw.
Last example from this week is a non-destructive entry to a commercial premises. British Standard 5 lever ERA Fortress picked open.
During this hot weather we are attending a lot of doors that cannot be locked. This is normally due to the doors being out of alignment. This most often happens to UPVC doors but can also affect wood and composite doors. If you have to use excessive force to lift the handle then very soon the mechanism is going to break. Your door should not be “knocking” when you shut the door with the handle held down.
Door roller locking point showing wear from door misalignment.
It is far cheaper to get the doors adjusted before the mechanism breaks (possibly locking you in/out).
UPVC door locking point showing wear due to door misalignment.
There is a fairly new housing estate in Coleford where we often go to conduct repairs. There’s also a new estate in Lydney with the same door mechanism. It isn’t the fault of the door mechanism, it’s the fault of the builders / installers who never took the time to line up the doors correctly to begin with.
