Is he having a (door lock) laugh?

November 26, 2006 10:22 AM

Is it possible to fix or replace a door lock on a ten year old aluminium main front door that has now jammed?

A good neighbour of ours has just been told by an insurance claim related lock-smith that she will need to spend around £1000 to get a new door after replacing the lock on her old door.

He noticed that the normal handle controlled catch (not the actual lock) was sticking...something our neighbour had seen previously and that this could lead to her not being able to get back into the house at some future point.

As it was a ten year old aluminium door she will, apparently, need to replace it with a new uPVC door.

This doesn't sound right to us - Is there another approach she could use?

posted by pettins to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

Talk to a locksmith?

Also, a lot of these sorts of locks can be removed either from the inside or from the side of the door where the lock protrudes. I've replaced locks at home with a bit of fiddling, and most locks are of a standard size.
posted by tomble at 4:01 PM on November 26, 2006

If the lock is modular, then it can be replaced. If it is built in, then fixing it will be more complicated but possible. On reflection, I can't think of a door that has a truely built-in, non modular, non removable lock or latching mechanism. All the movable parts on a door can be replaced (though getting the parts can be a problem). Somethings up. Then again, I've not seen the door. And what kind of door costs that much money?
posted by MarshallPoe at 4:05 PM on November 26, 2006