uPVC or composite door playing up — handle stiff to lift, key spinning, or it just won't lock when it's shut? Stephen repairs uPVC and composite door locks across Rotherham, usually fixing the failed part the same day for a fraction of a new door — no call-out fee.
Call 01709 925 987It's the line that catches people out: a uPVC door starts sticking or won't lock, and the first quote they get is for a whole new door at several hundred pounds. In the overwhelming majority of cases that's simply not necessary. The door itself is fine — it's one part inside the locking system that has worn or slipped, and replacing that part costs a fraction of a new door. Stephen repairs uPVC and composite doors across Rotherham every week, and we only replace what genuinely needs replacing.
Nearly every uPVC door fault falls into one of three families, and which one it is tells you how big the job really is:
The cylinder — if the key won't turn, or spins round and round without locking anything, the euro cylinder has failed. It's the quickest and cheapest fix, and the natural moment to upgrade to an anti-snap cylinder while the door is open.
The gearbox — if the handle lifts but nothing engages, or it flops with no resistance, the gearbox at the heart of the mechanism has gone. We can usually replace just the gearbox rather than the whole locking strip, which keeps the cost down.
The alignment — if it locks fine with the door open but fights you when it's shut, the door has dropped a millimetre or two on its hinges. Adjusting the hinges and keeps is the cheapest fix of all, and we always check it first.
Signs it's time to call rather than keep wrestling with it:
Cylinder, gearbox or alignment — we find the actual cause before quoting, not the most expensive guess.
We fix the failed part — usually just the gearbox or cylinder — with branded stock from the van.
We adjust hinges and keeps, then check it locks and unlocks smoothly, open and shut.
We carry branded mechanisms and the common parts on the van, so most jobs are finished in one visit:
If your door is getting harder to lock, the worst thing you can do is keep forcing it. A mechanism that's on the way out will usually give you warning — a stiff handle, a bit of a fight — before it fails completely. Push through that and you can snap the cylinder or strip the gearbox entirely, turning a modest part swap into a jammed door and a much larger bill. If you're lifting the handle hard or shouldering the door to lock it, that's the moment to stop and call, not to give it one more heave.
No call-out fee, ever, and a fixed price agreed before we start — labour, parts and VAT included. An alignment adjustment is the cheapest job; a cylinder or gearbox replacement is labour plus the cost of the part; either way it sits comfortably below the cost of a replacement door. Our price guide sets out honest UK ranges, and our guide to why a uPVC door won't lock walks through the symptoms in more detail. If the cylinder has to come out anyway, fitting an anti-snap one is a small, sensible upgrade.
That's the classic sign of a failed gearbox. The good news is we can usually replace just the gearbox rather than the whole strip, and we carry the common ones on the van.
Almost always — most uPVC faults are diagnosed and fixed within the hour once we're with you, because the parts that fail most often are already in the van.
Rarely. The door is usually fine and only the failed part needs replacing. We'll show you what's gone and quote the repair before any work starts.
No call-out fee — fixed price before any work starts, day or night.