The Lock Works Until You Close the Door
A uPVC door refuses to lock. The handle stops halfway up, feels solid and needs far more force than normal.
Open the door and try the same handle again. Suddenly everything works. The hooks extend, rollers move and the handle lifts without a fight.
That simple test tells you something important. The multipoint lock may not be broken at all.
The Lock Is Hitting the Keeps
A multipoint door lock runs several locking points from one central gearbox. Lifting the handle drives hooks, rollers and bolts into matching steel keeps fitted around the frame.
Every locking point needs to enter its keep cleanly.
A door dropping by only a few millimetres changes that alignment. One hook can strike the bottom of its keep while every other locking point lines up correctly. The handle stops because the mechanism physically cannot complete its travel.
Look for the Witness Marks
Repeated metal contact leaves evidence.
Fresh scratches, polished edges and chipped coating around a keep show exactly where the lock has been hitting. Check each hook, roller and keep rather than immediately replacing the complete multipoint mechanism.
A lock operating smoothly with the door open gives another strong clue. The mechanism has no frame hardware to collide with in that position.
Correct the Alignment, Not the Symptom
Check the door sash position first. Hinge adjustment may be required to bring a dropped door back into square.
Minor keep adjustment can correct smaller alignment problems. Mark the original keep position, loosen the correct Torx or screw fixings and make controlled adjustments rather than moving several keeps at once.
Test the handle after every adjustment. Never force it upwards against resistance. Excessive leverage through the handle can turn a simple alignment problem into a damaged gearbox.
Trade Counter Supplies
A uPVC door that locks perfectly while open does not automatically need a new multipoint lock.
Bring the old keep, gearbox, lock strip or hardware details into DWC Trade Windows at 78 Alma Road, Bournemouth. Our trade counter team can help identify replacement hardware and the correct parts for the repair.
Call us on 01202 533126 for help with uPVC door locks and multipoint hardware.
