Author: hoverfishSimon

Posted on

Misted ‘blown’ double glazing replacement

When double glazing becomes misty or full of condensation it is an indication that the seal between the glass has failed. A blown double glazed panel also won’t be as thermally efficient.

Below is an example of the improvement achieved by replacing a misty double glazed unit.

misty double glazing
Misty ‘blown’ double glazing
Replacement double glazing
Replaced double glazed unit

Double glazed units come in several thicknesses. This is set by the UPVC frame that you have. To increase the insulation of the glass you’ll be looking for coated glass and argon filled. Coated glass such as ‘Low E’ will have the benefit of being cooler in summer as it can reflect solar radiation.

Panels that are low to the floor will probably have to be BS or toughened glass. This is to protect children who may run into it and otherwise shatter the glass into dangerous shards.

Posted on

Replacement car keys for Honda Jazz

Customer only ever had  1 key for their Honda Jazz, and when they lost that key their car was immobilised in a pay and display car park. We made a new key in situ, and also made their first remote key since having the car.  

Most (but not all) car keys can be produced by independent an auto locksmith. Many dealers will say that only they can make keys for their cars – this is normally not the case.

Posted on

That time of year again.

As Winter turns to Spring, or Autumn turns to winter there is always a peak in the number of UPVC door mechanisms failing. If your door is difficult to lock or unlock, get your door adjusted before the mechanism breaks and jams the door locked or unlocked.

Corrective adjustment of a UPVC door before it breaks is much cheaper than a repair.

UPVC door mechanisms waiting for the scrap man.

 

Posted on

Faulty UPVC window mechanism.

A customer’s UPVC window wouldnt open. It’s obvious why when you look at the photo. There were 4 or 5 other bits of broken cog but I dropped them in long grass.

This is a Coldseal Tallon mechanism. It was discontinued many years ago. To replace it a completely different mechanism has to be adapted in order to repair the UPVC window.

Coldseal Tallon
Broken upvc window mechanism

Posted on

Repairing Land Rover Freelander remote

Land Rover Freelander 2 remote repair. These remotes do not have an easily replaced battery. It’s actually soldered onto the circuit board. It isn’t a difficult job to replace the battery, but be very careful what your’re touching with the heat gun/soldering iron – especially if you’ve only got the one remote.

Freelander 2 remote repair
Remote repairs

Posted on

Yet another example of why to get your UPVC door adjusted

Imagine the scene… your UPVC door has been awkward to lock/unlock for a few weeks.  You’ve been out all day with the family, but you can’t open the door. You’re all locked out, standing in the street until you can get hold of a locksmith to let you in.

The strain caused by the door being badly adjusted has caused the gearbox to break inside the door. The door is now jammed shut.  It’s a really common problem.

If you doors aren’t smooth to lock/unlock; either get it sorted, or be prepared for the mechanism inside to fail completely.

upvc door repair
Having opened the jammed door the faulty gearbox is now being replaced.

Posted on

Car lock repair

Customer bought a car that needed different a different key for the ignition to the driver’s door. This is rebuilding the customer’s door lock to match all the other locks on the vehicle

car lock repair
Rebuilding a VW polo lock to use the same key as the ignition and  boot.

If your car has been stolen/recovered without the keys you may wish to have the locks changed and the missing keys electronically erased from the vehicle. This will prevent any missing keys being used to re-steal the car.

One of the most common ways to steal a car is by taking the keys. Do not leave your keys within sight of the letterbox. I go to so many houses to see the keys hanging in full view, or lying on the hallway table.

Posted on

Yale Conexis smart lock

We now stock and install the Yale Conexis smart lock.

Open either using your phone, key tag, phone tag or key card. Send ‘mobile keys’ remotely to anybody who needs access. (These can be set for a time period, or revoked as necessary).

Take a look at the video below to see some of the capabilities of this lock.

Posted on

Access controller

This is starting to fault find an access controlled door that was not locking. The Bewator K44 controller (pictured below) and the door release buttons were found to be working fine. The problem was in the magnetic lock mounted above the door.Bewator access controller

Posted on

British Standard UPVC locks.

Most UPVC doors use a type of lock called a Euro cylinder.  I estimate less than 10% of houses in my area have BS kitemarked cylinders. The bulk of the other 90% of locks are to be frank ….. rubbish.

BS locks can also have additional ratings or certifications such as  1 to 3 stars, or the Sold Secure Diamond.

Below is a video of a high end BS cylinder. We supply and fit these Ultion locks if the customer wants one of the strongest locks available.

An important thing to consider is the lock length.  The lock should not be sticking out of the exterior handles more than a few mm, ideally it should be flush.  A lock that is too long on the outside leaves you more vulnerable to burglary.

Another common mistake you’ll see it the handles fitted the wrong way. If your screw holes are on the outside of the door then they’ve been fitted incorrectly. Again this is a security weakness.

Proudly powered by WordPress