UPVC door and window repairs

UPVC doors commonly fail / break due to door misalignment, old age or misuse.

One of the rarer problems I’ve come across is due to the door being full of water. In one example a customer reported their door was jammed shut if it was really cold. On first attendance it was below freezing and the door felt heavy. Later in the afternoon once it was warmer you could hear water sloshing about in the door. We drained nearly 10 litres from that door before correcting the other fault.

In another UPVC door below that had jammed shut due to corrosion of the multipoint mechanism you can see the final dregs of about 5 litres of water being drained out of the door.

Jammed UPVC window repairs.

If your UPVC window won’t open there may be a few causes. The simplest of them to to fix will be a faulty window handle. At the other end of the spectrum is a window jammed shut because the mechanism has broken.

With the correct tools a jammed window can be opened and the mechanism replaced. We carry stock for most types of window mechanism.

Even a layman can see why the mechanism in the picture below wasn’t working. This make and model of espag (espagnolette) gearbox is one of the more common ones we come across.

Broken window lock

Remotes and keys for Land Rover and Range Rover

Range Rover and Land Rover compatible remotes

We normally keep Land Rover keys and Range Rover keys in stock. We hold genuine JLR and also aftermarket versions. We can supply and cut replacement keys and remotes.

Range Rover and Land Rover compatible remotes

We can cover Freelander, Defender, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Discovery models etc. Remotes and key for both BMW based versions, older Lucas systems etc can be provided for you.

These remotes can also be used some models of Jaguar.

Areas covered Ross on Wye, Forest of Dean, Monmouth.

Jammed or broken UPVC window lock?

UPVC windows may become difficult to open or break completely. Reasons for this may include poor installation, poor alignment, dropped window, lack of lubrication, wear and tear etc.

Broken window mechanism

Bathroom and kitchen windows tend to break or jam more than other windows. This is due to the increased moisture in the air in these rooms.

The gearbox above is one of the most common makes that we replace. They fail because of poor fitting / maintenance. The window had been jammed closed for months. You can see how badly corroded and caked in crud this has become over the years. One of the mounting screws had to be drilled out because it was so seized.

An occasional application of lubricant to the moving parts of your windows can prevent this happening. Use a lithium or silicone lubricant. GT85 or similar is OK. WD40 is not good for this situation.

If your window handle and lock operate ok with the window open, but not when closed then this indicates an alignment problem. This can often be remedied by rehinging the window.

Faulty mortice door lock?

Do you have a door that is difficult to lock from one side? Mortice locks are normally designed to operate from both sides. If key is mostly used from one particular side of the door the key can wear unevenly.

An indicator of a worn key is it working better from one side, and/or having to jiggle the key up and down to get it to turn. Getting a new key cut from an original (not a copy) may solve your problem.

Badly cut and worn key
Worn key causing difficulty locking.

In the example above key has worn but this made worse by being a badly copied key from a high street shop. Points A and B should be flat across the top but you can see the uneven wear. Because point A is too narrow it has been able to slip off lever 5 in the lock. Unfortunately the worn keys had cause wear to the levers so it was necessary to replace the levers too.

Faulty ignition locks. Repair and replacement.

faulty car ignition lock

There is a bit of a flurry of faulty/jammed ignition locks at the moment. Here are 2 examples. Top is a Honda, bottom is a Citroen. Vehicles were 10-15 years old and had quite a lot of use.

Sometimes ignition locks jam because the key is worn. In that case it’s simple enough to cut a new key to original dimensions. In the 2 cases shown above the lock barrels had failed. The lock/housings needed to be removed and replaced. Occasionally the lock isn’t at fault, it’s the ignition switch but it can be difficult for the layman to identify.

If your key is starting to become difficult to turn in both the ignition and the doors, the key is likely worn. If it is difficult to turn just in the ignition then you might want to think about getting the lock replaced before you find yourself marooned in a car park.

On some vehicles (e.g. a lot of VWs such as Polos, Golfs etc) just the lock barrel can be changed. In the case of Land Rovers, Volvos and the examples above it’s easier to just change the entire lock housing.

VW Transporter T5 compatible remotes

VW compatible remotes

VW Transporter T5 (not 5.1) compatible remotes are £85 supplied, cut and programmed (until 1 Jan 24). If you lose all keys/remotes it will cost you more to get one done so it’s worth getting a spare if you’ve only got one. We can also program replacement T6 Transporter remotes.

You can choose from a variety of different styles. You can even choose Audi, Bentley, Ford (why would you?) and others.

If you just want a transponder key (chip but no remote) as a back up they are £55. (That compares to about £200 from most dealers).

We can also program replacement T6 Transporter remotes.

If you don’t want another key but have simply locked your keys inside, we can help with that too.

Replacement VW ignition
Ignition barrels

Christmas / New Year Opening Hours

We are open every day over the festive period. Nothing will cheer me up more than you locking your keys (and your presents) in your car, or locking yourself out. If you need a locksmith over this period then give us a call.

Xmas Eve – Open

Xmas Day – Open

Boxing Day – Open

New Years Eve – Open

New Years Day – Open

Removing snapped car key

Anglian Window repair

Anglian window gearboxes

New Anglian mechanism (left). Old, discontinued version (right).

If you have old Anglian doors windows that can’t be opened the mechanism has probably broken. This can happen due to wear and tear, shifting in the building, or poor installation when new.

Even jammed or broken windows can be opened. The older mechanism types are long since discontinued but the later version mechanism can be made to fit with a few tweaks.

How long the newer gearboxes will be available for is uncertain.

Whatever make windows or doors you have, they can normally be repaired or improved. That is significantly cheaper than getting new ones installed.

Replacement Ford Fiesta remote

A basic ‘chipped key’ (transponder key) has several disadvantages compared to a key with a keyless entry fob/remote. Some vehicles may not deadlock and will therefore not be as secure. Some vehicles such as some Renault and Dacia only have a door lock on the passenger side which can be rather annoying after a while. Additionally some vehicles will not set the alarm unless the remote is used. EU and US vehicles will normally silence an alarm once the key is turned in the ignition. Asian vehicles often will not silence the alarm unless the remote is used.

In the example below the customer’s car only came with 1 transponder key. They wanted a remote. They chose this bright green version. This particular make of remote can be programmed to become several thousand different car remotes.

Ford Fiesta aftermarket remote key

Not all vehicles are able to lock with a remote. Basic versions of some VW and Fiat for example do not have the electronics for keyless entry. A giveaway on modern vehicles can be if there are rear window winder handles.