UPVC Door?

Associate
Joined
21 Feb 2006
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330
Location
Stoke on Trent
Have recently moved into my first house and to much annoyance have discovered...... by being locked out twice that the door handle does not do anything from the outside, you need to key to get in even though the door is not locked.

I can understand the security side of this in the way that even if you forget to lock your door for whatever reason no one can still get in.

However the other day we left to head out to get some shopping, shut the door and could not turn the key to lock it...... we then realised the other set of keys was in the otherside of the door and therefore we could not get back in even though I had the key in my hand!!!! it took about 2 hours of sticking various shaped objects through the letter box and luckily managed to pull the other set out.

Question is does anyone know if there is somekind of latch or screw that changes the way the door operates as its very annoying as you have to make sure you always have a key with you and that there is nothing in the other side!!

Thanks
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Jul 2004
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7,223
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Sunny Manchester
Could be that.

You should have screws on the inside, just unscrew the inside handle. The outside handle should come off too. See if the actual outside handle is fixed to the lock barrel.

By the sounds of things though, you are describing the lock / handle situation as its a Yale type lock. You need to turn the lock to unlock the door to open the door, not actually haveing to touch the handle.

UPVC doors, are usually just operated by the handle and that latch that comes out and in when the handle is used. The lock should always stay in the door untill you stick your key in and either lock or unlock the door.

If the bar isnt connecting the door handle to the latch then you cant open the door even if you unlock it as the second latch connected to the handle isnt moving. Got to get a credit card or something to slide open that latch if you get me...
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Oct 2002
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14,162
Location
Bucks and Edinburgh
Its supposed to do that, its a security feature which is a choice when you buy the door. Its so if your missus is coming home from shopping, no one can enter the house behind her etc so only the key holder can get in.

I had a choice of a standard handle/lock or one of these key only doors, when I bought double galazing and replaced the doors and went for the key only door.
 
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Associate
Joined
1 Aug 2003
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591
chrislocalboy said:
it took about 2 hours of sticking various shaped objects through the letter box and luckily managed to pull the other set out.

I would be more worried that you could do this.
It is one of the most common ways of entry for burglars. I would look at making sure you cannot break into your house with a stick.
 
Man of Honour
Man of Honour
Joined
7 Nov 2002
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7,613
Location
The Winchester
The exact same thing happened to me a couple of months ago. I always come and go via the side door, which has to be locked with a key. Unfortunately, my housemate left a key in that door inside, then left out the front way with just a side door key himself. When I got home, my side door key wouldn't go in the keyhole, and all the front door keys were in the house.

After kicking his ass up and down the driveway I managed to get hold of a wire coathanger and retrieve the front door key from the inside of that door. Took freaking ages mind.

If your door is anything like mine you have to push the handle up to engage the dead locks. Doing this with the door open will stop it from shutting, if that helps at all.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
5,538
Hate UPVC doors, not only do they look horrible but they have the most annoying locks I've ever seen!

Nice solid wood door with a mortice for when your out all day / at night and a yale for when your in.
 
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