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If you are locked out of your house, call a locksmith before you try to force the door. Forcing a uPVC or composite door usually damages the frame, the mechanism and the glazing beads, turning a job that starts at £132 into a door repair costing several times that.
Read what to do →The line is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Night work costs more than daytime work and you should expect that — the call-out rises after 18:00 and again after midnight, and the hourly labour rate rises with it.
Read what to do →If your key has snapped in the lock, stop and leave it alone. Pulling at the broken piece with pliers, glue or a magnet almost always pushes it deeper and damages the pins, which turns a £108 extraction into a full lock replacement.
Read what to do →If a uPVC door locks when it is open but not when it is closed, the problem is almost always alignment, not the lock. The door has dropped or the frame has moved, so the hooks and bolts no longer line up with the keeps.
Read what to do →If you have lost your house keys, the question is whether anyone could link them to your address. Keys lost with a wallet, a bag, a phone, or anything carrying your address should be treated as compromised and the locks changed the same day.
Read what to do →If you are locked out of a flat, say on the phone whether the problem is the communal entrance, your own front door, or both — it changes the job and the price. Your own door can normally be opened without damage from £132.
Read what to do →If you are locked out of commercial premises, the person who calls has to be able to show they are authorised to open them — a locksmith cannot take that on trust. Have proof of your connection to the business ready.
Read what to do →A door that will not open with a key that still turns is usually a failed mechanism rather than a failed lock. If the key spins freely with no resistance, the cylinder cam or the gearbox has given way.
Read what to do →Call with your postcode and lock problem to confirm availability and charges.
