Lock repair in Torrevieja

The key is hard to turn

Describe whether it is stiff from the moment you put the key in or only for part of the turn, and whether it happens with the door open or only when you close it. Don’t force the key: if it snaps inside, the fault becomes more complicated.

The door doesn’t line up or won’t close

If the latch or the bolts don’t go into their holes, the fault may be in the lock, in the strike plate on the frame or in the alignment of the door. Tell us whether it rubs, whether you have to push or lift the door to close it and how long it has been happening.

The mechanism fails on and off

Make a note of when it fails: in cold or hot weather, when the door is shut hard, with a particular key or after a knock. A short video of the fault helps us assess it.

Diagnosis and mechanism

The type of lock and the part that is failing determine whether an adjustment is enough, whether it can be repaired or whether it has to be replaced.

Availability of spare parts

For old or discontinued locks there may be no spare parts; in that case we look at a lock that fits the existing hole in the door.

Adjustments and labour

Some faults are solved by adjusting the strike plate or the door; others mean taking the lock apart. We tell you before we start. Outside Torrevieja a travel supplement is added.

1. Tell us about your situation

Send photos or a short video of the fault, of the cylinder from the outside and of the door edge, and tell us what is happening and since when.

2. Go over the options and conditions

We explain whether the fault looks repairable or whether it is better to replace the part, and give you the price before we start, with VAT on top. The cause is confirmed when we check the lock.

3. Agree the work and check it together

Once the price has been accepted, we arrange the repair. When we finish, we check with you that the lock works, and payment is made then.

What to check after the repair

• That the key throws and draws back all the bolts without forcing, both with the door open and with it closed.
• That the latch goes into the strike plate without banging and the door closes without being pushed.
• That the handle returns to its position and has no play on either side.
• That you are told which part has been repaired or replaced and whether anything should be kept an eye on, such as rubbing or a hinge.

Everyday use after the job

• Close the door by guiding it with your hand until the latch engages, rather than letting go and leaving it to shut on its own.
• Don’t lean on the handle or hang bags from it, because that weight falls on the mechanism that has just been checked.
• Over the first few weeks, watch whether the noise or rubbing that made you get in touch comes back.
• If someone at home notices anything odd when closing the door, ask them to tell you straight away so you can describe the fault to us just as it happened.

Before calling about a faulty lock

Observing the fault calmly helps tell whether it lies in the lock, the cylinder or the door.

• What type of lock it is: single-point, multi-point or a rim lock on the inside face of the door.
• Whether you can lock it with the key from both sides or only from one.
• Whether the fault affects just one door or several in the property with similar locks.
• Whether anyone has tried to fix it before or any part has been replaced recently.
• Whether the handle springs back to its position on its own or stays drooping.

Fault signs worth describing

Note them down just as you notice them; the cause is confirmed when the lock is checked or taken apart.

• The latch doesn’t spring back out when you let go of the handle: the spring or the latch itself may be failing.
• Loose or drooping handle: its screws may have come loose or the part connecting it to the lock may be worn.
• Bolts that only come halfway out or make a metallic noise: an internal part may be broken or out of place.
• The key turns all the way but the bolts don’t move: the fault may be in the connection between the cylinder and the lock.
• The door only closes if it is lifted or pushed: this points to the alignment with the frame rather than to the mechanism.

When it’s best to stop trying

If, when you work the handle or the key, you feel something suddenly give, it no longer travels the same distance or it sounds loose inside, repeating the movement over and over can finish off a part that could still have been saved. Slamming the door to make it catch is also a bad idea. Leave the lock in the position it is in and get in touch with us before trying again.

Situations worth explaining when you get in touch

Some lock faults give clues if they are described well. These situations are worth explaining in detail, without assuming what the cause is.

• When you turn the key or move the handle you hear a click or something that seems loose inside the door: describe when it happens and whether the lock still works afterwards.
• The additional bolt or second lock works fine but the main one fails, or the other way round: tell us which one is causing problems and whether you use it more often than the other.
• The rim lock has come away from the door leaf or screws are sticking out: tell us whether it moves when you close the door and whether the strike plate on the frame is still in place.
• The door stopped closing properly after being painted or varnished, or after the floor was changed: explain what work was done and when, because a change to the door leaf or the floor can affect how the door sits.