If your front door catches, feels stiff or will not lock, do not force the handle or the key. Check for anything visibly blocking the door and note where it resists. A stiff door often gets worse in cold, wet weather, but the timing alone does not tell you the cause. The survey shows whether the door needs adjusting, a compatible lock part or replacing.
With uPVC and composite doors, the first question is whether the door has moved in its frame or the locking hardware is at fault. Both can make the handle feel stiff.
First, make the door safe without forcing it
If the door closes but you cannot confirm it has locked, treat it as unsecured. A raised handle or a latched door does not prove the lock has engaged. If you cannot secure an external door, get urgent security help elsewhere rather than wait for a routine survey. We do not offer same-day or emergency repairs.
Most multipoint doors lock in a set order: lift the handle, then turn the key. Secured by Design, the police-backed security initiative, explains it this way:
"Modern multi-locking and UPVC doors use a system of hooks and latches to secure the door, but these only work if you lift up the handle and then remember to turn and remove the key."
Lifting the handle hard to force the locking points home can break the mechanism inside the door. Without taking anything apart, you can note:
- whether there is debris on the threshold or in the frame keeps you can see
- whether the door catches at the top, the bottom or the lock side
- whether the handle feels stiff, loose or floppy, and whether the key resists turning
- if the door already opens normally, whether the handle and key feel the same with the door open
Do not shut the door to test it if you are not sure it will reopen or lock. Tell us what you noticed, and leave hinge adjustment and lock dismantling until the fault has been found.
What the symptoms can tell you
A multipoint lock secures the door at several points along its edge. The handle and the cylinder (the part the key turns in) operate a long locking strip, and the hooks, bolts or rollers on that strip need to meet the keeps on the frame. Resistance you feel at the key can start somewhere else entirely.
| What you notice | Possible area to inspect | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Door rubs the frame or needs pushing to close, and the handle is harder to lift when shut | Door alignment, hinges, frame keeps or an obstruction | That the whole lock has failed |
| Handle droops, feels loose or moves without normal resistance | Handle fixings, spindle or the mechanism inside the door | That a new handle alone will fix it |
| Key is stiff, will not turn or works differently inside and out | Key or cylinder, or resistance elsewhere in the lock | That the cylinder is the faulty part |
| Handle or key resists even with the door open | The locking hardware itself | That the central gearbox is definitely broken |
| Lock works some days but not others, or the door sits unevenly and lets in a draught | Door position, seals, hinges and locking points | That the weather caused the fault |
Alignment: the door meets the frame badly
If the door drops or shifts, its locking points can miss the keeps on the frame. An uneven gap, rubbing, or resistance only when the door is shut all point towards alignment. Adjusting the hinges or keeps may be enough. Damage to a hinge, the frame or the door itself changes the repair.
Handle, cylinder or mechanism: similar symptoms, different parts
A floppy handle can come from the handle fixings or from the gearbox behind it. A stiff key can mean a worn cylinder, or a lock that is meeting resistance as it engages. If the multipoint mechanism is worn or damaged, a new handle or cylinder will leave the real fault in place. We identify the part that has failed before we order anything.
Repair, replace a part or replace the door?
A door that will not lock can often still be repaired. The answer depends on the condition of the door and frame, the fault, and whether a compatible part is available.
| Survey finding | Likely route | When it may not be enough |
|---|---|---|
| Door or keeps have moved but the hardware is sound | Adjust the door and keeps, then test the locking | The hinges, frame or door are damaged or unstable |
| Handle or cylinder has failed and the rest works | Replace that part with a compatible one | Resistance remains elsewhere in the lock |
| Central gearbox or locking strip is faulty | Fit a compatible gearbox or multipoint lock, where one is available | Matching parts cannot be sourced, or the door around it is unsound |
| Door, frame or glazing is badly damaged | Assess whether it can be repaired, and quote for a new door if not | A local repair would restore proper locking and security |
Door repairs can also involve a glass unit, a seal or a hinge, but new glazing will not cure a worn lock. The same fault-by-fault check applies to uPVC doors and composite doors before anyone quotes for a whole new door. Our guide to seven double glazing repairs to check before full replacement covers other faults that are often repairable, and our guide to window handles and hinges covers the same diagnosis on casement windows.
If the door is past repair, our guide to composite vs uPVC front doors compares the two replacement options.
Why we survey before we quote
Two uPVC doors that look alike can use different multipoint parts. At the survey we measure the existing hardware and record how the handle and cylinder fit the lock, the type and position of the locking points, the faceplate and the frame keeps. The condition of the door and frame also affects what will work.
Our window and door repairs follow four steps:
- We survey the door and check how it closes and locks, where access is safe.
- We identify the fault and set out the work in a written quote.
- Once you agree the repair, we order a compatible part if one is needed.
- We book the repair visit when the part and scope are confirmed.
If you have noticed several symptoms, tell us which came first, whether the door catches only when shut and whether it has ever failed to lock. Leave the hardware in place. Ask for an itemised written quote after survey, so you can see whether you are paying for an adjustment, a part or a new door.
If the door still locks but is getting stiffer, book the survey before the hardware takes more strain.
How Cii can help
Cii Double Glazing is a family-run business, established in 2009, and our team has over 55 years of combined experience. We repair windows and doors on all brands across Essex, East London and Hertfordshire, including doors we did not fit. Our own team carries out the survey and the repair, so the work addresses the fault we find.
We do not offer same-day or emergency repairs, and we are not an emergency locksmith. If the door is past repair, we will explain the replacement options, which our own team surveys and fits with a 10-year installation guarantee.
Book a free home survey and written quote.
FAQ
Why does my front door only lock when I push or lift it?
The door has usually dropped or moved, so the locking points no longer line up with the keeps on the frame. Pushing or lifting the door lines them up for a moment. Hinge or keep adjustment often cures it, as long as the hinges, frame and door are sound. Leaving it puts extra strain on the gearbox.
Can a multipoint lock be replaced without fitting a new door?
Often, yes. If the door and frame are sound, a compatible gearbox or full multipoint lock can be fitted in the existing door. The replacement has to match the case size, the positions of the locking points and the faceplate, which is why we measure the existing lock first.
Will a new cylinder fix a stiff key?
Only if the cylinder is the worn part. If the key is stiff because the door is out of line or the gearbox is failing, a new cylinder will feel the same. A useful sign is whether the key turns easily with the door open. If it does, the cause is probably alignment rather than the cylinder.
Can you replace a uPVC door without changing the frame?
Sometimes. The existing frame must be sound and suitable for the new door. The survey shows whether a door-only replacement will work or whether the frame also needs replacing.
