Broken multi point lock

[Navrig]

The locking mechanism on our front door has broken. The door is about 10 years old and has a multi point locking system. The handle has to be lifted before the key can lock the door.

Last week the handle became floppy and today the lock has stopped working altogether. The door is closed and the cannot be opened. The handle can be lifted but will go down. The key will turn in the lock.

The back door is the same make so I have examined that but there are no identifying marks so I cannot tell who made it.

Whilst it is reassuring that the door is locked in the closed position I cannot see how I can get it opened to loo, for broken mechanisms.

Can anyone advise?[/list]

 

[pinenot]

Sounds like either the handle square hole has worn round and no longer operates the spindle, or the spindle has worn to the lock operating mechanism. Can I assume the door has an accessible handle on the other side?? or is one of these half barrel arrangements with finger pull on the outside???

 

[Navrig]

Sounds like either the handle square hole has worn round and no longer operates the spindle, or the spindle has worn to the lock operating mechanism. Can I assume the door has an accessible handle on the other side?? or is one of these half barrel arrangements with finger pull on the outside???

The handles on either side are identical both in terms of look and functionality. Both are NOT working as they should.

 

[pinenot]

Therefore it's the second choice I described, the spindle is no longer working the lock mechanism, suggest you replace the lock...pinenot

 

[Navrig]

Therefore it's the second choice I described, the spindle is no longer working the lock mechanism, suggest you replace the lock...pinenot

Thanks for your diagnosis. Any idea how I get the door opened so I can work out what I need as a replacement?

 

[pinenot]

Look for the grub screws that hold on the handles, there may only be one normally located on the interior. once off you need to get the mechanism to work, when I've done similar before I've used an old knife which I've hammered into the diagonals of the square spindle hole and turned open. Failing that you are down to jimmying the the door and frame, sounds gruesome but first remove the architraves and look for the fixings that have been used to anchor the frame to the slap in the wall, cut those close to the lock only. cut to the door frame and to the slap edges gaining some maneuvering room if possible, then push a crowbar into the space between the door edge and the post edge and open a gap that allows the door to open. If that doesn't work you may have to cut all the fixings out and lever door and frame from the slap...however it goes, good luck my friend...pinenot