"Professionally" fitted lock - am I right to think this is ... rubbish ?

Joined
4 Nov 2010
Messages
6,129
Reaction score
656
Location
Cumbria
Country
United Kingdom
We wanted a keypad lock on the church hall door, so we can give people a code when it's hired as we don't have the volunteers to keep opening up & shutting up for people. It's one of those things I was planning on doing myself, but I've been struggling for time - so we found a local "professional" locksmith. I'm "unimpressed" with the results :eek:
20220619_102030.jpg

20220619_102039.jpg

20220619_102048.jpg


It took him 2 visits and (I believe) around 8 to 10 hours. I suspect it's going to take me longer to fix this than it would have done just fitting it myself in the first place :rolleyes: - we're not letting him anywhere near the place again. The lock is a TSSEASYDIGI5.
The excuse for the buckled end to the latch is that he couldn't drill the hole any deeper as he was scared of reaching the glazing unit. I wasn't there, but I'm guessing if he was using a bit with a long guide point then that would have been limiting - but still no excuse for not finishing the job off with a regular drill bit and/or a chisel.
As for the striker plate, I imagine there is probably something available off the shelf to deal with the rebate - any pointers ? I seem to be able to find plenty of rebate kits that will move the latch assembly out, but can't find anything that moves the striker plate leaving the latch hidden from the outside.
 
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Thanks, so not just me being a bit critical then :rolleyes:
There might not be a rebate kit for a digi lock
Edit, just looked......there are!
I've found rebate kits that push the latch tube out - but not anything that would put the striker plate where it needs to be with the latch tube where it is (which is the right place IMO so it's not "on show" from the outside).
 
It took him 2 visits and (I believe) around 8 to 10 hours.
WTF?

The excuse for the buckled end to the latch is that he couldn't drill the hole any deeper as he was scared of reaching the glazing unit.
A sharp chisel would have dealt with that, no problems, however from the look of the recesses your man doesn't actually know how to sharpen chisels, nor how to cut straight with them (possible because they aren't sharp)

At first sight I thought this might be some of Keitai's handiwork, but even he isn't this bad - and TBH at least he'd have come here and asked loads of questions in a 10 page thread first, and done a bit better job than that!

In terms of "specials", I'd expect that a proper locksmith would know where to get a rebate kit, and to know how to modify or even fabricate his own keep if he couldn't get one that worked

If this were a DIY job I'd suggest posting in in "DIY Disasters"

As they used to say in "It's a Kock-Up", NUL POINTS
 
Commercial locksmiths I've worked with in the (recent) past can easily get one-off extra wide/long striker plates made-up relatively cheaply these days. Basically a striker plate/keep is just a piece of laser cut stainless steel that takes them 24 to 48 hours to cut as a rule. Any bends are put in using a vise, a lump of wood and an 'ammer if needs be (crude, but does the job and with care, neat). I'm a chippy, it ain't my job, but if I know this can be done why doesn't a "professional locksmith"?
 
I'd report this guy. Don't want him to lose his job/business but he either needs to work under supervision until properly re-trained or buck his ideas up
 
I have to say, when he came to look at the job, he gave the impression of having had "a good many years" in the trade - I'm no spring chicken and I think he was greyer than me. So it was something of a surprise to see this. No idea if he's in any trade groups - I've personally not seen the paperwork.
 
Which firm does he work for? Not Bodgit & Scarper, is it?
 
  • Like
Reactions: CBW
If you're happy to share, how much did he charge for his work? Even putting aside whether or not the install is poor, the hacked out wood and squint keypad unit is in itself a sin.

See what I did there? Sin. Church hall. Get it? :)
 
how much have you paid or at least how much as he tried to charged you ?
 
I got the impression he's a one man band - someone else found him.
Time is his loss - fixed price install which would have been a fair hourly rate if he'd done it in the time I'd have expected someone half-capable to do it. As it is, his effective hourly rate is not only something I wouldn't get out of bed for, but I'd not even roll over and tell someone to sod off !
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top