There’s nothing more frustrating as a homeowner than when previously working windows and doors start sticking, jamming, or failing to close.
Aside from the inconvenience, there is also a security element… leaving a house or apartment with a window or door open is tantamount to inviting some light-fingered locals to help themselves to your possessions.
When you’re experiencing problems with windows and doors, you will often be advised to replace the entire thing. However, this isn’t always necessary and can be expensive.
There are simple things you can do yourself to fix or reduce the problem, or call in the experts at Lock & Roll, without having to replace windows and doors.
Sticking Doors & Windows
Perhaps the most common door and window problem in houses is that they begin to stick.
Almost inevitably this is because there’s some movement in the house – very common right across Australia – and this distorts the door or window slightly, so that it no longer fits the opening correctly.
The good news is that there is adjustment built into doors via the hinges, which allow a certain amount of movement and positioning of the door panel in the opening. This will usually enable a door to be adjusted by trial and error to fit the opening correctly again.
With Sliding doors can jam and stop moving freely and is usually the result of a combination of factors starting with excessive force being used when opening and closing.
The starting point here is to clean out the rails that the door runs in (these tend to trap dirt and grit over time), and if the problem persists, it is likely that the rollers the door moves in or the rails themselves are damaged. A competent home handyman can replace both but if you are not sure, get the experts in.
Wooden sliding doors can be prone to rotting, which distorts the timber, and in this case, we’re getting into the realm of significant repairs or replacement of the entire door system, both best left to the experts.
Windows are a bit trickier because there are many different types, made in other materials, and some of which allow adjustment, and some don’t. The starting point is to take a look at the window and see if there is a way of adjusting it to fit correctly again.
In the case of timber framed windows, it might be that the wood has to be shaved a little to give it back free movement within the opening.
Faulty Locks
Locks that are sticking, not correctly seating home in the door frame or just not locking, are another common problem,
Again, the starting point is common sense.
Sticking locks usually just need a bit of lubrication on the lock mechanism mounted in the door itself to get things operating smoothly again. Somethings a little graphite powder on the key itself, inserted into the keyhole of the lock, will help free things up too.
Locks that don’t seat home in the door jamb mean that the door itself or the doorframe, have moved. The first thing to do here is to adjust the door so it fits properly, and hopefully the lock seats home too.
But if it doesn’t, it might mean moving the lock receptacle on the door jamb slightly to accommodate the movement. A competent handy person can achieve this in most cases.
The important outtake here is that these problems are relatively common and rarely repair the installation of an expensive new window or door.
Most problems can be quickly and easily rectified, whether by a skilled homeowner or an experienced Lock & Roll technician who can ensure your windows and doors operate like new, at a fraction of the cost associated with a replacement.
So trust your window and door repairs, maintenance and installations to the experts at Lock and Roll!
For a free of charge quote with no obligation, talk to the team today – contact us via this web page, or call us toll free on 1800 203 377!
