Aluminium and uPVC door opening

On the coast almost every home has at least one aluminium or uPVC door. The one to the terrace, the one to the patio, the one leading to the communal pool, or even the front door in many bungalows and shops. They are light doors with slim locks, and when they fail they do so in very particular ways.

The most common situations

You are locked out on the terrace

You go out to hang the washing, the sliding door glides shut on its own and the catch drops. Or someone in the house puts the catch on without realising you are outside. It is more common than you might think, especially in penthouses and flats with large terraces. If you are in that situation right now, do not try to lift the door leaf or lever the frame: a bent aluminium profile no longer closes properly.

The sliding door hook will not release

Sliding doors lock with a hook that grips the frame. Over time, with the salt air and the sand that gets into the tracks, the hook jams and the handle will not release it. Sometimes the door is locked without anyone having put the catch on.

The handle spins freely

On aluminium and uPVC hinged doors the handle drives a mechanism along the edge of the door. If the spindle or the drive part breaks, the handle turns and the door will not open. It happens a lot on terrace doors used every day.

Aluminium front doors with no key

In bungalows, shops and urbanisation entrances there are aluminium doors with a cylinder lock. They have narrow locks, made to fit the profile, and a cylinder that is usually short. Opening one is like opening an ordinary door, but with much less room to work.

Why care is needed

Aluminium and uPVC are unforgiving. A badly placed lever leaves a mark that will not go away, bends the profile or pops out the glazing bead. And a terrace door with a bent profile lets air and water through for good.

That is why we work on the mechanism, not on the door. We aim to reach the lock where the manufacturer left it accessible, or to work on the cylinder if there is one. Only if there is no other way do we consider sacrificing a part, and we explain it to you beforehand.

The check before opening

We only open a door after checking that the person asking is entitled to enter. It makes no difference whether it is the front door or the terrace door. We explain how to prove it when you get in touch. If you are locked out on your own terrace, we sort it out with you there and then.

What usually needs doing afterwards

Opening is half the job. If the door shut on its own or the hook jammed, something is wrong and it will happen again. The most frequent causes are:

• Tracks full of sand and salt that slow the door leaf down or knock it off line.
• Worn sliding door rollers, which make the leaf drop so the hook no longer lines up.
• Tired springs in the lock.
• A broken internal mechanism.

Many of these things are fixed with cleaning and adjustment. If the lock is faulty, we replace it with one made to fit the profile. You have the options in aluminium and uPVC locks. If what has failed is the alignment of the door leaf, have a look at door repair and adjustment.

Tips for the coast

• Clean the tracks. With a brush and a vacuum cleaner you remove the sand before it damages the rollers.
• Do not use oil on the locks. It traps sand. Use a dry lubricant.
• Do not leave the catch half on. Some handles with a catch engage on their own with a gust of wind.
• Take care with terrace doors in homes left empty. Before you leave, check that they close properly. A sliding door that has not been properly locked is an open invitation, and we cover it in home security upgrade.

If it is urgent

If the terrace door has jammed and you can neither open nor close it, you have the first steps in jammed terrace door. We work 24 hours a day, every day, in Torrevieja and the Vega Baja.

How to ask for it

Take a photo of the door and the lock, even if it is from the other side of the glass, and send it on WhatsApp. If you do not speak Spanish, write to us in your own language. We give you a fixed quote before we start and, if we find something different on site, we tell you before carrying on. We accept card, Bizum or cash.