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🚪 Two Back Door Callouts Today – Both Saved by Proper Alignment

  • Writer: Oliver Lackie
    Oliver Lackie
  • Apr 27
  • 2 min read

Busy morning today with two very similar back‑door issues for local customers — and both are perfect examples of how door alignment problems can quietly cause major lock failures.


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Job 1 – Stuck Key, Dropping Handles & No Locking


I was called out to help a lovely local couple whose back door had become a real headache. The key was stuck, the handles were dropping, and the door wouldn’t lock at all.


From the symptoms, it looked like it might be a gearbox failure, so I quoted them for the worst case just to be safe. Once I got there and stripped it down, the gearbox was actually fine. The real culprits were:

- A broken cylinder

- Failed handles


This meant a much cheaper repair than they were expecting.


I then fully serviced the door. The alignment was miles out, and the extra force needed to lock it had caused the parts to fail. With the alignment corrected, the door now runs smoothly and they’ve avoided a future gearbox replacement.


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Job 2 – Snapped Key & DIY Drilling Attempt


Later this morning, I attended another home with a very similar issue. The customer’s key had become stuck in the cylinder, and after trying to free it, the key eventually snapped. They’d even tried drilling the lock themselves, which unfortunately caused more damage.


Once on site, I removed the damaged cylinder, fitted a new one, and then checked the door over properly. Again, the root cause was poor alignment — the door was putting too much pressure on the lock, which is why the cylinder seized in the first place.


After making the correct adjustments, the door is now operating smoothly with no strain on the new parts.


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Why This Matters


Both jobs today came down to the same underlying issue: door alignment. When a door isn’t sitting correctly, it forces the lock to work harder than it should. Over time, that strain breaks handles, cylinders, and even gearboxes.


A simple door service can prevent all of that — saving money, stress, and emergency callouts.


If your door feels stiff, scrapes, or needs extra force to lock, it’s worth getting it looked at before it becomes a bigger problem.


☎️ Call or message me on 07513688870

✅ No VAT

✅ No call-out fees

✅ Fully insured & DBS checked

✅ Friendly, professional service


Email: 📧 oliverslocksbromsgrove@gmail.com




 
 
 

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