One of the internal doors in my daughter's flat is shut and will not open. It's a bog standard tubular latch. The door handle turns, but nothing happens. The door opens inwards, so I can't get access to the hinges. I've tried to use a credit card to slip the latch, butcan't.
Daughter returns from holiday late on Tuesday. Any suggestions, please, or do I need to get a locksmith? I thought of an angle grinder, but it might cause too much mess.
Thanks for your help.
John
Possibly the handle innards or spindle has broken. Remove handle, try turning spindle with spanner, if no luck pull out spindle and replace with new.
If the spindle was cut too short it may simply have dislocated out of the handle.
Possibly the handle innards or spindle has broken. Remove handle, try turning spindle with spanner, if no luck pull out spindle and replace with new.
If the spindle was cut too short it may simply have dislocated out of the handle.
If it's anything like one I had, the diecast 'wotsit' that the square spindle operates had shattered.
I had this problem a year back in between moving houses, using sons as it wasnt rented then so I had to be careful what I did, and I tried everything unscrewed the plates tried screwdrivers credit cards and nothing worked. I was one floor up and locked in. Eventually I had to use a screwdriver and force the door as it turned out it was a cheap latch that had failed and on examination couldnt see that there would have been any other way to do it. Slight damage to woodwork but easily filled and painted over.
I think you will find its a mortice latch.
First thing to try, remove the handle and try to prize the latch back. Doesn't often work, but worth a try.
You need to prize away the slam strip on the door frame. This will cause a little damage to the paint finish. Then get a hacksaw blade/filling knife to spring the latch.
If the slam strip isn't separate e.g. the door frame is rebated - not common on internal frames - you will need something like a Bosch PMF180 multi tool to cut away some timber. That can be replaced & filled after
That's the most common failure. Never seen a spindle snap.
Thanks to all for your advice. I've been for another look. Yes, comparison with the other doors in the flat indicates that it is a mortice latch. I got the handle off. The spindle is intact and is engaging properly with the lock mechanism. Prising didn't work. There is a facing plate (sorry, I don't know the correct terms) over the slam strip, so removing the slam strip isn't something I wish to do. In my own flat.... that's a different story. There's not enough room to get a hacksaw blade in. I know it goes against the grain of this ng, but in this case I feel it's safer to seek pro help,
Daughter's mother, btw, who caused the problem yesterday, left for Cyprus early today.
If you used a narrow blade to cut behind the door stop on a normal frame with separate stops, you could then stick a narrow scraper through the slot created to slip the catch. It would then leave the stop mostly undamaged with only leave a narrow gap in the corner to make good with two part wood filler...
(sounds like a good article for the wiki actually)
As the slam strip appears to have a reinforcing plate , drill a hole (4mm) at the root of the slam strip then tap in a 3" nail to push back the latch. In case difficulty, grind a profile on the nail to give it a
45deg taper to the door jamb side.
Have a look and see if there is a nailed on bead on the door's lining/frame. If so, it can be easily prised away so long as it hasn't been glued as well as nailed. (Sash knife if you have one.) Cut the paint with a stanley knife first so it doesn't peel off. You can try the credit card trick then or better still a paint scraper/fillingknive/beread knife.
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