How To get Started With locks and Handles for uPVC Doors

There will be several reasons why you want to change your door locks or your upvc door handles, but common sense says change them both at the same time. Locks and handles for upvc doors go hand in glove yet are actually separate components. One very good piece of advice when changing both is to ensure you know the thickness of the new handle backplate. Take this into consideration against the size of your current lock as it may well be thicker than the existing plate. If that is the case then the new cylinder will be too short if you use the old euro cylinder sizes. A second piece of advice - be aware of lock snapping and lock bumping as your existing euro cylinder is highly likely to be vulnerable.

Start With Your upvc door handles

Make some initial observations regarding the existing pvc handles.

  1. Do your pvc handles have one or two spindles and if two are they inline or offset? This video page will show you how offset spindle handles look and work. If you have two inline spindles that meet in the middle of the lock then keep the springs and the spindles for your new handle set. Inline split spindles must be put back together exactly as they were taken out.
  2. Are there levers both sides or a lever and a pad? Pad upvc door handles can be inline or offset.
  3. Does your handle set have a snib button on the internal faceplate? Visit our page for upvc door handles with snib and check the diagrams to get the correct one.
  4. Is there a manufacturers mark on the strapping up the side of the door (not the euro lock)? This may help with some types of upvc door handles where they also make the multi-point locks. The following pvc handles can be found Fullex uPVC Door Handles, Mila, Hoppe, Fullex, Yale and Avocet to name a few.
  5. Take some measurements and use these guides: How To Measure uPVC Door Handles with a single spindle or How To Measure Offset uPVC Door Handles. You can then click the links in either of these guides to take you to the PVC door handles.

Now Turn Your Attention to Replacing the Euro Cylinder Lock

This one is much more straightforward than many customers realise. Here is how to go about things.

  1. You need two measurements. The size from the centre of the screw fixing hole to the end of the barrel and from both ends. To do this with the lock still in the door follow this guide How To Measure a Euro Cylinder Lock. If you are not certain enough then take the cylinder out of the door and measure it that way. This video page will help you to measure and replace a euro lock.

Following the steps above and take your time to get the detail right you will get it right first time. Changing locks and handles for doors is as easy as you want to make it.