Replacing handle on multi point lock door

[FaceLikeAPairOfTits]

Is it complicated or expensive to replace the door handle? The key is turning fine but when we lift or depress the handle it feels clunky and like something inside the mechanism is catching.

We're getting worried about getting locked out of our house!

The door is wood, by the way, not UPVC.

It might not be just the handle. There is a faint chance that the spindle is worn, but more likely something is worn or out of adjustment in the gearbox or bolts.

There are lots of local specialists who repair and adjust multipoint locks, patio doors and plastic windows, because they are relatively troublesome. Ask around and try to get a personal recommendation. Look for a local independent who's been in the business for several years, and has a recognisable local landline number and address.

Avoid freephone or 0845 numbers, they will be agencies, and avoid "24-hour locksmiths" who are very often overcharging rogues.

An advert on a website is not a personal recommendation, even if it has been constructed to look like one.

Thanks Piglet.

We have a handyman type guy who has done loads of work for us in the past, including hanging internal doors. I know it's not the same thing, but do you think that would be something doable for someone like him? I don't like to use people who aren't recommended, and nobody I know has needed the services of the type of company you're describing.

wouldn't count on it

there's a technical mechanism inside the door, for multipoints, and they vary.

Some things, like adjusting the hinges up and down, or changing the cylinder, are fairly straightforward once you've done a few. Plastic doors tend to sag a bit on their hinges, which can put the bolts out of alignment, but yours is wooden so presumably has ordinary butt hinges.

If you can't get a recommendation, a locksmith who is a member of MLA will either do it, or know someone who can. Some of them specialise in expensive systems for billionaires and charge a lot, but in your case, someone who fits plastic doors and windows will know how.

The actual lock timber doors&fl=category:multipointwindowanddoorhardware%20type:door%20 mechanism is not especially expensive, so skill and precision in fitting it matters most. I prefer the ERA Vectis because it has a 5-lever lock, but many people are happy with a Eurocylinder.