If your composite door catches at the top and you have to lean on it to lock it, the door and the keep in the frame have usually stopped lining up. Most of the time that’s an adjustment, not a new door.
Let me be straight with you about what you’re reading. This is one job in Chandler’s Ford, at the end of a busy week and a few days after three doors in Blackfield.
I’m a locksmith, not a writer. This is my honest account of a fault I see all the time, and what I’d check before anyone talks you into spending big. So here’s what I’d want my own mum to know.
Why is my composite door catching at the top?
Because the door has moved slightly out of square in its frame, so the top of the door rubs the frame as it closes. Composite doors are heavy. Over time they settle on their hinges, the frame shifts a touch with the weather, and a gap that was even when it was fitted closes up at one corner.
That’s what this customer had. A good-looking grey composite door, and the top of it was hitting the frame every time it shut. On a hot day it gets worse, which is why I wrote about composite doors sticking every summer. If yours catches all year round, it’s not the weather. It’s the alignment.
Why do I have to push the door to lock it?
Because the locking points on the door no longer meet the keeps on the frame square. Pushing squashes the seal just enough for the hooks and bolts to drop into place. It works, until it doesn’t.
Doing that every day puts strain on the mechanism inside the door, the gearbox, the centre case of the multipoint lock, and that’s the part that eventually gives up and leaves you locked in or locked out. Getting the door sitting right again is a door realignment, and it’s a lot cheaper than the gearbox it saves.
The signs your door is heading that way:
- You have to push or pull the door before the handle will lift.
- The key is stiff to turn unless you lean on the door.
- The door rubs or catches at the top.
- The gap round the door is uneven, wider at one corner than the other.
- The handle has started to droop.
What is a keep, and what does packing it out mean?
The keep is the steel plate on the frame that the door’s locking points catch into. Some people call it the strike plate. Packing it out means fitting thin packers behind it to bring it forward or level it, so the latch, hooks and bolts meet it square.
That’s the keep from this door, held beside the hole it came out of. It wasn’t sitting level, so the door had to be shoved to meet it. I took it off, packed it out, adjusted it and refitted it. The hinges were seized, but I got the door working without them needing replacing. Now the door closes and locks without a fight. It works a treat.
Most people never look at their keeps. They’re the cheapest part of the whole system to put right, and a keep adjustment is often the whole fix.
Was the droopy handle part of the same problem?
Often it is. A door you have to force puts extra strain on the handle, and the springs inside that hold it level wear out. On this job I fitted new springs, so the handle sits up straight again. If yours has gone floppy, I’ve explained what’s broken inside a floppy handle, and if it’s past saving there’s door handle replacement.
What else did the visit involve?
The lock got a proper clean and lubricate, and I hoovered up before I left. A lock that’s been worked hard against a misaligned door collects grit and old grease, and cleaning it out is part of doing the job properly, not an extra.
The customer left a review the same day:
Bugsy is a super chap and goes beyond the call of duty. I had an iffy front door handle, but whilst here he lifted the door so it moved better, sorted the iffy handle springs, cleaned and lubricated the lock, refitted the strike plate for better alignment, and all for a modest sum. Highly recommend.
Thank you. That one made my week. You can read it on Google.
How much does it cost to fix a composite door that catches?
Usually less than people expect, because most of the time it’s adjustment, not parts. My starting prices:
- Keep adjustment: from £75.
- Door realignment: from £85.
- Door handle repair or replacement: from £85.
“From” is where a price starts, not a ceiling and not a trap. An awkward or discontinued part can push it up, and I say so before I start, never after. A straightforward job can bring it down. There’s no call-out fee, ever. All my prices are on the prices page.
Are composite doors more trouble than uPVC?
Not more trouble, just different trouble. They’re heavier, so they show it sooner when they drop, and a dark one can bow a little in strong sun. Looked after, a good composite door lasts for years. I’ve compared the two properly in composite vs uPVC doors: what goes wrong and what it costs.
FAQ
Has my composite door dropped?
If it catches at the top, or the gap round it is uneven, it’s very likely moved. It’s worth sorting before it starts fighting the lock.
Can I adjust it myself?
Leave it to someone with the right tools. Forcing a seized adjuster can break it, and then you need parts you didn’t before.
Will WD-40 fix a door that catches?
No. It might make the lock feel smoother for a week, but it won’t move the door back into line. I use GT85 on locks, and only after the door is sitting right.
Do I need a new door?
Rarely. Adjustment, keeps and handle springs come first. Most doors I’m called to have years left in them.
Why does my door only catch in summer?
Heat makes composite and uPVC doors expand, so a door that’s slightly out closes up the gap completely on a hot day. If it catches all year, it’s alignment.
Do you cover Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh?
Yes. I’m based in Hythe and cover Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Southampton and the Waterside. Have a look at the Chandler’s Ford locksmith page or the Eastleigh page, or just ring me.
One last thing.
If your door’s been catching for months and you’ve got used to giving it a shove, don’t wait for the day it won’t lock at all. WhatsApp me a photo of it on 07453 327708 and I’ll tell you what it probably is and roughly what it’ll cost before you book anything. If it’s not something I can help with, I’ll point you to someone honest who can.
Bugsy, KeyWise 24hr Locksmiths, Hythe, Southampton.
Be wise, phone Keywise.
