Changing a front door lock, urgent advice required

Phate

Phate

Phate

Caporegime
Joined
1 Nov 2003
Posts
35,691
Location
Lisbon, Portugal
Without going into too many details I need to change the lock on my front door, tonight.

I'm not sure of the type of lock itself but the door looks a bit like this, http://www.frontdoors.uk.com/images/gallery/blue-composite-door.jpg

Long and short of it, is there a good chance I can go and do this myself? Or will I need to pay a rip off merchant to come and do it for me last minute? Have never looked into changing a lock before.

TIA
 
If it's a euro barrel type lock there's a screw on the edge of door that holds it in place, you have to turn the key a bit to get the barrel out and you need to know what lengths the the front and back bit are for replacement. To actually swap them over (providing you have the correct replacement) is a 10 min job
 
jonzun said:
If it's a euro barrel type lock there's a screw on the edge of door that holds it in place, you have to turn the key a bit to get the barrel out and you need to know what lengths the the front and back bit are for replacement. To actually swap them over (providing you have the correct replacement) is a 10 min job
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick response.

Ok great, so I think my best bet by the sounds of it will be to remove the existing one, measure up, fit it back in to go and get another then just swap it over.
 
Phate said:
Thanks for the quick response.

Ok great, so I think my best bet by the sounds of it will be to remove the existing one, measure up, fit it back in to go and get another then just swap it over.
Click to expand...

That's correct, they are very common so you can even pick one up from B&Q/Wickes/Screwfix. I found ebay to be the cheapest place for branded yale locks, just have them delivered to another address other than the house you are fitting them at!
 
Don't use a rip off merchant mate, I locked myself out of our new place on day two and the guy took about a minute to get in and charged me £120 for the privilege. If he would have had to change the lock we would have been talking double that on a last minute call out.

If it were me id remove the lock, secure the place and get down to wickes (other diy stores are available) and just buy a new barrel.
 
My girlfriend has had a brilliant idea!

The front and back doors are both the same style, so there is a chance I could just swap them over, and considering I hardly use the back door and NEVER enter from the outside. I could just swap the locks over (if they fit) and then leave a key in the back door turned so a key can't be pushed through from the other side.
 
jonzun said:
If it's a euro barrel type lock there's a screw on the edge of door that holds it in place, you have to turn the key a bit to get the barrel out and you need to know what lengths the the front and back bit are for replacement. To actually swap them over (providing you have the correct replacement) is a 10 min job
Click to expand...

Quoted for Truth. Literally slips out & another slips in, Piece of ****. :)
 
Phate said:
My girlfriend has had a brilliant idea!

The front and back doors are both the same style, so there is a chance I could just swap them over, and considering I hardly use the back door and NEVER enter from the outside. I could just swap the locks over (if they fit) and then leave a key in the back door turned so a key can't be pushed through from the other side.
Click to expand...

Could swap the doors and buy a couple of dead bolts for the back door no need to leave a key in it then.
 
Phate said:
My girlfriend has had a brilliant idea!

The front and back doors are both the same style, so there is a chance I could just swap them over, and considering I hardly use the back door and NEVER enter from the outside. I could just swap the locks over (if they fit) and then leave a key in the back door turned so a key can't be pushed through from the other side.
Click to expand...

That's a keeper right there!
 
Vince said:
Don't use a rip off merchant mate, I locked myself out of our new place on day two and the guy took about a minute to get in and charged me £120 for the privilege. If he would have had to change the lock we would have been talking double that on a last minute call out.

If it were me id remove the lock, secure the place and get down to wickes (other diy stores are available) and just buy a new barrel.
Click to expand...

Why are you so surprised? Any lockpicker (locksmiths just drill through these days) that's half decent will get in in a few minutes.

e; Ohhh you're surprised at the cost.
 
Hyburnate said:
Why are you so surprised? Any lockpicker (locksmiths just drill through these days) that's half decent will get in in a few minutes.

e; Ohhh you're surprised at the cost.
Click to expand...

No.. he didn't drill the lock, used some old school lock picks. In he went, out of my wallet the cash went. Better than smashing the door down I suppose. Any profession where your on £120 a minute seems a decent deal to me.
 
Vince said:
No.. he didn't drill the lock, used some old school lock picks. In he went, out of my wallet the cash went. Better than smashing the door down I suppose. Any profession where your on £120 a minute seems a decent deal to me.
Click to expand...

The £120 will have been the call out rate too. It's unusual for them to use lock picks they'll usually use a gun or drill the pins (unless the lock is drill resistant which I kinda doubt) he obviously didn't want to change the lock and therefore picked it, heck he possibly raked it.
 
Hyburnate said:
The £120 will have been the call out rate too. It's unusual for them to use lock picks they'll usually use a gun or drill the pins (unless the lock is drill resistant which I kinda doubt) he obviously didn't want to change the lock and therefore picked it, heck he possibly raked it.
Click to expand...

Whatever that might be, he could well have done that. Let me tell you during a move, one of the things you do not want to do is lock yourself out of your new house.

I certainly isn't fun.
 
I feel your pain. We lost our keys during our house move. We went thru the van. We went thru the boxes. No joy.

£120 later while a locksmith had fun with a small cordless and we were in.

We found the keys the next day in my GFs coat pocket...
 
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