We recently got called to a domestic property in Derby by a man who was trying to help his girlfriend save money.
The lady in question had sold her house (as the couple were about to move into a new home together) but some years ago had lost the keys to her aluminium patio door. Having been asked to have this resolved for the sale, the boyfriend watched a video on YouTube showing how to destroy and remove a Euro Cylinder (commonly being referred to as lock snapping, or cylinder snapping) allowing you to then manipulate the lock mechanism, open the door and fit a replacement Euro Cylinder. He explained to his girlfriend this would save them a few pounds compared to paying a locksmith to open and replace the lock.
Of course there is always a GREAT risk of causing damage to other parts, or the door itself, when choosing any destructive method of gaining entry to a door.
The boyfriend eventually snapped the Euro Cylinder but, during his efforts, also damaged the handle set and completely broke the independent lock mechanism beyond repair.
With only a few days left before completion on the house sale, things got a little tense for the couple!
More unfortunately for them was that the Gibbons lock mechanism the boyfriend broke was now a discontinued and obsolete part. After spending 2 days with an insecure sliding patio door and spending time and energy trying to find a replacement part, he decided they needed help.
He rang Key Door Solutions and we were able to source a different lock mechanism that would fit the sliding patio door but to do this the door would need to be modified to accommodate the new parts. It also meant new handles, new Euro Cylinder and a new Keep Plate for the Schlegel lock to engage into.
Well, the boyfriend did initially save his girlfriend a few pounds, as she didn’t ring and pay a locksmith. It did however cost him 3 times as much as it would have been to pick the lock, when he finally rang a locksmith to resolve the problem. We are also led to believe that flowers for the girlfriend aren’t cheap these days either!
On a positive note, both the customer and Key Door Solutions are pleased to have made the sliding patio door secure in Derby.
