Dropped UPVC door — key won't turn
The single most common UPVC callout across Barnet. Over years of use, hinges settle and the door drops a few millimetres — the multipoint hooks no longer align with the keeps and the key physically can't rotate. We often see Yale nightlatch wear on Edwardian and Victorian Barnet and East Finchley terraces as a related signal. Hinge adjustment + strike plate realignment usually fixes it without replacing hardware.
Our approach Adjust hinges and realign keeps first; replace gearbox or cylinder only if mechanical damage is present.