Doorfit Show Appreciation Of Hard Working Staff.

Established in 1953, Doorfit specialise in supplying sliding doors, garage doors and ironmongery, as well as providing effective locksmith services throughout the West Midlands. With over 60 years experience in the industry we are renowned for our high quality products and services.

Much of our success is down to our dedicated 55 members of staff, all of whom ensure we stay at the top of our game, and that all of our customers are completely satisfied with the service they receive.

For our long-standing employees with over 25 years with the company, we show our appreciation by presenting them with a gold watch. In fact, this year we’re handing out 3 gold watches to employees, and they’ll join the 9 other members of the ‘Gold Watch’ club (as well as those members of the company who have since retired following 25 years of service).  One member of staff recently celebrated 50 years with the company!

This alone shows the combined years of industry knowledge our experienced staff provide us with. This experience not only benefits us as a company but our customers too.

In an industry where people have become more reliant on the internet for answers to their garage door and security queries, we feel here at Doorfit that you get no better answer than by asking somebody experienced in that field, like any our high qualified staff.

So if you are looking for expert advice on architectural ironmongery, sliding door gears or garage doors, then call our expert team today!

Garage Doors - New CE Legislations

From July 2013 the CE marking for metal and timber garage door products is due to change. From next year the Construction Products Directive (CPD) is set to be replaced by the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), and under this regulation, all products will be legally required to be CE marked.

In the future it will be mandatory for all manufacturers and installers to CE mark.  This is to make sure that all companies are compliant by making sure all products meet industry standards and it is a viable defence against legal claims should accidents occur.

The DHF have produced a best practice guide to help members understand the new legislation and what is required by them when it comes to providing and installing CE marked products.

As members of the DHF, Doorfit are committed to supplying and installing all products in line with the high standards and legislation set out by the CPD, and, when the time comes, the CPR.  That way, you can be confident that when you come to Doorfit for your automatic garage door, you know you’re dealing with a professional company whose products and installation services fully comply with the high standards and legislation outlined by the CPD.

For more information, or to discuss your garage door requirements, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. 

New Kitemark Aims To Prevent Lock Bumping

What is lock bumping? It is a phrase that is recognised throughout the locksmith industry and a term that is applied when a lock is broken beyond repair. This is due to the insertion of a specially designed key, which, when pressure is applied, can destroy the lock mechanism and leave premises vulnerable to attack.  It is a technique known to the police, security professionals and insurers.

Don’t worry though there are many products now available on the market that have been specifically designed to stay one step ahead of this process, and which will maintain their integrity and resist any attempt to bump or snap the lock cylinder.

Any products supplied and installed must now adhere to the new Kitemark TS 007 standard for these products as set by the Door and hardware Federation (DHF), the Glass and Glazing Federation with support from Secured by Design. This new Kitemark is to give customers peace of mind.

Those products displaying the new TS 007 standard will be at a reduced risk of lock bumping and cylinder snapping, and it has, according to the chairman of the DHF, the highest level of consumer recognition. 

Each product, whether it’s a lock or other door security items, is rated between one and three stars, with three stars being the most secure.  As a result, there are various ways to meet this standard, whether it’s a combination of a one star and a two star rated product to achieve the desired three star rating, or whether it’s a single product that’s rated to three stars on its own.

Doorfit are members of the Master Locksmith Association, therefore any products must display the relevant Kitemark. It means that our products are less likely to become vulnerable to cylinder snapping and lock bumping.  We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements and advise which products will be most suitable, and you can rely on our expert team to ensure that your locks are secure, safe and up to the required industry standard.

So don’t leave your property an easy target for thieves – get in touch with us today and secure your locks using the very latest in locksmith technology.

Sexy garage doors

Sexy garage doors ?http://www.doorfit.co.uk/

Ok, so who said up and over garage doors couldn’t be sexy?

A garage door generally takes up a large portion of the front view on a property so choosing the right design is critical. For years the garage door manufacturers have churned out the same designs, the horizontal or vertical ribbed and the square panelled georgians are what we currently see in abundance. Having a wider choice of home improvement products has given us all the opportunity to be different from our neighbours, but what about the garage door I hear you ask !!

We now have the answer, The Garador Design Range. These doors offer a modern take on the garage door giving a minimalistic appearance that suits modern buildings as well as traditional homes.
We also offer a matching FrontGuard front doors to really give any property that WOW factor.

A complete range is available with various window and colour options, for a brochure email us enquiries@doorfit.co.uk , call us on 0121 523 4171 or visit our website www.doorfit.co.uk

How to Remove and Replace a uPVC Multipoint Locking Mechanism

First you need to remove the handles, so locate how many screws are holding them in place and remove them, usually two or three but always double check, if the handle isn’t coming away freely there may be an extra screw you missed. Once the handles are off make sure to store them and the screws safely.

Next remove the spindle that goes through the doors that the handles were attached too (there may be one or even two spindles) but take note of how it is orientated before removing it.

The cylinder barrel is the next part that you need to remove. First locate the screw fitted in faceplate, it should be a crosshead screw (also known as a Philips head) and unscrew it; it’s a long screw so should be easy to spot. Now put your key in the door lock and unscrew and remove the long screw. The reason we have put the key in is that once you give it a quarter turn and give the cylinder a pull and it should come free; if it doesn’t the go a quarter turn the other direction (after returning it to its neutral position) and try again, it should come free now.

Now that the handles and the cylinder are safely removed the next step is to remove the multipoint uPVC locking mechanism. There should be several crosshead screws around the front faceplate that will need removing, pay attention to their positions as you remove them.

Note there will typically be several star shaped screws or torx screws around the central latch; these are there to hold the main lock strip and the gearbox together. These should not be removed while the main locking mechanism is still in the door and if you are changing the entire mechanism you will not need to touch them, the same is true is you spot other torx screws near the hooks.

After all the crosshead screws have been removed you will be able to remove the entire length of the locking mechanism including the centre gearbox. Be careful as you remove it as it is fairly flexible and may bend which can damage it; Lay it on a solid surface for safety (or the floor).

You can measure the unit once it is removed and it should help you sourcing a replacement. You may find you can get an exact replacement but if not you should be able to source a very close alternative that will do the job. It’s worth noting many lock sets are too long initially and will need cutting down with a hacksaw but this isn’t anything to worry about.

Assuming you are replacing the entire locking system, then once you have your new mechanism to fit it is literally the reverse of the removal procedure.
However it may be that you only need to replace the gearbox as this is the typical component that fails due to it doing most of the work regarding the lock. Fortunately most locking systems allow you to remove and replace the gearbox with a new one.

Remember those torx screws? Well to change the gearbox you will now need to remove them but as the mechanism is completely removed from the door it is safe to do so. Once they are all unscrewed remove the gearbox from the strip taking note of how it attaches; the new gearbox will need to be fitted in exactly the same way. Before replacing the whole mechanism, quickly attach the handles and give it a trial run, see if the hooks and rollers move as they should.

Now you can refit the entire mechanism reversing you removal method but be sure to check the mechanism during the refitting stages to make sure it works and fits as it should.

For a huge range of door locks and Multipoint UPVC door locks visit www.doorfit.co.uk 

Identifying and Measuring a UPVC Multipoint Lock for Replacement

This is the main locking mechanism that runs up the edge of your door. All multipoint locking mechanisms come with a variety of locking points such as deadbolts, hooks, rollers and these often come in a variety of combinations, such as rollers on their own, hooks and rollers etc.

Multipoint locks or locking systems are the main locking mechanism that is located on the inner edge of your door. It is important to know that multipoint locking systems can have a variety of locking points including hooks, rollers or deadbolts and they can come as set types (for example deadbolts only) or a combination such as a roller and hook system.

Multipoint locks can come in a variety of colours such as silver, bronze, gold, white and even brown.
A typical multi point lock will run the entire length of your door with a lock mechanism at the centre near the handle, one near the top and another near the bottom for added security. Some may not have both the top and bottom locks, but typical models will.

You can buy replacement central locking mechanisms for most multipoint lock system if for any reason it becomes damaged, rather than requiring the replacement of the whole system.

If you need to replace a multipoint lock, especially if you are replacing the entire mechanism, then it is important to know exactly what type of lock you are using. Make sure you look for the branding on the faceplate, typical brands include Avocet, ERA, Fullex and Millenco as this will help you identify the lock you are using, many will also include a string of letters and numbers which is the serial number and this can help you pinpoint the exact lock type.

It is also important to take note of the locking type and what mechanisms are used be it roller, hooks or deadbolts so your replacement will fit correctly.

You should measure from the centre of the spindle to the centre of the locking mechanism (hook, roller or deadbolt), and do this for to the upper and/or lower mechanisms and take note of the results.

Next measure from the front edge of the lock to the centre of the spindle hole, this is called the backset; you are measuring depth as opposed to the width or length of the lock. This is typically 25mm, 28mm, 35mm, 45mm or 55mm.

You will now need to measure the ‘centres’ or PZ which is the measurement from the centre of the keyhole on the main mechanism to the spindle; typically this will be 68mm, 70mm or 92mm though some less common locks use 48mm, 95mm or 117mm.

The last measurement is the width of the locks faceplate that sits inside the doorframe which should be 16mm, though 20mm or 24mm are not uncommon widths.

With all the measurements of your current multipoint lock as well as (hopefully) the brand and model number you should be able to source you the right replacement door locks for your UPVC door.

For a huge range of door locks and Multipoint UPVC door locks visit www.doorfit.co.uk

What is Ironmongery?

The term ironmongery originally referred to the industry that covered the manufacture as well as sale of iron goods that were produced for household, or domestic, use rather than for commercial or industrial purposes.

Today ironmongers produce and/or sell a much wider array of consumer goods and this can include iron, brass, aluminium and a variety of other metals. However ironmongery items can also include plastic products as well with typical instances being window latches, door handles and letter plates among other products.

Doorfit offer a wide range of ironmongery products at great prices to both commercial, trade and domestic customers from door hinges, door handles, key hole covers and hat and coat hooks to high quality and reliable door locks and window locks for peace of mind in your home security and sliding door gear for a wide range of uses.

Visit our website www.doorfit.co.uk today to check out our large stock of ironmongery products, garage doors and timber door sets and pick yourself up a great deal.