Door Repairs, Lock Installation & Sliding-Door Fixes in Canberra
Door hanging and adjustment, lock repair and replacement, and sliding-door track work across Canberra.
- Fixed price before we start
- 10+ years experience
- Fully insured & police cleared
The doors & locks problems we get called about most
A door that will not latch properly
Sticks at the top, will not close, only catches in winter. Nine times out of ten it is a packed hinge or a strike plate a few millimetres out, not a job for a new door.
A sliding door dragging off its track
Worn rollers and a gritty track turn a light patio door into a two-handed job. We clean, cap and replace what is worn so it slides the way it should.
Locks that are worn or unreliable
A deadlock that sticks or a latch that has gone loose is a security risk, not just an annoyance. We repair or replace so it locks properly every time.
A door that will not shut is usually a 90-minute fix
It feels like a big problem. Most of the time it is a hinge that has dropped, a screw that has lost its grip in the jamb, or a strike plate sitting a few millimetres out of line. We realign sticking and dragging doors, repair and replace deadlocks, latches and handles, and sort worn sliding-door rollers and damaged tracks.
Why Canberra doors misbehave
Timber doors take on moisture through the cold months and swell, then dry out and shrink back through summer. Canberra’s frost-to-dry swing is wider than most Australian cities, so the same door can bind in July and rattle in January.
That is why we diagnose before we cut. Planing a door to fit in winter guarantees a gap in summer, and once timber is off the door it does not go back on. The first things we check are the hinge side, the screws holding the jamb, and the strike plate. Fixing one of those solves the problem without permanently altering the door.
Locks and hardware
Deadbolts, mortise locks, tubular latches and handle sets all wear out. A barrel that has started to need jiggling is telling you it is near the end. We repair where the mechanism is sound and replace where it is not, using Gainsborough, Lockwood and Whitco hardware, which covers most Canberra homes. Every barrel we touch gets tested with the keys before we leave.
Anything needing a licensed locksmith (restricted key systems, safes, commercial master keying) gets referred on rather than attempted.
Sliding and patio doors
Heavy sliding doors are almost always worn rollers, grit packed into the track, or damaged track capping. All three are repairable. We replace the sliding door rollers, clear out the track, repair the capping and reset the alignment so the door closes square against the jamb rather than binding at one corner.
Draughts and weather seals
While we are working on an external door, a draught excluder and weather seal is a small addition with a real payoff. A gap under an external door works against your heater all winter, and Canberra winters are long enough for that to show up on a bill.
Every job is quoted upfront at a fixed price, and several doors in one visit costs less per door than booking them one at a time.
How much does doors & locks cost in Canberra?
Most door and lock jobs run $150–$180. Several doors in one visit works out cheaper per door than booking them separately.
Door adjustment
Sticking, dragging or a door that will not latch.
- Hinge packing and screw replacement
- Strike plate repositioning
- Latch alignment correction
- Diagnosis before anything gets planed
Lock repair or replace
Deadlocks, latches and handles that have worn out or seized.
- Deadbolt and mortise lock replacement
- Tubular latch and handle sets
- Gainsborough, Lockwood and Whitco hardware
- Keying checked and tested before we leave
Sliding door service
Patio and stacker doors that have gone heavy or jumped the track.
- Sliding door roller replacement
- Track cleaning and capping repair
- Alignment and closing adjustment
- Weather seal and draught excluder fitting
Prices depend on scope, access and materials. Bundling several jobs into one visit lowers the per-job cost. Ask for a free fixed quote.
Why choose us for doors & locks?
We diagnose before we plane
A door planed in winter leaves a gap all summer. Most binding doors are a hinge or a strike plate problem, and that is what we check first.
Usually a 90-minute job
Sticking doors feel like a big problem and are almost never a big job. We will tell you honestly if yours is the exception.
Common hardware on hand
Gainsborough, Lockwood and Whitco parts cover most Canberra homes, so a lot of jobs get finished in the first visit.
Draughts sorted too
While we are at the door, weather seals and draught excluders make a real difference to a Canberra winter heating bill.
How does doors & locks work?
Describe the symptom
Sticks at the top, will not latch, catches only in winter. The symptom usually tells us the cause before we arrive.
Diagnose on site
We check the hinge side, the jamb and the strike plate before touching the door itself. Planing is the last resort, not the first.
Fix it
Pack a hinge, run a longer screw into the stud, move a strike plate a few millimetres, or fit new hardware where it has worn out.
Test and hand over
Opened, closed and locked repeatedly before we go, with keys tested in every barrel we have touched.
Door and lock work with us vs calling a locksmith
Most sticking doors and failing latches are an alignment problem, not a lock problem. Here is how the two approaches compare.
| Canberra Handyman Services | Calling a locksmith | |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnoses the real cause | Checks the door, frame and hinges first | Focuses on the lock hardware |
| Fixes a dropped or binding door | Yes, planing and hinge adjustment included | Generally outside scope |
| Hardware supply | Fitted to your hardware or ours | Usually their own stocked range |
| Other jobs on the same visit | Yes, whatever else is on the list | Locks only |
| Emergency lockouts | Not offered, book a locksmith | Their core service |
Not sure if it is worth a call for doors & locks?
Send a photo and your suburb. We will tell you straight, and quote a fixed price before anything starts.
Recent doors & locks jobs
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What customers say about our doors & locks
5.0 average across 57+ Google reviews
"Back door had been dragging every winter for three years. Sorted in under an hour and it's shut cleanly ever since."
"Sliding door to the deck was so heavy the kids couldn't open it. New rollers, track cleaned out, and now it glides with one finger."
"Replaced two deadlocks and rehung a bathroom door in the same visit. One price, one invoice, no fuss."
Doors & Locks FAQs
Why does my door only stick in winter?
Timber takes up moisture in the cold, damp months and swells, then dries and shrinks back in summer. Canberra swings hard between the two. That is why planing a door in July is a mistake. Come January you have a permanent gap. The right fix is usually packing a hinge or adjusting the strike plate.
How long does a door repair take?
Most sticking or dragging doors are a 90-minute job: a packed hinge, a longer screw into the jamb stud, or a strike plate moved a few millimetres. Rehanging a door or fitting new hardware takes a little longer.
Can you replace a lock without replacing the whole door handle?
Usually yes. Deadbolts, tubular latches and handle sets are often separate components, so a seized barrel or a worn latch can be swapped on its own. If the hardware is an odd size or long discontinued, replacing the set can work out cheaper than sourcing the part.
My sliding patio door is really heavy to open. What's wrong?
Almost always worn rollers, a track packed with grit, or damaged track capping. Rollers are a wearing part and give up after years of use. We replace the rollers, clean out the track, repair the capping if it is damaged and reset the alignment so the door closes square.
Do you install security screen doors and deadlocks?
We repair and replace deadlocks, latches and handles, and we fit standard door hardware. Full security screen installation and anything requiring a licensed locksmith for restricted keying is referred on.
Can you do several doors in one visit?
Yes, and it is cheaper that way. Doing four doors in one booking costs far less per door than four separate call-outs, and it all comes on one invoice.
Will fixing the draught around my door actually help?
In a Canberra winter, yes. A gap under an external door is a constant air leak against a heater running all evening. A draught excluder and weather seal is a small job with a return you notice on the next bill.
Still not sure?
Call and ask. We would rather tell you it is a ten-minute fix than sell you a job you do not need.
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Ready to book doors & locks?
Send your suburb and a couple of photos. You get a fixed price for doors & locks before any work starts.
- Fixed price before we start
- Fully insured & police cleared
- Callback within the hour, Mon–Fri