An estate agent I work with asked me to change the lock on a garage door in Slough because the keys had been lost.
Once on site, I found that the missing keys were only part of the problem. One of the handles was missing as well, and the previous work around the lock had left the whole setup looking rough.
Rather than fit only a new lock into the existing damaged arrangement, I suggested replacing the full handle and plate assembly so the repair would cover the old work and leave a much neater finish.
The landlord approved the plan and I ordered the correct parts.
When I opened the garage-lock casing, I also found broken pieces from an older lock still sitting inside. They had simply been left there during a previous repair, and it was fortunate they had not jammed the mechanism.
A few days later the new parts arrived. I returned, installed the replacement lock, handle and plate assembly and tested the complete garage-door operation.
The door was working properly again and the replacement hardware also covered the untidy remnants of the previous installation.
