An estate agent I work with got in touch about a balcony sliding door in Isleworth that the tenants could no longer open. After I gave an approximate price, the landlord approved the repair.
The door was an old, very large sliding unit and it was not interested in giving up easily. I removed the handles and made a precise access opening underneath the handle faceplate so it would be hidden once everything was reassembled.
Through that access point I was able to manipulate the failed mechanism and get the door open. As soon as I saw the hardware properly, I knew I was unlikely to find a direct replacement immediately and that parts would need to be sourced.
Because the flat was on the first floor and the tenants were comfortable with the temporary situation, I refitted the handles and existing lock while I sourced the repair part rather than adding the cost of a separate temporary locking system. It was the most practical short-term option available without turning the job into a more expensive temporary repair.
I found the required part and returned the following day. The mechanism was repaired, reinstalled and tested, saving the original sliding door without causing unnecessary disruption to the tenants.
