Do you charge a call-out fee?

No — I don’t charge a call-out fee anywhere in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch or the Dorset villages. You only pay for the work carried out.

How quickly can you get to me?

In most cases I can be with you within 20–40 minutes depending on location and traffic. For booked-in jobs, I arrive exactly at the agreed time.

Can you open my door without damaging it?

Yes — I specialise in non-destructive entry wherever possible. Most lockouts are resolved without drilling or replacing the lock.

Do you work on uPVC and composite doors?

Absolutely. I repair, realign, and replace mechanisms, keeps, hinges, handles and cylinders on all uPVC and composite doors.

Should I change the locks when moving into a new home?

Yes — it’s always recommended. You never know who may still have keys. I can supply and fit new British Standard locks the same day.

What areas do you cover?

I cover Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Wimborne, Ferndown, Ringwood, and the surrounding Dorset villages.

What locks do you fit as standard?

I fit British Standard 1-star cylinders as standard, with 3-star options available for extra security.

Are you a genuine local locksmith?

Yes — I’m an independent locksmith based in Bournemouth, not a national call centre. You always deal with me directly.

Full Lock Upgrade & uPVC Door Realignment in BH8 After New Home Purchase

james07406
3 days ago
2 min read

A customer in BH8 contacted me shortly after getting the keys to their new home. Like many new homeowners, they wanted to upgrade all the external locks straight away for peace of mind — a smart move, because you never know how many old keys are still out there.

They booked me in for a full lock upgrade across several uPVC doors, but once I arrived it became clear that the property also needed a complete door service and realignment. This is extremely common especially when doors haven’t been maintained for a while.

What the customer needed

The property had several external uPVC doors:

Front door
Back door
French doors
Garden room door

They wanted all locks upgraded, and the French doors needed to be keyed alike so one key operated both sides.

I supplied and fitted British Standard 1‑star cylinders, each with 5 keys.

British standard 1 star cylinder with 5 keys

The hidden issue: every upvc door needed realignment

Before fitting any new cylinders, I always check the alignment of each door. There’s no point installing new locks if the door is dragging, dropping or putting pressure on the mechanism.

On this job:

The front door was catching at the top
The back door had dropped slightly
The French doors weren’t meeting correctly
The garden room door was stiff and needed adjustment and lubrication

All of these issues were putting strain on the locking strips and gearboxes. Left untreated, this eventually leads to failed gearboxes, stiff handles or doors that won’t lock properly.

What I did

Each door was fully serviced and realigned:

Adjusted hinges
Re‑set keeps
Lubricated all moving parts
Checked compression
Ensured smooth locking and unlocking

Once everything was running perfectly, I installed the new British Standard cylinders and tested each door several times.

The difference was immediate — smooth, light operation and secure locking throughout the property.

a pair of upvc french doors being serviced and realigned — upvc french doors realignment

Why new homeowners should do this

When you move into a new home, changing the locks is essential — but servicing the doors at the same time is just as important.

A proper alignment:

Prevents gearbox failure
Makes the doors easier to use
Improves security
Extends the life of the locking mechanism
Ensures your new cylinders operate smoothly

It’s one of the best things you can do for long‑term reliability.

A complete security and usability upgrade

By the time I left, the customer had:

New British Standard cylinders
Keyed‑alike French doors
Fully serviced and realigned uPVC doors
Smooth operation throughout
Peace of mind in their new home

A simple lock upgrade turned into a full improvement of the home’s security and day‑to‑day usability — exactly what you want when moving into a new property.