DIY GUIDE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

How to adjust a uPVC door or window that drops, drags or will not lock yourself
An hour. €5–€30 for lubricant, cleaner or a new handle.

Read the gaps, adjust hinges and keeps, lubricate the locking points, swap a handle — and when to call a fitter.

DIFFICULTY
Easy
part of the job only
TIME
About an hour
adjusting hinges and keeps takes a few minutes each once you find them; a handle swap is quicker
MATERIALS
€5–€30
usually nothing but lubricant; a new window handle or a uPVC cleaner at most
A PRO CHARGES
€80–€300
typically €150
  • Every step, start to finish
  • Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
  • Honest about when to call a pro

FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER

Do it yourself, or get a repairer?

Do it yourself if…

  • The door has to be lifted to lock, catches on the frame or threshold, or a draught gets in when it is shut
  • A window handle is loose, stiff or broken, or a window will not close tightly
  • The door and frame are sound, with no cracks in the frame or the glass
  • It is your own home, or your landlord has agreed in writing

Get a pro if…

  • The double-glazed unit is misted between the panes, cracked or leaking
  • The handle will not lift or lower at all with the door open — the gearbox inside the door has failed
  • The frame is cracked, the door has dropped beyond the hinges’ adjustment, or the door needs replacing
  • The home is rented and the repair is the landlord’s, or an upstairs window needs work from outside

Safety first

  • Support the door with a wedge while you adjust the hinges, and keep fingers out of the hinge side when it closes.
  • A uPVC door with its glass is heavy; if you need to lift it off its hinges, don’t do it alone — the HSA’s manual handling advice is to plan the lift and share the load.
  • Work on upstairs windows only from inside the room. Never lean out or stand on the sill.
  • Do not take out or press on a sealed glazing unit; broken toughened or laminated glass is dangerous to handle.
  • Keep the door open and wedged while a cylinder or handle is off so nobody can be locked out.

Stop here: Sealed glazing, gearboxes, new doors and rented homes

The danger is heavy glass and a door that must lock. Replacing a sealed double-glazed unit means handling heavy toughened or laminated glass and refitting the glazing beads and packers correctly, and a failed multipoint gearbox is a locksmith’s or door fitter’s repair. In a rented home, the 2019 rented-housing standards place the duty on the landlord to keep doors and windows in good condition and repair, and the local authority enforces those standards; replacing a door or a window is the landlord’s decision and cost. How to hire a double glazing repairer →

MATERIALCOVERAGEFOR THIS JOB
Light non-acidic mineral oilSmall canFor hinges and locking points, twice a year
uPVC cleaner or mild detergentNon-abrasiveFor frames, sills and seals
Replacement window or door handleMatched to type, hand, spindle and screw centresOnly if the old one is broken

Is the seal tight enough?

Close the door on a strip of paper at the top, middle and bottom of the lock side and the hinge side, and try to pull it out. It should drag firmly. If it slides out easily at the top of the lock side but grips at the bottom, the door has dropped: raise it at the hinges. If it slides out easily all down the lock side, increase the compression at the keeps by a small step. If it is so tight the paper tears and the door is hard to lock, ease the keeps back.

Seals compress over time; the test is quick and is worth repeating every season.

Read the gaps first

Close the door and look at the gaps round it and the line of the seals. A door that has dropped shows a bigger gap at the top on the lock side and catches at the bottom. A door that is too far from the frame lets daylight and draughts past the seals. A door that is too tight on the frame is stiff to lock. Each of those has its own adjustment.

Hinges: height, side and compression

Most uPVC doors hang on adjustable hinges, usually flag hinges, with covers that slide or clip off. Behind them are adjusting screws for height, lateral position and, on many, compression — how hard the door is pulled against its seals. Makers’ arrangements differ, so look at your hinge, and turn a little at a time.

Keeps and the locking points

The hooks, rollers and bolts along the door edge engage keeps on the frame. Many keeps have an adjustable cam or slide that moves the locking point in or out, tightening or easing the seal. A door that is hard to lock usually has keeps set too tight, or a door that has dropped so the locking points miss their keeps.

Look after the mechanism

One hardware maker’s maintenance advice for uPVC doors is to clean the frame and the sill now and then with mild soapy water, lubricate hinges and exposed moving parts of locks with a light non-acidic mineral oil twice per year, keep handles clean, and check fixings and adjustment from time to time. It warns against abrasive cleaners and harsh aerosol sprays on handles.

Window handles and friction stays

Casement windows use either a cockspur handle with a wedge on the frame, or an espagnolette handle that drives a locking bar through a spindle — one maker gives the usual spindle as 7mm square. Friction stays, the hinges on most uPVC casements, are fitted in pairs and sized to the window. A handle is easy to change; a stay is a closer, fiddlier job.

Photograph each hinge and keep before you touch them, so you can put them back if an adjustment makes things worse.
Make small changes — a quarter or half turn — and test the door after each one.

THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH

Before you start — the door or window and the fault

Find the card that matches what you see. For anything on a door, work with the door open and supported so it cannot swing.

Door has dropped

You lift the handle hard to lock it; the door catches at the bottom or the top of the lock side.

  1. Open the door and lift the lock end gently: if it moves, the hinges need adjusting
  2. Remove the hinge covers and find the height adjuster on each hinge
  3. Check the hinge screws into the frame are tight
  4. Support the door with a wedge while you adjust
Draughts or a loose door

Daylight or a draught past the seals, or the door rattles when locked.

  1. Do the paper test along both sides
  2. Find the adjustable keeps on the frame — look for a cam or slot on each
  3. Check the seals are in their grooves, not torn or flattened
  4. Clean the seals with warm soapy water before judging them
Hard to lock or stiff handle

The handle needs force to lift, or the key is stiff with the door shut.

  1. Open the door and work the handle up and down: if it is smooth open, the problem is alignment
  2. If it is stiff with the door open, the gearbox or the bolts need lubricating — or the gearbox has failed
  3. Look along the edge for locking points that rub on their keeps
  4. Have light oil and a cloth ready
Window handle or window not closing

A loose, stiff or broken handle, or a casement that will not pull in tight.

  1. Check the handle screws under the cover at the base of the handle
  2. Open the window and look at the locking bar and the keeps on the frame
  3. Check the friction stays at top and bottom for bent arms or missing screws
  4. For upstairs windows, work from inside only

THE JOB

How to adjust a uPVC door or window, in order

  1. Clean and inspect

    15 min

    Wipe the frame, the sill, the door edge and the seals with warm water and a mild detergent on a soft cloth, as the hardware maker recommends. Clean out grit from the sill and the keeps. Look at every hinge, keep and seal, and do the paper test round the door. Photograph the hinges and keeps before any adjustment.

    • Never use abrasive cleaners, scouring pads or solvents on uPVC
    • A soft brush clears the drainage slots in the sill
    • Note where the paper grips and where it slides out

    Mistake to avoid: Adjusting before cleaning. Grit in the keeps and the sill can be all that is wrong.

  2. Lubricate the moving parts

    10 min

    Put a drop of light, non-acidic oil on each hinge pivot and on every exposed moving part of the lock along the door edge — hooks, rollers and bolts — and work the handle up and down several times. Wipe off the excess. Put a little dry lubricant into the cylinder keyway and work the key.

    • One maker advises doing this twice a year
    • Oil the window locking bar and the friction stay pivots too
    • Avoid general-purpose sprays and grease, which collect dirt

    Mistake to avoid: Spraying a solvent cleaner or general aerosol into the lock. It strips the factory lubricant and the mechanism goes stiffer.

  3. Raise a dropped door at the hinges

    20 min

    With the door open and supported, take off the hinge covers. Find the height adjuster — often at the top or bottom of each hinge — and turn it a quarter or half turn with the Allen key to lift the door, doing each hinge by the same amount. Close the door and test. Repeat until the gap at the top is even and the handle lifts easily.

    • Turn each hinge the same amount so the door stays square
    • Lift the door slightly by hand while turning to take the weight off the adjuster
    • Refit the hinge covers when you are done

    Mistake to avoid: Turning one hinge a lot and the others not at all. The door twists, and the seals and locking points stop meeting evenly.

  4. Move the door sideways

    15 min

    If the door rubs on the lock side of the frame, or the gap on the hinge side is too big, use the lateral adjuster on each hinge to move the door towards or away from the hinge side. Again, small even turns on every hinge, testing after each.

    • Check the gap along the lock side with a coin
    • Lateral and height adjustments affect each other — recheck height after
    • If the adjuster reaches its limit and the door still rubs, stop: the frame may have moved

    Mistake to avoid: Forcing an adjuster past its end stop. The hinge strips and has to be replaced.

  5. Adjust the keeps for compression

    15 min

    If the door is loose or draughty, or hard to lock, adjust the keeps on the frame. Many have a cam or slide that you turn or move with an Allen key or screwdriver to bring the locking point closer or further from the seal. Adjust all the keeps by the same small step, then do the paper test again.

    • Tighter compression stops draughts but makes the handle harder to lift — find the balance
    • Some doors also have compression adjustment on the hinges
    • Mark the keep positions with a pencil before moving them

    Mistake to avoid: Setting the keeps very tight to stop a draught. The door becomes hard to lock, and the gearbox wears out.

  6. Check the window handle and locking bar

    15 min

    Open the window and work the handle. Lift or swivel the cover at the base of the handle to reach the screws and tighten them. If the window does not pull in tightly, check the keeps on the frame for adjustment like a door’s. Check both friction stays for loose screws and tighten them gently.

    • Never lean out of an upstairs window to work on it
    • Lubricate the locking bar and the stays
    • If the window drops at the handle side, a friction stay is worn or bent

    Mistake to avoid: Overtightening friction stay screws into the uPVC. They strip, and the stay comes loose.

  7. Change a broken window handle

    15 min

    Measure the old handle: its type, whether it is left or right handed, the spindle length and the distance between the screw holes. Open the window, lift the cover, remove the two screws and pull the handle and spindle out. Fit the new handle with its spindle into the same hole, screw it down and test that it locks and unlocks fully.

    • Turn the old handle to the open position before removing it
    • Buy the same spindle length — too short does not drive the lock, too long fouls the frame
    • Keep the old screws in case the new ones are a different length

    Mistake to avoid: Buying a handle with the wrong spindle length. It either will not lock or will not sit flat.

  8. Test and record

    15 min

    Close and lock the door from outside and inside, with the handle and the key. Do the paper test again round the door and any windows you adjusted. Note which adjustments you made on your phone photos, so you can undo or repeat them.

    • Check in different weather; uPVC expands and contracts slightly
    • If you still have to lift hard, recheck the hinge height
    • A door that will not lock even with the handle working freely open has a gearbox fault

    Mistake to avoid: Living with a door that needs a hard lift to lock. It wears the gearbox until it fails, which costs far more than adjusting the hinges.

The mistakes that make it worse

  • Forcing the handle on a door that has dropped
  • Turning one hinge much more than the others
  • Setting the keeps so tight the door is hard to lock
  • Cleaning uPVC with abrasives or solvents
  • Leaning out of an upstairs window to work on it

Stop here and get a uPVC repair specialist

  • A sealed glazing unit is misted, cracked or leaking
  • The gearbox has failed and the handle will not move with the door open
  • The frame is cracked, the hinges are at the end of their adjustment, or the door needs replacing
  • The home is rented and the landlord has not agreed to the work
How to hire a double glazing repairer →

uPVC door has to be lifted to lockThe door has dropped. Raise it a little at each hinge with the height adjusters until the handle lifts easily.
Draught round a uPVC doorThe door is not pulled tight against the seals. Adjust the keeps or hinge compression a small step; replace flattened or torn seals.
uPVC door catching on the frameThe door has dropped or moved sideways. Adjust height and lateral position at the hinges, evenly on each.
Handle floppy or will not returnLoose handle screws or a worn spring. Tighten the screws; replace the handle if the spring has gone.
Handle will not move at all, door openThe gearbox has failed. This needs a locksmith or a door fitter.
Window will not close tightlyKeeps out of adjustment or a worn friction stay. Adjust the keeps; replace a bent or worn stay as a pair.
Condensation between the panesThe sealed unit has failed. The glass unit needs replacing by a glazier; the frame is usually fine.
uPVC frame turned yellow or greyDirt and weathering. Clean with warm soapy water or a non-abrasive uPVC cleaner; never use solvents or bleach.

WHAT YOU SAVE

What it costs to do it yourself

uPVC cleaner, 1L€11
Lock lubricant€7
Replacement window handle€16.35
Screwdriver set, if needed€15–€27
Total, a typical adjustment€5–€30
DIY total€5–€30
A double glazing repairer charges per job
LOW
€80
TYPICAL
€150
HIGH
€300
UPVC Repair price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

Adjustment costs nothing but time. A handle or cleaner is the only common purchase; a new gearbox, stay or glazing unit is a fitter’s job, and the price guide band is what it costs.

RATHER NOT?

Double glazing repairers near you, with prices shown

The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

Lubricate twice a year

Oil the hinges, locking points and window stays in spring and autumn, and put a little dry lubricant in the cylinder.

Keep the frames clean

Wipe frames, sills and seals with warm soapy water every few months, more often near the sea, and clear the sill drainage slots.

Dispose of old handles and cans properly

Old metal handles and hinges can go to the metal skip at your civic amenity site. Aerosol lubricant cans are hazardous waste and go to the civic amenity site, not the recycling bin, as mywaste.ie explains.

Note your adjustments

Keep the photos of the hinge and keep settings; they make the next adjustment quick.

Adjusting a uPVC door or window that drops, drags or will not lock: questions people ask

The door has dropped on its hinges, so the locking points no longer meet their keeps. Raise it a little at each hinge with the height adjuster until the handle lifts easily.

Clean the seals, then adjust the keeps or the hinge compression to pull the door tighter. Use the paper test; do not set it so tight that the door is hard to lock.

A light non-acidic mineral oil on hinges and locking points, and a dry lock lubricant in the keyway. One hardware maker suggests doing it twice a year.

Yes. Match the type, the hand, the spindle length and the screw spacing, remove two screws under the cover and fit the new handle.

No. The seal of the glazing unit has failed, and the unit needs replacing by a glazier. The frame can usually stay.

On the Locufy price guide for Ireland, uPVC repair costs €80–€300 per job, typically €150. An adjustment or handle is at the low end; a gearbox or glazing unit at the top.

MORE GUIDES

More DIY guides

Changing a euro cylinder lock and freeing a stiff lockFixing a window that sticks, will not close or will not stay openFixing an internal door that sticks, drops or will not latchCleaning windows from the ground and from insideRegrouting tilesPainting a roomHanging wallpaperSpray painting small items with aerosol paint
All 90 DIY guides →How to hire a double glazing repairer →UPVC Repair price guide →Double glazing repairers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. ERA — how do I maintain my doors: cleaning PVCu, lubricating hinges and locks twice per year, adjusting and tightening fixings
  2. ERA — window handles: cockspur, espagnolette, spindles usually 7mm square
  3. ERA — window hinges and friction stays: fitted in pairs, sized to the sash
  4. HSA — manual handling
  5. Irish Statute Book — S.I. No. 137/2019, Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019
  6. gov.ie — minimum standards in rented accommodation
  7. MyWaste — what to do with aerosols
  8. diy.ie — uPVC cleaner, price check October 2026
  9. diy.ie — lock lubricant, price check October 2026
  10. diy.ie — window handles, price check October 2026
  11. diy.ie — screwdriver sets, price check October 2026