Storefront Door Locks Repaired and Replaced On Site
The glass and aluminum door at the front of a shop takes more abuse than any other door you own. When its lock starts to fail, we fix it on site so you can open in the morning and lock up at night.
A different kind of lock
Most storefront doors use a narrow stile frame: thin aluminum around a large pane of glass. There is no room for a regular house deadbolt, so these doors use a slim mortise lock with a long hook bolt that swings up into the frame. The key cylinder screws into the lock from outside, and a thumbturn or second cylinder sits inside.
Because the parts are specific to this kind of door, a general handyman often cannot help. We carry common storefront lock bodies, cylinders and parts, so many repairs are done on the first visit.
What usually goes wrong
The hook bolt stops lining up with the hole in the frame, because the door has dropped on its pivots or the closer is pulling it off line. The key turns but the bolt does not move, because a cam or tailpiece has worn out. The cylinder is loose and spins. Or someone forced the door and bent the bolt.
We look at the whole door, not just the lock. Fixing a lock on a door that is sagging only buys a few weeks. Sometimes adjusting the pivot or closer is the real repair.
Weather plays a part too. Aluminum frames move a little with heat, and a door that locks fine on a cool morning can bind on a hot afternoon when the sun hits the glass. If your lock only misbehaves at certain times of day, mention it. That small detail often points straight at the cause.
After a break-in or a staff change
If someone pried your front door overnight, call or text and we will get it locking again so you can open or at least close safely. Glass is a separate trade, but we handle the lock, the bolt and the cylinder.
For staff changes, storefront cylinders can be rekeyed or swapped quickly. We can also match the front door to your back door and office so one key opens what it should, and nothing else.
If the inside of the door uses a thumbturn, ask yourself whether that is the right choice. A thumbturn is easy for staff, but on a glass door it can be reached if the glass is broken. Some shops prefer a key on both sides. That choice has to fit your fire and exit rules, so we talk it through with you before changing anything.
What we check on a storefront door
Often needed with this
Common questions
Can you replace just the cylinder?
Yes. If the lock body is fine and you only need a new key, swapping or rekeying the cylinder is quick. We check the lock body at the same time so you are not back in a month with a different problem.
My key turns but the door will not lock.
That usually points to a worn cam or tailpiece, or a bolt that cannot reach its hole because the door has dropped. Text us a short video of the key turning and the door edge, and we can usually tell which before we arrive.
Can you put a keypad on a glass storefront door?
Often, yes. There are keypad and electric options made for narrow stile doors. Fit depends on the frame and whether power is nearby, so we look at the door first and give you options with prices.
Do you replace the glass?
No, glass is a separate trade. We handle the lock, cylinder, bolt and related hardware, and if glass is broken we secure the door's lock so it can still be closed while glass is arranged.