Multipoint Locks
Increasingly, many external doors are being fitted with multipoint locks. A multipoint lock is a locking mechanism which throws up to five locking points on the door and is distinguished usually by the fact that you have to lift the lever on the door to engage the many locking points.
UPVC & Timber Door Locks
Most commonly, multipoint locks are fitted to UPVC (plastic) patio and single doors, however many purpose-made timber doors now incorporate this type of lock. Once the lever has been lifted to engage the locking points the lock is dead locked by the turn of a key in a cylinder through the door.
Lock Cylinders
These cylinders are usually the shape of a large key hole and known as euro cylinders. A small number of locks use an oval or Assa Swedish cylinder, which is oval in shape. The distance between the operating lever and the centre of the key rotation on the lever set can vary considerably between 66mm and 92mm; hence the replacement of lever handles is not a straight forward process. In some cases the lever set incorporates a separate turn locking device.
To replace this type of handle you need to call customer services to discuss the type of lever set required. However, by far the most common set of levers has a distance of 92mm between the centre of the lever square spindle and the centre of the rotation of the key.