Hard to open Aluminum Flush Style #PatioDoor #Locks terrible for #Arthritis

by JC
(Miami, FL)

Hi

I have two aluminum/glass sliding doors that have the flush 6 5/8 locks (the ones you slide the lock up or down and at bottom they have a pin that slides left or right to lock

I want to know if I can replace these locks with anything that is easier to lock / unlock for my Mom that has arthritis and hates these locks

Is there any lock that has larger pins, handles or knobs to lock/unlock? even if they are not completely flush that would be OK


This is an excellent question. You are absolutely right about the flush style locks, they can be a pain to open and it must be very bad for people whose fingers are damaged from arthritis. There must be thousands of people who have to deal with this problem.

The first thing I would attempt is to change the lock to something that is easier to open. Something with a nice big handle, and a thumbturn lever that can be flicked up or down without having to grap or turn.

One problem is that the old lock fits into a rectangular cutout made in the door. If you remove it, you probably wont find a lock that will fit that rectangular opening. So just leave it in place, remove the old latch keeper, and drill new holes for a new surface mount lock and handle just above or below the old lock. A Surface mount lock does not require a new latch hole to be cut in the door frame. It has a latch that gets screwed into the left or right door jamb on the inside.

The flush mount locks are sometimes used because the patio door and the leading edge of the lock slides into a U shaped channel on the door jam. If thats the case you might need a spacer behind the new handle to allow the handle to slide over the U channel enough to close the door properly.

Its one of those jobs that will require a bit of experimentation. But you should be able to find a flush mount handle and latch set at home depot or similar. If you need more help please send me pictures of your doors open, closed and with close ups of the locks.

Thanks again for the question.