Window Handle Replacement and Door Handles in London

A handle is the part of a window or door you touch every day, so it is often the first to wear. It goes stiff, goes floppy, droops instead of springing back, or snaps clean off in your hand. On a window, a stuck handle can mean you cannot open it to air a room or lock it at night. Mark replaces window and door handles on uPVC, aluminium and timber frames, matching the style and colour so the new handle looks like it was always there.

Window and door handles replaced on uPVC, composite and aluminium
Locking window handles available
Styles and colours matched to your existing frames
Fixed price confirmed before any work starts
Send a photo or call

Replacing a window handle is usually a straightforward swap, but two details matter. The first is the spindle, the square bar that runs from the handle into the mechanism inside the frame. Spindles come in different lengths, and a handle with the wrong one either won't engage the mechanism or won't sit flush. The second is whether the handle is cranked or inline, and whether it is left or right handed, which affects how it sits against the frame when closed.

It is worth knowing when the handle is not the real problem. If a window handle is stuck and won't turn, the cause is often the locking mechanism inside the frame rather than the handle itself. Fitting a new handle to a seized mechanism will not help. Mark checks how the handle and mechanism feel separately before replacing anything, and where the mechanism has failed, see our window lock repairs page.

Locking window handles have a small key that stops the handle turning. They are useful on ground floor windows and on upstairs windows where you want to stop small children opening them fully. Many homes have a mix, with keys long lost, and swapping to a consistent set is a common request.

Door handles wear differently. A floppy uPVC door handle has usually lost its internal return spring, and a drooping one may have a cracked casting. Door handles come as a pair on a backplate, and the screw centres and backplate size need to match the lock so the new pair covers the old holes. If a door handle is stiff rather than broken, the door may have dropped, which puts load on the handle; that is covered on our uPVC door repairs page. For window hinge problems, see hinges and handles.

How the repair works

1. Photo of the handle A photo of the handle and its edge view helps Mark identify the type and spindle needed.
2. Match and price Style and colour matched, with a fixed price confirmed before any work starts.
3. Fit and test Handle fitted, mechanism checked, and the window or door tested open, closed and locked.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace just the handle on a uPVC window?

Yes. The handle is a separate part held on by two screws behind the cover. As long as the mechanism inside the frame works, a new handle with the right spindle length is all that's needed.

Why has my door handle gone floppy?

The spring inside the handle that returns it to level has usually worn or broken. Replacing the handle pair fixes it. If the handle is stiff rather than floppy, the door alignment or lock is more likely to blame.

Do I need a locking window handle?

Not always, but locking handles are a sensible choice on ground floor windows and on windows where you want to stop children opening them. They can be fitted in place of standard handles.

My window handle is stuck. Will a new handle fix it?

Only if the handle itself has failed. If the mechanism in the frame has seized, the handle won't turn whatever is fitted to it, and the mechanism needs repairing instead.