Bent door handle plate surrounding the lock - how would this have happened?

[Rollerball]

This is the outside plate of one of my PVC doors - my first thought was that somebody had tried to break in, although on closer inspection I see no marks or other signs of attempted prying or leverage in that area near the lock. The bend is on both edges of the outside plate too, the inner edge being close to the door frame so preventing less of an attempt at leverage. The inner (left) edge is slightly less raised/bent than the outer (right) edge.

The lock still works just fine inside and out.

Perhaps frost related, in other words freezing of any accumulated rainwater and subsequent expansion causing that area to flex and bend?

It could be that the bends in the metal have been there for ages and I've only just noticed due to the light being just right and it catching my eye, etc. Maybe the handle was poorly installed (it's over 20 years old).

Any ideas as to the cause? Has anyone seen this before?

Not sure if it's worth doing anything about it, perhaps put some silicone sealant around the edges to prevent water ingress?

Have attached two photos, the second is with a spirit level against the plate just to highlight the bend as it's not immediately obviously in the first photo.

 

[johnny2007]

Someone tried to break in

 

[Rollerball]

Thanks but if that's the case then why is there no scuffing or scoring on the metal or the plastic, no sign of any dents, etc?

Also, that door is right outside my bedroom window, I would have heard something (I"m a very light sleeper).

Edit - I've also just taken the door handle apart and there is absolutely no way at all that the thick metal could have been bent so much in situ without leaving any marks on the door or the plate. I can now only conclude that it was like that when installed, perhaps it was previously badly fitted to another door.

 

[crank39]

Is the door difficult to lock, does it need a tug to close or extra force required to lift the handle, I agree they'd be evidence of someone prizing the handle off if it was an attempted break in

 

[Rollerball]

Is the door difficult to lock, does it need a tug to close or extra force required to lift the handle, I agree they'd be evidence of someone prizing the handle off if it was an attempted break in

It does jam and creak a little when it's a hot day and the sun has been shining on it and it can be a little stiff to lock under such circumstances. Maybe it's been caused by moisture then frost over the years?

I also just edited my first reply, as follows:

I've also just taken the door handle apart and there is absolutely no way at all that the thick metal could have been bent so much in situ without leaving any marks on the door or the plate. I can now only conclude that it was like that when installed, perhaps it was previously badly fitted to another door.

 

[robinbanks]

It does jam and creak a little when it's a hot day and the sun has been shining on it and it can be a little stiff to lock under such circumstances

That's the plastic of the opener frame softening and expanding in the heat and catching on the fixed frame around

You don't need to seal the hole created by the bend. There is another hole around the corner from it, where the lock barrel pokes through the handle face

 

[crank39]

At the end of the day its only anodised aluminium, you could probably straighten it over your knee

 

[JohnD]

I can't interpret the pic. Can you stand back and post a wider view?

But I will say that the end of the lock barrel should be set in a steel escutcheon or cylinder guard, and recessed below the surface, to make it harder to attack. PVC is not very resistant, so a steel plate, with screws passing through the door and no bolt heads or nuts on the outside will help and might also be used to pull the bend together.

This is an example of a small one, but I have tall ones that are better

https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/securefast-2-star-high-security-escutcheon-double-cylinder-polished-nickel--138088

 

[big-all]

the opposite side off the door to the damage with a key in if it can be fitted does it contact something solid ??as in swing and bang when opening or in the wind etc...just a thought

 

[Rollerball]

I can't interpret the pic. Can you stand back and post a wider view?

But I will say that the end of the lock barrel should be set in a steel escutcheon or cylinder guard, and recessed below the surface, to make it harder to attack. PVC is not very resistant, so a steel plate, with screws passing through the door and no bolt heads or nuts on the outside will help and might also be used to pull the bend together.

This is an example of a small one, but I have tall ones that are better

https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/securefast-2-star-high-security-escutcheon-double-cylinder-polished-nickel--138088

Thanks. How about the following pic (I guess I would need to replace the whole handle fitting)?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

This is the outside plate of one of my PVC doors - my first thought was that somebody had tried to break in, although on closer inspection I see no marks or other signs of attempted prying or leverage in that area near the lock. The bend is on both edges of the outside plate too, the inner edge being close to the door frame so preventing less of an attempt at leverage. The inner (left) edge is slightly less raised/bent than the outer (right) edge.

In which case, it appears to me, that it has somehow been punched through, from the inside. Does it open in, and hit anything when fully open?

 

[Rollerball]

In which case, it appears to me, that it has somehow been punched through, from the inside. Does it open in, and hit anything when fully open?

That's a very good point - no it doesn't hit anything when fully open but perhaps it's been hit from the inside some time in the past, possibly before I bought the property? (or something occurred years ago and I've forgotten what it was).

Or maybe the outer plate was once on another door that was hit from the inside?

It's a mystery.

 

[Rollerball]

As an aside, just been measuring how much of the euro cylinder sticks outside the plate - it's nearly 3mm. Apparently 3mm is the minimum needed for a burglar to break it.

Just removed the euro cylinder and it's a 45/40 - it does stick out quite a bit more on the inside but that's no big deal. I guess I need a 45 or 40/37 (if only there was such a thing). a 45/35 or 40/35 won't stick out quite far enough and will end up slightly behind the plate (therefore still not flush with it).

 

[JohnD]

Your handle does have a long plate, but I suspect it is a lightweight ornamental thing. Imagine a solid plate in 6mm steel, fixed with bolts from the inside. It's fine to have the cylinder fractionally recessed inside the escutcheon.

 

[Rollerball]

Thanks.

I now have a suspicion why the bend in the plate happened - perhaps the original installer tried to minimise how much of the euro cylinder was exposed on the outside and tried to bend the plate and so raise it in the area around the cylinder? That's certainly worked, to a degree.

I may be wrong of course.