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Unilock Windows & Doors: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
If you have a Unilock window or door that’s not closing, locking, or sealing the way it used to, the fix usually comes down to a specific part, not a whole new unit. We stock common Unilock-compatible hardware and seals in Fort Lauderdale, and most replacement jobs run between $180 and $650 in parts plus labor, depending on what failed. You’ll usually notice it first as a sticky latch, a sag on the hinge side, or daylight sneaking in where it didn’t before.
We’re an independent service provider, not affiliated with Unilock, but we’ve spent years matching their hardware across South Florida installations. Isaac Pruett, our owner, has seen the same handful of failures repeat across Victoria Park, Rio Vista, and Coral Ridge, and we’ll tell you what went wrong before we quote a fix.
Which Unilock Models This Applies To
Unilock’s window and door line splits into two families: their standard architectural series (most common in Fort Lauderdale condos and single-family homes built after 2005) and their impact-rated series, which shows up more often in coastal zones like Las Olas and Harbor Beach. The hardware differs between them, and here’s the gotcha: impact-rated Unilock units use a heavier hinge and a multi-point lock assembly that will not accept standard architectural-series parts, even when the door slab dimensions match. If you swap in the wrong hinge set, the door will bind within weeks.
To identify what you have, look for a small white sticker on the hinge edge of the door or the top of the window sash. It carries a model number, not just a serial. That model number, plus a quick hinge measurement (standard is 3-1/2″ or 4″ between screw holes), tells us exactly what to bring. For OEM versus aftermarket: Unilock’s OEM seals and rollers are good, but in Florida’s salt air and humidity, we often recommend an upgraded aftermarket weatherstrip with a denser foam core. It costs $8 to $14 more per door and lasts two to three years longer. On moving parts like rollers and hinges, OEM is worth the wait when it’s in stock. Aftermarket equivalents from the same Taiwanese and German suppliers Unilock uses are functionally identical and often available same-day.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Unilock Windows & Doors Is Failing
- The door drags or scrapes at the top corner of the strike side. This is hinge wear. Unilock doors carry a lot of weight on two or three hinges, and once the top hinge pin wallows out, the whole leaf drops. You’re not imagining it; the gap at the top gets wider every month.
- The latch doesn’t catch unless you lift the handle. The latch bolt and strike plate are out of alignment, usually because the door settled or the hinges wore. Forcing it just rounds off the latch nose and makes the eventual repair more expensive.
- You feel a draft or see light around the operable panel, even when it’s closed flat. The weatherstrip has compressed or torn. In Fort Lauderdale, this is the single most common failure we replace, especially on west-facing doors that bake in afternoon sun. The UV eats the gasket material fast.
- The sliding door or window sounds like gravel when you move it. Roller wear. The original rollers were smooth at installation, but salt air and sand grit works into the bearings. Once they start binding, the track itself gets scored, and then you’re paying for track work too.
- The lock engages but it takes two hands and a hip-check to turn the key or throw the deadbolt. The multi-point lock rods are out of sync or corroded. This is common on Unilock impact doors near the beach, and it rarely fixes itself. The longer it runs, the more likely a rod snaps inside the door stile.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what we charge in Fort Lauderdale, and what sits behind each number:
| Repair Type | Typical Installed Cost | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Weatherstrip replacement (single door) | $85 – $180 | New gasket, adhesive prep, fit check |
| Latch / strike realignment | $120 – $240 | Adjustment, shim as needed, hardware check |
| Sliding door roller replacement | $180 – $350 | New rollers, track cleaning, adjustment |
| Hinge replacement (architectural series) | $150 – $290 | Three-hinge kit, door reset, gap check |
| Multi-point lock rebuild (impact door) | $350 – $650 | Lock body, rods, strike, full function test |
The range moves based on whether we’re matching an odd-size gasket, replacing one hinge or a full set, and how far we’re driving. Every quote is written before we start, includes parts and labor in one number, and covers our workmanship for 365 days from completion. If it fails again in that window, we come back free and fix it right.
DIY or Call Us?
A window or door part swap looks simple, and some of it is. Cleaning a track and checking screw tightness is something any Fort Lauderdale homeowner can do in ten minutes. But the moment you’re loosening a hinge on a heavy door or pulling a multi-point lock out of an impact stile, the risk changes. A dropped door panel can break a tile floor, crush a foot, or crack the glass in the panel itself. If the door is heavy enough that you’re bracing it with a knee while you work, that’s the signal to stop.
We show up with the part, the right shims, and a second set of hands when the panel has to come off. You’ll get the technician’s name and photo before the visit, and they’ll show a photo ID badge at the door. We tell you what we found, what it takes to fix it, and what it will cost, before we touch a thing. If you’re not sure whether it’s a five-minute adjustment or a full hinge replacement, call (754) 354-3720 and describe what the door is doing. We’ll tell you honestly which side of the line you’re on.
FAQs
Plan on 15 to 20 years for the frames and glass, but 5 to 8 years for wear parts like weatherstrip, rollers, and latch assemblies in our salt-heavy climate. Impact-rated hardware lasts longer when it’s cleaned and lubricated annually, which most homeowners skip.
Call (754) 354-3720 if your unit is in that wear-part window and acting up; we can usually diagnose it over the phone.
Yes, in most cases. If the slab is square, not rotted, and the glass is intact, the failure is almost always hardware or weatherseal, and that’s a repair, not a replacement. We only recommend replacement when the frame has water damage or the unit no longer meets current Fort Lauderdale wind code.
Call (754) 354-3720 and we’ll give you a straight answer, including the honest repair-versus-replace math.
Most hinge, latch, and weatherstrip replacements are done in under two hours on site, assuming we’ve matched the part before we arrive. Multi-point lock rebuilds on impact doors can take up to half a day because we test the full locking sequence afterwards.
We keep the common failure parts in stock: rollers, standard weatherstrip profiles, architectural-series hinge kits, and latch assemblies. Odd-size impact hardware and rare gasket profiles are usually a 3 to 5 day order. We’ll tell you which situation you’re in before you commit to anything.
We also stock compatible parts for KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone products, so if another component in the house fails while we’re there, we can often handle it same-day.
Written by Isaac Pruett, Owner, Mason Remodeling Co Fort Lauderdale at Mason Remodeling Co Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
