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Unilock Windows & Doors: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
Unilock-compatible window and door replacement in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $4,500 – $15,000 installed depending on the opening count, frame material, and glass package. We stock common Unilock series hardware, rollers, and weatherstripping on our trucks, and most single-unit swaps take one day once the right part is confirmed. If you’re standing at a window that won’t stay open, a door that scrapes the jamb, or staring at a lock mechanism that spins without engaging, you’ve found the right page. Here’s what you need to know before spending a dollar.
Which Unilock Models This Applies To
We work on the Unilock sliding patio door lines, single-hung and casement window series, and the hinged door systems most common in South Florida condo and single-family builds. The fastest way to identify your exact unit is to check the corner spacer bar on the glass unit or the sticker on the door edge. Unilock stamps a series code there, usually two letters followed by four digits, and that code determines everything about the replacement part. A 2007 Unilock 4000 series slider uses a different roller assembly than a 2016 6000 series, and mixing them causes the door to sit crooked and bind within six months. In Fort Lauderdale’s salt air, we see the older aluminum frame series fail at the roller housing first, while the newer vinyl lines tend to fail at the lock strike plate. When an exact OEM part is discontinued (which happens with Unilock lines older than about 15 years), we source spec-matched aftermarket equivalents rather than rigging something close. We’ll show you the part number and the spec before we install anything. Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale is an independent service provider, not affiliated with Unilock, but we match their parts to the original tolerances.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Unilock Windows & Doors Is Failing
- The panel drags or catches when you slide it. This is almost always a roller assembly that’s worn flat or a track that’s picked up sand grit. Forcing the panel chews up the track, and that’s when a $60 roller swap becomes a $400 track replacement.
- The lock lever turns but won’t throw the bolt. Inside the mortise lock, a small cam gear strips. It’s a known weak point on Unilock’s mid-2000s door series, and the fix is a complete lock body, not a new knob.
- Condensation fogs between the panes. The sealed glass unit has lost its argon fill. You can’t wipe it away because it’s inside the unit. The window still functions, but the insulating value is gone and Fort Lauderdale’s summer humidity will stain the interior glass permanently over time.
- The frame pulls away from the stucco or drywall at the corners. South Florida builds settle into the sandy soil, and Unilock frames screwed only at the flanges can work loose. You’ll see a gap open at the top corner, and that’s when water gets in during our afternoon thunderstorms.
- The operator handle spins freely on a casement window. The gearbox inside the crank assembly has stripped. That’s a $40 part, but you’d be surprised how many people live with a window they can’t open for years.
See the difference
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In Fort Lauderdale, plan on these installed ranges: a complete Unilock-compatible sliding door replacement runs $2,500 – $6,500 depending on glass package and frame size. A full window replacement lands between $4,500 and $15,000 for a typical home, while a single sash or hardware repair usually stays under $800. What you’re paying for beyond the part: removing the old unit without destroying the surrounding stucco or casing, shimming the new unit square, flashing it for South Florida wind-driven rain, and hauling off the old glass and frame. We give you a written price before any work starts, and that number is the number on the invoice. Every job includes our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the installation fails inside a year, we come back and fix it at no charge, in writing.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check whether the issue is dirt in the track, a loose screw at the strike plate, or an obvious broken latch. Cleaning a track with a vacuum and a dry rag solves a surprising number of dragging-panel complaints, and it costs nothing but ten minutes. Anything involving a glass unit, a spring-loaded balance system, or a door panel coming off its track is where we’d tell you to stop. A sliding door panel can weigh 150 to 200 pounds, and the tensioned balances in a double-hung window carry enough stored force to take off a fingertip if released wrong. We’ve repaired enough DIY attempts in Fort Lauderdale to say it plainly: the second visit costs more than the first would have. Call (754) 551-2922 and someone will walk you through the symptom over the phone, tell you whether it’s likely a $40 part or a full unit, and schedule the free estimate if you want us to come look. Trevor Nash grew up learning this trade the hard way, and we’d rather save you the trip to urgent care.
FAQs
A well-installed Unilock window or door unit typically lasts 15 to 25 years in Fort Lauderdale’s humidity and salt air, but the hardware (rollers, locks, balances) usually needs replacement at the 7 to 10 year mark. That’s normal wear, not a failed product. The glass itself can last indefinitely if the seal holds. Call (754) 551-2922 and we’ll tell you whether yours is worth repairing or replacing.
Yes, in most cases. If the frame is square and the glass is clear, a roller, lock, weatherstrip, or balance swap fixes the problem for under $800. If the frame is corroded through or the glass seal has failed, replacement is the smarter money in Fort Lauderdale, where a sealed unit that’s lost its argon will keep fogging and losing efficiency. Either way, the estimate is free.
A single roller, lock, or weatherstrip replacement takes 45 minutes to two hours once the correct part is confirmed. A full door or window unit replacement is typically a one-day job for one or two openings, and we protect the floors, haul the old unit away, and leave the opening flashed and sealed before we go.
We keep the most common Unilock rollers, lock bodies, weatherstripping, and balance assemblies on our trucks because those are the parts that fail most often in Fort Lauderdale. Unusual sizes or older series codes may take a few days to source, and we’ll tell you that up front before we schedule anything. If we don’t have it, we’ll get the exact spec match rather than improvise.
No. We provide a written price before any work begins, and that number does not change unless you ask us to do something beyond the agreed scope. No change orders, no surprise line items. Written price up front, written guarantee at the end.
Tell me what you need, I’ll tell you what it costs – then we’ll get it done. If you have a Unilock window or door that’s failing in Fort Lauderdale, call (754) 551-2922 for a free estimate. We also stock compatible parts for KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone lines, and we’ll match the right part to the right unit the first time.
Written by Trevor Nash, Owner, Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale at Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
