How To Adjust A Plastic Balcony Door With Your Own Hands + Video

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

How to independently adjust a plastic balcony door

Plastic windows and doors are a great option for an apartment and a house. But they do not last forever, and it happens that problems arise with the balcony door. If this happened during the warranty period, professionals from the installer will sort out the trouble for free. But after the warranty expires, repairs can be expensive. We will tell you how to properly adjust a plastic balcony door with your own hands and save money.

When the door needs adjustment

Metal-plastic balcony doors usually do not require preventive adjustment. If you have no complaints about how they work, then you don't need to do anything.

But if you notice that the door is not starting to function as expected, then this is a sure sign that adjustment is needed

The most common symptoms are as follows.

1. The sash touches with its lower part the edge of the frame, which serves as a threshold. This is usually due to the sash sagging under its own weight. The insulating glass unit makes up most of the sash mass. If you have installed a double-glazed unit with 6 mm thick glass, the hinges will eventually “get tired” under such a place, which will cause the sash to move.

   

   A gap in the upper corner is a sign of a sagging door

2. The sash "catches" the middle part of the frame. Reason: lateral movement of the sash due to temperature changes.
3. The sash is not pressed tightly against the frame, which is why cold air blows out from under the seal. This is usually associated with adjusting the pressure of the balcony door by rotating certain locking elements.
4. Loose fit of the handle in the socket, making the rotation too easy. This problem can be easily solved in a few minutes.
5. Adjustment is necessary if the glass unit installed in the balcony door is cracked. This may indicate improper operation of the structure.
6. Poorly installed fittings.
7. If you live in a new house, then the installed balcony door made of a metal-plastic profile may eventually require adjustment. The reason for this is the slight subsidence of new buildings, due to which distortions occur in the window and door frames.

We do the adjustment ourselves

Whatever the cause of the problem, you may need the following tools to troubleshoot it:

• hex keys of different sizes;
• screwdrivers - flat and cross;
• roulette;
• pliers;

• plastic gaskets.

  

  Allen key set for adjustment

When sagging

If the balcony door, when opening, touches the frame with the lower edge of the sash, the slack should be eliminated by means of adjustment. To do this, the door leaf is "pulled" up and shifted to its upper hinge.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Open the sash in the pivot position (note, this is not a ventilation position).
2. Using a 4 mm hexagonal adjusting wrench, turn the screw near the upper hinge at the end of the sash. Rotate a few turns to the right (clockwise) to pull in the sash. Then close the door.
3. Remove the plastic decorative caps from the lower hinge. This will give you access to the top adjustment screw at the top of the hinge.
4. Turn it clockwise. The sash will rise.

5. Check the sash for freedom of movement. If necessary, repeat the operation.

   

   Slack adjustment for upper loop

When touched in the middle

In this case, the sash must be moved closer to the hinges.

1. Take the sash to the bottom hinge. Insert the adjusting key into the side adjusting screw, pull the sash towards the hinge.

2. If this is not enough, repeat the process for the top loop. We described its adjustment above.

   

   Bottom hinge adjustment

Usually, such a procedure is sufficient for the sash to stop clinging to the frame.

Pressure adjustment

The clamping force of the door leaf to the frame is adjusted using locking elements. They are located on the sash itself. Most of the fittings are equipped with eccentric locking elements. Rotate them with pliers or an adjusting wrench until the pressure is optimal.

To achieve greater efficiency, before the regulation process, read the appropriate diagrams in the instructions or on the website of the fittings manufacturer.

Pressure adjustment

It is usually advised to adjust the pressure twice a year: a tighter pressure is set for the winter, and weaker for the summer.

Handle adjustment

This is the simplest task that you can easily cope with in a short time. Usually the problem with pens is that they loosen over time.

Handle adjustment

1. Rotate the plastic cap at the base of the handle 90 degrees.
2. Tighten the opened screws with a screwdriver. Do this carefully so as not to damage the handle body.
3. If the play persists after tightening the screws, it could indicate a crack in the handle housing. In this case, the handle needs to be replaced.

Preventive measures for problems

It is very important to be able to correctly adjust the balcony doors in case of problems. But it is even more useful to know how to prevent these problems, or at least make sure that you encounter them as rarely as possible.

1. When choosing windows and a balcony door from a metal-plastic profile, pay attention to the characteristics of the fittings. They must exactly match the weight of the door leaf. Most of the hardware systems from modern manufacturers allow the installation of sashes weighing up to 130 kg. This is usually enough.
2. The so-called microlift, or sag compensator, will help prevent the sash from sagging due to its own weight. Such a detail is necessary for heavy door leaves with large dimensions or with a two-chamber package. The design of this element can be different: from a small lever on the side of the sash to a roller on its lower part.
3. Install the opening limiter - a special support rail. This will help prevent the sash from jamming and sagging.

In addition, it will be useful to check the installation of the door. Pay attention to the following parameters:

• how tightly the door is pressed against the frame of the frame around the perimeter;
• whether there is a vertical displacement of the sash;
• how static the door leaf is when it is open.

If the installation of the plastic balcony door was carried out correctly, then you may need to adjust it very soon.

Video about the process of adjusting a plastic balcony door

Using our advice, you will protect yourself from unnecessary financial expenses. Share with us your experience in adjusting PVC doors. Good luck to you!