What to do if the plastic balcony door does not close well?

How to select and install a latch on a plastic balcony door

There is a balcony in virtually every house; it is used with different frequency. If the door swings open more than once a day, it makes sense to install a special element of hardware for closing from the outside. A latch on a plastic balcony door will help extend the life of the door and close it from the balcony side.

The problem and its solution

Quite often, the balcony door needs to be closed from the outside, but this does not seem likely: it opens again under its own weight. A handle on the plastic balcony door on the balcony side, which has a special petal, will help solve the problem. But this solution will help only for a short time: over time, the door will begin to open again when the breeze blows.

A PVC balcony door latch is a better option: it will help prevent the door from slamming and protect the glass. There are three options for the mechanism:

Each type has its advantages and certain disadvantages.

Repair features

It is useful to assess the severity and scale of the problem - in which cases you should call a specialist:

• If the glass is cracked or broken, a specialist will bring a new one of the required size and quickly replace it.
• A new door needs to be installed, the old one cannot be installed, the damage is serious. Manufacturers of double-glazed windows offer a delivery service with subsequent installation. It’s easier to make a purchase and wait for the specialist.

Other types of breakdowns can be corrected independently with “straight” hands and basic skills.

Most door repairs can be done yourself.

Magnetic latch

Approximately the same mechanism is used for kitchen cabinets. It is convenient in that you can install such a latch instead of the pin that comes in the standard kit, and a magnetic tongue is placed on the frame, which will hold the sash when closing.

There are several types of such latches on sale, but in most cases their strip is L-shaped. It has holes through which it can be screwed to the door. Most models have holes in the same place as standard fittings, which allows you to attach the bar without additional problems. If the latches on plastic doors do not have mounting holes, they can be easily drilled using an ordinary drill.

A housing containing magnets inside is screwed onto the door frame. It is made of plastic and is simply installed using screws. The magnetic balcony latch for plastic doors is simple in design, which makes it reliable in use.

• The latch will prevent the parts from rubbing against each other, reducing the service life of the structure.
• In any case, the magnet fixes the bar if it can come into contact with it, so there is no need to clearly place the parts opposite each other, which greatly simplifies the installation of the element as a whole.
• There is no need to drill additional holes in the door, weakening its structure.
• The door will close smoothly, the magnet will not allow it to slam.

Installing a double-sided handle on a plastic door with your own hands. Without removing the drive

LLC "Chingiz", Ufa, st. Shota Rustaveli 49, t. 8(347)2984477 @ Website - @ Instagram.

Door latch for a plastic door. DIY installation

LLC "Chingiz", Ufa, st. Shota Rustaveli 49, t. 8(347)2984477 @ Website - @ Instagram.

A magnetic latch is an affordable and easy-to-install solution to this difficulty.

After glazing the balcony, you need to think about its beauty. Read about this in our material “Curtains and blinds on the balcony - beauty, and that’s all!”

How to adjust a plastic balcony door for the winter

If the door opens and closes smoothly, the locking handle easily turns all the way to the “locked” position and back, and there is no blowing from the door frame, no adjustments are required for the winter

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Carefully examine the fittings at the end of the door leaf: there are locking pins - metal cylinders that move along the end when the door handle is turned. In the center of each cylinder there is a key recess, above which there is a mark in the form of a dot or dash. The position of the point closer to the street is the so-called summer mode with weakened pressure, closer to the room is the so-called winter mode, when the pressure is strengthened.

As a rule, the trunnions are set at the factory in the middle position, that is, with the mark facing up, which ensures optimal clamping. To strengthen or weaken the clamp, you need to turn the cylinder with a key so that the mark moves to one side or the other. However, increasing pressure unnecessarily is harmful. In the so-called winter mode, the seal in the vestibule experiences increased compression, is severely deformed and wears out quickly. When switching back to the so-called summer mode in the spring, deformation and wear are preserved.

If the locking pins are equipped with oval cylinders, the pressure is adjusted by turning them with pliers between vertical and horizontal positions. The more inclined the oval is, the stronger the pressure.

In rare types of fittings, the adjustment of balcony doors for the winter is carried out by tightening the screws on the strike plates.

The position of the adjusting components must be aligned on all trunnions, otherwise the sash pressure will be uneven, which will lead to blowing in some areas and uneven wear of the seal.

Roller latch

When thinking about how to install a latch on a plastic balcony door, you can turn your attention to the roller mechanism. The roller is located in a special housing. The reverse side of the mechanism is supported by a spring. This device is placed at the end of the door to the balcony. The roller can spin; the strip has a special groove, and when the roller gets into it, it goes deeper into the structure and cannot come out without the help of others, due to which the door is fixed. Opening the door will be easy: you just need to push it.

The sash will not be able to do this without the help of others, because it will be pulled back by a spring. Rotary mechanisms are not involved in opening, so the design is considered quite durable. For installation you will need a regular set of tools in the form of a drill, screws and a screwdriver.

A feature of the mechanism is the need for a clear location of the roller and groove opposite each other, otherwise the design will not work. If the roller is installed incorrectly or the groove is skewed, the door will not lock at all until the problem is corrected.

Door handle adjustment

No special skills are needed to adjust this part. The handles of PVC doors on balconies often become loose with use, making them difficult to open.

At the base of the door handle there is a plastic cap. Rotate it 90 degrees. Use a screwdriver to tighten the exposed screws. Couldn't solve the problem? A pen with a damaged body must be replaced.

Hale latches

This model is a regular PVC balcony door retainer. It works approximately the same as a roller. The part fits into the groove, and a special spring does not allow it to come out of it without introducing mechanical force on the part of a person.

In order for the door to open, you will need to install a special handle with a turning mechanism. The bar itself is placed on the double-glazed window frame, and the latch is installed on the door. During installation, it is necessary to avoid distortion, otherwise the door will not close. This mechanism is not very comfortable if your hands are busy, for example, with laundry.

If your balcony door breaks down, you should definitely call a specialist. The advice from our article How to repair a balcony door will help you, read on our website.

You can read an overview on installing a plastic window in the material “Stages of window installation and common mistakes when installing them.”

When you can’t get out of the balcony on your own

Opening a window sash from the outside is not that difficult. “Professionals” handle this in a few seconds. For security reasons, many owners order windows with anti-burglary fittings. It has a mushroom-shaped shape of the locking elements (trunnions) and a different principle of engagement with the striker plate. It is impossible to press a sash with anti-burglary fittings. From a security point of view, this is an absolute plus. But if you remain locked on the balcony, and anti-burglary fittings are installed in the balcony block, you will not be able to open the door yourself from the outside. Therefore, when ordering glazing for access to a balcony, take into account the likelihood that you may be blocked from entering it. A door with a 2-sided balcony handle will be 1500-2000 rubles more expensive than a regular one. You won't have to regret paying extra for this option at the time of purchase.

*The article contains contextual and visual advertising

other methods

An espagnolette for plastic doors is an applicable closing method; you can use either the most common one, screwing it to the frame, or a special one that will not spoil the appearance of the structure.

A convenient option is a lock for a plastic balcony door. It cuts into the structure and replaces an ordinary handle. The advantage of such a mechanism is the ability to use the door as an ordinary entrance, closing it on both sides. The lock will help protect your home from burglars. Many companies produce handles equipped with a lock, which do not require sawing out the blade; simply remove the standard handle and replace it with one equipped with a lock.

Replacing the seal

New residents who move into a new building in the summer or early autumn often discover with the onset of cold weather that a draft is blowing from the balcony. Loss of airtightness by a balcony block can be caused by several reasons:

• defective door structure (improper installation of double-glazed windows, gaps between connections of plastic elements);
• cracks around the perimeter of the installation box (insufficient layer of mounting foam, sealant);
• block distortions caused by settlement of a high-rise building;
• incorrect settings of fittings;
• destruction of assembly seams in slopes, under the window sill, at the threshold;
• the use of low-quality sealant, contamination of rubber with construction paint, plaster mortar, and street dirt.

If a plastic door freezes around the perimeter of the frame, it is necessary to replace the rubber seal, which is subject to natural aging and drying out. Deformation of the seal leads to the wind blowing through the plastic door and the balcony does not close tightly.

When choosing a seal that acts as an insulator for noise, cold air, and water condensation, you need to pay attention to the material (preferred rubber based on natural rubber, silicone, EPDM, TPE grades, related to stretchable thermoplastic elastomers).

To change the rubber seal between the frame and the door frame you need:

• tear out or cut out the old rubber;
• clear the groove around the perimeter of the frame from all glue and rubber residues;
• degrease the inner surface of the groove with white spirit, acetone, solvent;
• carefully apply a layer of glue and let it dry;
• place a solid piece of sealing rubber or silicone into the groove;
• cut off the remainder of the seal at the junction and press it tightly.

Trouble-shooting

In many cases, operational problems can be corrected yourself without calling a professional technician.

To eliminate violations, you will need the following tools:

• pliers;
• flat screwdriver with a wide slot (tip);
• adjusting keys, which are selected in accordance with the shape of the adjusting screws on the hinges;
• Phillips screwdriver.

Instructions for troubleshooting depending on the cause of their occurrence

1. If the door sagged on its hinges under its own weight. This problem can be resolved as follows:

• open the door. We install it in a rotating position;
• Using an adjusting key, you need to turn the screw clockwise near the top hinge. As soon as the sash is pulled to the hinge in the required way, close the sash;
• lift the sash using the lower hinge adjusting screws. It is worth noting that the loops are often covered with protective caps. Therefore, to get to the screws, the caps should be removed using a screwdriver or knife;
• Using the screw at the end of the lower hinge, you need to lift the sash so that it does not touch the frame with its lower edge.

After all stages of regulation, be sure to check how freely the balcony door closes.

2. If the operation of the clamping mechanism is disrupted: a gap has appeared between the sash and the frame and cold air penetrates into the room. To eliminate this malfunction, it is necessary to adjust the pressure of the balcony door on the lock side.

To do this, using an adjusting wrench or pliers, you need to rotate the locking elements (trunnions) on the lock side until the desired degree of tightness is achieved.

3. When the sash is displaced (when the balcony door touches the frame in the middle part), you need to move the sash closer to the hinges. This can be done by doing the following:

• the adjusting key must be installed in the side screw of the lower hinge and rotated until the lower corner of the sash is tightened as required;
• Then the upper loop is adjusted in exactly the same way: using an adjusting key, near the upper loop, rotate the screw clockwise. The sash must be closed as soon as it is tightly pulled to the hinge.

If adjusting the hinges is not enough to fix the problem, you should call a technician.

Diagram for adjusting trunnions (locking elements). It is necessary to rotate the locking elements on the door lock side until the desired degree of tightness is achieved.

conclusions

If even a slight mistake is made in the installation of the structure, the door may bend. Subsequently, the sash will bend and will not work well. In some cases, when adjusting the balcony door, the locking mechanism may be destroyed. In this case, you should install a new device.

The structure of metal-plastic sashes is quite complex, so when the first signs of a malfunction appear, you should find out the cause. This will help you understand whether you can repair the balcony door yourself.