Plastic doors, like any other, can be equipped with a huge number of types of fittings. These are locks, hinges, seals, closers, etc. Let's look at the features that hardware for interior doors has, as well as how it can be adjusted to open doors without problems.
Requirements for fittings depending on the installation location of PVC doors
The location of the door - between rooms, at the entrance to a house or apartment, or at the entrance to a balcony - significantly affects the fittings used and its performance characteristics. Hardware elements for plastic doors facing the street must be resistant to harsh weather conditions and constant use. In addition, such fittings should be an obstacle to burglars and robbers.
As for PVC interior doors, the requirements for them are not as stringent as for entrance doors. They can be equipped with glass inserts and be lightweight. There is no need to install locks and seals on such doors, since there are no requirements for burglary resistance and tightness of the doors. Such doors can be either sliding or hinged.
Balcony doors require tight sealing and tight closure. One handle is enough - inside the room. A double-glazed window can occupy the entire perimeter of the canvas.
What materials are the fittings made from?
Door hardware is made from a variety of materials. Metal is used for the basis of each part. Since handles are regularly exposed to mechanical stress during use, special attention is paid to their coating. It provides protection from negative external factors.
Fittings are made from a variety of materials
Door locks are made from mechanically resistant materials. The lock body is necessarily made of high-strength steel, which must be coated with a protective coating with anti-corrosion properties.
The eye can include several materials at once.
- Housing made of plastic or metal.
- Optical element made of glass or transparent plastic.
Design features of PVC doors
Ordinary, most common PVC doors are equipped with a standard handle. They are fixed on special adjustable canopies. Tilt and turn doors are distinguished by the fact that their doors can be opened like windows. This is very convenient if you need to ventilate the room or prevent a small child from going outside. An open door like a window also prevents pets from getting into places where they are not supposed to go.
Loops
Fittings for plastic windows and doors of various types can be installed depending on the specific design features of the door, the location of its installation, and operating requirements. Unlike other types of fittings, hinges are always installed, because they hold the entire structure, secure the door leaf and frame together. If you select the hinges incorrectly, various problems may arise, including sagging of the entire structure, up to the impossibility of opening it.
Any loop consists of several structural elements. First of all, this is the hinge body, consisting of frame and sash parts. A pin is installed in the frame part, and a tab is installed in the casement part. In addition, the hinges will not work without connecting sleeves and fasteners.
Loops should be selected taking into account various factors. First of all, the width of the door leaves is measured. For narrow doors, a small hinge up to 9 centimeters wide is suitable. If the sashes are wide, you cannot do without purchasing a hinge up to 11 centimeters wide.
One of the main criteria influencing the choice of loops is the weight of the fabric. The greater its weight, the more massive the hinges should be, since only by using good hinges can sagging of the structure be avoided. If the fabric is very heavy, it is possible to install three loops.
Hinges are made from various materials. Most often, the body is made of aluminum or zinc alloy, and the pin is made of steel or other metal alloys.
Depending on which fastening is installed, several types of hinges can be distinguished - overhead or applied. Overhead hinges provide the ability to adjust the sashes in different planes without removing them. The butts can be adjusted using special shims.
Locks
Various types of locks can be installed on PVC doors. Most often, mechanical locking mechanisms are installed, which can be either cylindrical or lever locking. Cylinder locks are less reliable than lever locks and can be equipped with a cylinder or pins that lock the door.
In addition to the widespread mechanical locks, other types are also used, for example, electronic ones. Plastic cards, key fobs or chips are used as keys to such locks.
In addition, electromagnetic locking mechanisms are installed, the key feature of which is to use the natural attraction of a magnet as the locking force. An electrical impulse is used to unlock and lock such mechanisms. Electromagnetic locks are very reliable due to their robust design, which is unpretentious in terms of operational features.
Depending on where the door is installed, it is possible to install a single-locking or multi-locking locking mechanism. In places where greater security against burglary is required, a lock designed like a rack can be used. This option fixes the door at various points, and not just in the middle.
Results
To select the right fittings, it is necessary to take into account every feature of the PVC door on which it is supposed to be mounted. You should also look at the quality of the products. It is recommended to buy it from official suppliers: this way you can achieve significant savings by purchasing a quality product. You can do the installation yourself or call a professional. If even one element is installed incorrectly, it is harmful for the entire door.
Information on the correct adjustment of a PVC balcony door will help not only insulate the room, but also significantly extend the life of the structure.
Pens
Handles are very common fittings; they are installed on almost all doors. Handles for PVC doors are also produced in huge volumes.
By type of design, handles can be distinguished:
- Stationary;
- Push;
- Rotary.
Stationary handles are attached to the door leaf and are not connected in any way to the lock; accordingly, they act as a holder that must be pulled in order for the door to open. Such products are rarely installed on PVC doors, for example, on the inside of the door leading to the balcony.
Lever handles work as follows. When you press the handle, the lock latch moves away, allowing the door to open.
Rotary knobs are one of the most common. In order to operate the lock mechanism, the handle must be turned.
Any type of handle is made from a combination of plastic and metal. Some of them are made only from metal - such models are more reliable and suitable for high-traffic areas.
What to choose from or types of balcony latches
The range of such accessories cannot be called too wide, but there is still plenty to choose from. There are 2 types of latch for a balcony door - mechanical and magnetic. There are several mechanical models and they are more complex, so we will start with them.
Mechanical latches
The first and most common type is the roller latch. Its operating principle is extremely simple. A roller is installed on the end of the door, and a counter part is attached to the frame, which actually holds this roller. In the mating part there are 2 spring-loaded hooks (top and bottom) and when a roller enters between them, they grab this roller.
The roller latch counterpart holds the doors using 2 spring-loaded hooks.
In older models of roller-type mechanisms, a rigid tongue is installed instead of a movable roller. There is no fundamental difference here, but the hard tongue is worse in operation, plus it needs to be oriented correctly when installing.
The hard tongue in the roller latches is less reliable in operation.
The halyard latch on the balcony door is considered the most reliable and durable, but the problem here is different; to install it you need to change the lock, because it is part of this lock.
It is also possible to embed it separately, but it is better not to undertake such work without preparation, as you can damage the doors. After all, there you will need to embed a mechanism into the door leaf, plus install 2 rotary handles on both sides of it.
A halyard latch is essentially a type of lock.
Another type of lightweight locking mechanisms for plastic balcony doors is latches; in the literature and price lists of stores they are listed as “PVC latch.” Such a mechanism can be installed both on the inside and outside of the doors. It is an overhead version of the rotary deadbolt.
This mechanism holds the door leaf securely and is durable in operation, but latches are not very popular, firstly, they spoil the appearance of the doors, and secondly, in the event of force majeure, the door will have to be broken or the glass unit knocked out.
The rotary latch of the balcony door is inconvenient to use.
Magnetic option
A magnetic latch for a balcony door represents the optimal balance of simplicity, low price and high functionality. The design of such a latch is more than simple: a regular steel plate is screwed onto the end of the leaf, and a counter part with a magnet inside is placed on the frame of the balcony block.
You close the door, the magnet grabs the steel plate and the leaf holds on. The idea is not new, it has been replicated countless times in the same furniture latches and the reliability is beyond doubt; in principle, there is nothing to break here. Plus, there are no rubbing parts with springs, so magnetic latches do not wear out and do not need lubrication, like mechanics.
A magnetic latch on a balcony door is considered the most reliable and durable.
Installing a magnetic latch on a balcony door has another huge advantage. If the door leaf somehow shifts in one direction or another, for example, the hinges become loose, then such a misalignment will not affect the functionality of the magnet in any way. While their mechanical counterparts, at the slightest distortion of the canvas, will either prevent the doors from closing or break.
By the way, subsidence, distortion and other troubles regularly appear in plastic balcony doors after 2–3 years of operation. You can learn about the prevention and repair of plastic structures “HERE” , and how to properly adjust the hinges in detail with photos and videos is described “HERE” .
Closers
With the help of door closers, you can ensure silent and smooth opening and closing of doors. In addition, closers keep the hinges in good condition and allow you to protect the door leaf and the wall towards which the door opens.
Structurally, the closer is a spring, which is located in a special housing. The valve, which is filled with oil, reduces the speed of the door when it opens.
The most common type of door closers is overhead door closers. They are easily detached if it is necessary to drag any large cargo through the PVC doors. There are also bottom closers with a similar operating mechanism. Hidden closers are installed either directly into the frame, into the canvas, or into the floor.
Which type of door closer is best to install depends on the weight of the door and the width of the door leaf. More weight means stronger closer. If the width of the canvas is more than 160 centimeters, closers are not installed and push handles are used, both double and single.
Adjusting fittings
There are times when doors do not open as they should, jam, or fail to perform their functionality. If such problems appear, adjustment of the fittings is necessary. The adjustment method may vary depending on the type of fault.
First of all, it is necessary to determine what exactly is not working correctly. Perhaps the structure is skewed, which causes problems with opening and closing the door, or there is a draft. The handles may not be working as they should.
First of all, it is necessary to inspect the structure in order to determine which element of the fittings does not work as required.
Let's look at the main problems that can arise with the fittings of plastic doors and how to eliminate them.
Adjustment Tools
For adjustment you will need the following tools:
- Screwdrivers. Two types are enough - cruciform and straight;
- Hex keys. In stores it is easy to find hexagons of various diameters included in the kit;
- Pliers.
The proposed set will be enough to adjust the fittings.
Troubleshooting Tilt&Turn Hardware Problems
If the sash is sagging and touches the frame, you can take the following actions. First of all, you need to open the sash and remove the decorative trims from the bottom hinge. There is a screw at the top of the hinges that must be tightened using a hex wrench. The lower part of the blade is shifted by turning the screw, which is located at the bottom of the lower hinge. If it is necessary to press the door more tightly, it is necessary to adjust the clamping screw, which is located on the bar that holds the door in the tilted position.
Solving problems with fittings without a folding mechanism
Conventional PVC doors are adjustable quite easily due to the simplicity of the mechanism. First of all, the linings located on the canopies are removed. The screws are unscrewed using hexagons. The doors can be adjusted by turning a long screw, which is located horizontally. The sashes are lowered by turning the screw located on top. The pressure is adjusted by turning the screw located above the profile striker; just turn it half a turn.
Adjusting the handles
If turning the handle is accompanied by creaking or is difficult, the mechanism must be lubricated. If the handle is wobbly, this can be easily eliminated by adjusting the screws located under the decorative trim. If the plastic of the handle is cracked, the only way out is to replace it. To replace, you need to turn the handle horizontally, unscrew the screws, and screw on an identical handle.
So, the fittings for plastic doors must be of high quality, otherwise problems during operation cannot be avoided. It is better to spend more money on purchasing reliable fittings rather than constantly suffering with poorly functioning mechanisms that require constant adjustment. If adjustment is still needed, it will not be difficult to make, but it is preferable to overpay for quality and avoid problems.
Instructions for installing a lock on a plastic door yourself
If you purchase a special lock for installation, its installation will not cause difficulties and will not take much time. But before installation, you need to make sure that the locking mechanism is compatible with the door structure, that is, it was made by the same manufacturer. Next, we’ll tell you how to embed a lock into a plastic door:
- Marking the location of the lock. To do this, using a paint pencil or a construction marker at the end of the door profile, we draw out the future seat for the locking mechanism. We will place it in the area of the handle-bracket without first removing it from the balcony leaf.
- Using the markings, we make two slits with a grinder. Drill out the bottom and top edges using a drill with a 4-inch drill bit installed. We do this so that around the angle grinder we do not damage the solid part of the plastic profile.
- After this, we remove the waste and completely empty the chamber of debris. We insert the lock mechanism into it. And we mark its lowest border on the profile. The next step is to transfer the features to the front part of the door.
- We remove the lock from the chamber, and then apply it to the canvas in the area of the handle so that its lower part is aligned with the transferred line, we trace the hole for the cylinder exactly along the edges. Then we check how accurately the diagram is executed, and if necessary, we shift it in the right direction.
- We take a drill with the same drill as before and install it exactly in the center of the line. We make a large number of holes along its entire length. When this work has been done, carefully use a paint knife to pry up the drilled part. You can also use a drill to cut it into a feather shape.
- We insert the lock for the balcony door inside and check how accurately the cutout is made. We do the same on the opposite side. All burrs are removed using a file.
- Next, we insert the lock into the seat and pass the cylinder with keys through the holes and check how the latch works. If it passes without obstacles, then we fix the lock using flat-headed screws in the seat. At the same stage, we fix the core itself with the well.
- We install the linings on the cylinder so that their long edge is strictly parallel to the end of the door. Then we install the strike plate on the door frame. We make markings with a pencil in accordance with the location of the lock bolt.
A lock for a plastic door that opens with a chip Source locksmaster.ru
Now we check the functionality and, if necessary, adjust the position of the bar. Ideally, the installation should be completed the first time, so that later you don’t have to think about how to hide the extra holes.
