Do-it-yourself balcony door repair: how to repair and adjust

A plastic balcony door is a reliable and durable design, but no matter how high-quality and reliable the design is, it still requires periodic repairs. You can do most of the problems yourself with a minimum number of tools, but there are jobs that only an experienced specialist can handle.

In this article, we will figure out what types of work you can do yourself, and which ones you can entrust to an experienced craftsman.

In what cases is it necessary to contact specialists?

Repairing a balcony door with your own hands is not possible in the following cases:

The profile is cracked. Initially, it is necessary to assess the extent of the damage, and only then make a decision about calling a specialist. If the crack is through or its size exceeds 1 mm, then you should call a specialist (you may even need to replace the balcony door), but if the glazing bead is cracked, then you can cope with its replacement yourself.

In case of damage to double-glazed windows. Repairing broken window glass on a plastic balcony door with your own hands is impossible due to the fact that in all plastic structures there is air or inert gas inside the double-glazed windows for sealing. For these types of work, it is worth calling a specialist to take measurements of the double-glazed window and submit an application for the manufacture of a similar one.
You can remove a double-glazed window, take measurements and order the same double-glazed window yourself (instructions below), but often such savings do not make sense, firstly, there is a possibility of making an error in the measurements, and secondly, most companies carry out measurement and installation as a gift to purchasing double glazed windows.

Damage to fittings. The first step is to measure the extent of the damage. For example, you can repair a balcony handle or lock yourself, but only a specialist can repair broken ventilation or alignment mechanism slats from the canopy profile.

Recommendations for caring for plastic doors

In order for plastic doors to serve for a long time and without problems, you must not forget about maintenance and prevent breakdowns in time. Basic Rules:

regularly treat the mechanisms with oil, and the rubber seal with a special spray - all care products can be purchased from window installation companies or specialized stores;
regularly tighten the handles;
monitor the tight fit of the door to the frame - adjust the hinges if necessary;
when opening/closing, turn the handle strictly to the required angle;
Avoid mechanical impact and excessive interference with the door leaf and glass unit.

You can eliminate minor defects in plastic doors and make minor adjustments to hinges and handles yourself. It is better to entrust larger repairs (re-hanging, restoring the tightness of welds, replacing broken hinges) to professionals - it is difficult to carry out this type of repair on your own with the required level of quality.

Replacing a broken handle

If the balcony handle is faulty or requires replacement, then the procedure for performing the work is as follows:

It is necessary to rotate the decorative plastic cover. To do this, slightly pull the cover towards you and turn it to the right or left and install it in a horizontal position.
Using a screwdriver, unscrew the two screws.
We take out the screws and remove the handle.
We install the new handle in place of the old one. It is worth noting that when we removed the old handle it was in a horizontal position, therefore, we install the new handle in the same horizontal position. We turn the handle to a horizontal position, move the decorative cover, insert it into the hole and tighten it with screws.
We put the decorative cover in place. Installation completed.

Main stages

Balcony cladding and insulation

In order for the loggia to become a truly warm room, insulation is necessary both outside and inside. Siding is perfect for this as a facing material, preferably with a special wind barrier that will protect against drafts. Before dismantling the balcony passage from the apartment side, install plastic windows and insulate the room. This is a guarantee that you will not be left in an open, drafty apartment during a major renovation.

Dismantling and design of the doorway

If you decide to make do with little construction work and simply remove the balcony door and window, there will be no problems. It is necessary to properly design the passage, install lightweight sliding doors if necessary, and turn a piece of wall under the balcony window sill into an interior element. If the redevelopment requires the demolition of walls, the work ahead will be long and dirty, and you need to be as careful as possible so as not to damage the structure of the house. In brick houses it is necessary to dismantle the masonry, in panel houses - to remove the concrete with a grinder saw or hammer drill.

It is important to design the opening beautifully and competently

Leveling the floor

When enlarging a room by adding a loggia, most people want to make the floor level the same throughout the entire room. To do this, you need to raise the balcony floor to the apartment level - lay an additional layer of insulation, for example. But if leveling the floor is impossible for technical reasons (it could damage the house), there is always a chance to beautifully beat this transition. A ramp or decorative step will look interesting.

Additional insulation

A loggia connected to the room increases the living space, which means you need to take care of heating the room. If you do not touch the wall from the balcony window, then the radiator usually also remains in place. In case of a complete redevelopment, it is better to move the battery under a street window or install an electric convector and heated floor. If the floor on the balcony is wooden, it is usually insulated with mineral wool or polystyrene foam. For concrete coverings, it is recommended to make a screed with expanded clay, with expensive heat-insulating linoleum or a good laminate on top. You can also install an electric floor if it is possible to connect it to the network.

Lighting

If the layout of a new large apartment involves a business office or any place where you will read and work, you need to take care of lighting. To do this, you can supply electricity to the loggia or install lamps and connect them through an extension cord.

Replacing the lock

A situation may arise that the handle has rotated 360 degrees, thereby breaking the gear that moves the bar on which the axles are located. In this situation, it is necessary to change the entire bar.

Instructions for replacing the lock on a balcony door:

The first step is to determine what kind of lock it is in order to order a new one. All the necessary information (name of fittings and specifications) is on the bar. Can be purchased at any company that sells plastic windows and fittings.
It is necessary to move all the trunnions on the metal bar to the open position, that is, install it in the middle.
Unscrew all the screws on the bar and remove the handle according to the instructions above.
Remove the roller and microlift (handle opening blocker).
We remove the bar itself.
We take a new bar. The lock is initially locked for protection during transport. To unlock, you need to carefully break off the teeth with a screwdriver (see picture below).
We install a new strip on the door leaf. The first fixation is made on the balcony handle (the handle should be in the open position).
Next, carefully hammer in the latches that secure the bar.
We tighten all the elements that were removed during dismantling. It may happen that when installing a new strip, the trunnions and the latch will not match. In this case, all these elements must be reset to the required level. At this point the repair can be considered complete. We recommend that you read the video instructions below; everything is discussed there in more detail, with a consideration of the nuances.

Causes of malfunctions

While windows and doors are under warranty, it is certainly better to delegate all work to an installer. However, the longer the window-door unit sits, the greater the likelihood of defects, which can be caused by various reasons:

installation errors;
natural shrinkage of the building, especially new buildings;
careless operation of products, lack of proper care and preventive measures;
sudden temperature changes, increased exposure to solar radiation.

Regardless of the cause, malfunctions of the balcony door lead to the appearance of drafts, deterioration of the heat and sound insulation of the room, and, if the problems are advanced, to the inability to fully use the window-door structure.

Glass replacement

Instructions for replacing glass on a balcony door:

Using a chisel, thin spatula or knife, remove the glazing beads. First the long one, then the rest in order of priority.
Next, using a spatula or any other suitable tool, carefully pull out the glass.
Next, insert the glass and place the support pads as in the diagram below.
Carefully close the door and if no rubbing occurs, hammer in the glazing beads; if there is rubbing, then it is necessary to further adjust, you may need to additionally add support pads, in some places it is possible to have two at once.