This is a great merit of innovative technologies, thanks to which high-quality materials and multifunctional systems have been created to “protect” interior spaces from cold, noise and dust.
PVC balcony blocks do not require periodic painting and do not dry out, unlike their wooden counterparts. Their device helps to establish comfortable air exchange in the living room.
In order for a metal-plastic balcony door to flawlessly fulfill its “responsibilities,” it is necessary to provide the structure with high-quality fittings. When selecting balcony fittings, you should not save money if you want the balcony unit to function for a long time and without problems.
Types of faults
Most often, fittings break or canopies become loose.
Plastic doors are a reliable design with high thermal insulation characteristics, but sometimes troubles happen to them.
Types of breakdowns:
- the lock or handle is broken;
- the handle is difficult to turn or, conversely, dangles;
- the sash does not fit, the fittings require adjustment;
- the awnings were loose.
Many of these problems can be fixed yourself.
If the design is under warranty, call a repairman; if the owner tries to repair the metal-plastic product himself, the warranty will be canceled.
The seal is worn out
It also often happens that the seal wears out. Most often this happens after 5 years of operation. But if you handle the structure carelessly, this time can be significantly reduced. The first signal that the seal has worn out will be drafts along the contour. In this case, it will not be possible to return the seal to its former appearance, so you will have to get a new one from a special store. It is better to take seals from German manufacturers. If one is not found, then the Russians are acceptable, but the Chinese are not needed. The latter are very unreliable and are not worth the cost.
Eliminating the problem with poor door opening
To adjust the awnings, you will need an allen key.
If the plastic entrance door no longer opens/closes as expected, it may have sagged and needs to be adjusted. To adjust the canopies, pry it up, open the cap on the hinge, remove the decorative trims, and adjust the canopy with a hexagon.
If the sash squeaks, it is necessary to lubricate the awnings with thick lubricant.
It is not possible to tighten the screws because their seats have expanded and the threads are turning. Let's fix this problem:
- we change the bolts to longer ones and of a larger diameter (if necessary, you will need to drill holes in the metal plate of the hinge);
- We compact the planting nests with wooden chips;
- We move the loops to another place, slightly shifting their location up or down.
If you save money and order a door with weak hinges that cannot withstand the load, they can be replaced with more powerful ones. You can buy awnings for plastic entrance doors at any window company.
Latch Installation
When starting work, you need to be sure that the balcony door is correctly adjusted and its position relative to the frame opening will not change in the near future. If necessary, you will have to independently set the position of the door leaf and the pressing force against the frame when closing it with the rotary handle. The door hinge screws will help with this. Now let's move on to the main installation. A screwdriver or a more convenient screwdriver will be enough; for marking, take a pencil.
The easiest way is to install a magnetic latch. No special setup or precise installation is required. Both strips are simply attached at the same level - to the end of the door and the frame profile. A slight shift in relative position will not in any way interfere with the correct operation of the latch.
Opposite the latch, make a mark with a pencil and attach the striker in the center of the groove.
Another thing is with the roller and halyard latch mechanism. In both cases, the exact position of the bar with the groove relative to the latch is required. Without any doubts or measurements, we attach the latch itself to the seat of the balcony sash. Opposite its center, we draw a line with a pencil and draw this line outward so that it is noticeable when the door is closed. Having closed the door, we mark a similar mark at the same level, but on the frame. At this height the center of the grip of the strike plate should be located. Now we fix the bar with the lock along the mark with one screw and check the correct operation of the mating elements. If the result is negative, the bar is shifted and the performance is checked again. If further adjustment is not required, the bar is secured with a second screw.
The handle is loose, the locking mechanism is faulty
During operation, the screws that secure the handle may become loose. Repairing a loose plastic door mechanism is very easy to do yourself. At the base of the handle there is a vertical decorative plate covering the fasteners. We turn it to a horizontal position, pry up the plate, pulling it slightly toward ourselves, and turn the plate to a horizontal position. Access to the fasteners is open, use a Phillips screwdriver to tighten the bolts, and return the trim to its place.
If the handle breaks, we purchase a new one from the window company. The square rod for the fitting groove is standard for all handles; pay attention to the material from which it is made. We unscrew the broken product from the balcony door, insert the square into the fitting groove, and fasten it with bolts.
If the handle is intact, but turns with difficulty, it is necessary to lubricate all moving elements of the fittings.
If the locking mechanism is broken, you need to figure out whether a separate element can be replaced or the entire mechanism needs to be replaced. To more accurately determine the extent of the damage, we call a specialist from a window company.
Aluminum reinforced handles cost 2-3 times more than plastic ones, but they will pay for themselves, since it is almost impossible to break.
Castle repair
Let's look at how to fix a broken lock on plastic doors with your own hands. We remove the door handle, use the method described above to get to the bolts, unscrew them, and remove the handle. The door handle is inserted into the fitting groove using a square fastener. Watch the video below about the repair of the castle:
There are two types of locks used on plastic entrance doors: with and without a latch. The latch holds the door in the closed position, preventing it from opening due to wind or touch.
Latches are:
- halyard, triggered by pressing the handle;
- roller in the form of a hinge mechanism - to open the door, you need to pull it towards you.
Watch the latch repair in this video:
There are locks:
- single-lock – have one closing point, do not provide sufficient pressure of the sash to the frame;
- multi-point or crossbar – provide protection against burglary and more
Multi-point locks provide high sound insulation and thermal insulation;
the sash is tightly connected to the frame.
Multi-point locks are more expensive, but they provide high sound and thermal insulation due to the tight fit of the sash and protect it from sagging when closed due to locking elements located at several points.
A multi-point lock for plastic doors consists of a main and additional locking mechanism, a solid bolt and a tire that moves all elements of the system. Such a lock can be with a rebated push or roller latch.
Lock repair may include replacing the core, latch, or individual locking elements. You can replace the lock yourself by purchasing components and seeking advice from specialists.
Reviews
Komisarenko L.B.
: Our balcony door to the loggia broke. We couldn't close it after airing it out. I would like to express my gratitude to the masters of PermOknaService Oleg and Roman. They arrived to repair the balcony door very quickly. The problem was identified and corrected. The craftsmen were polite, behaved correctly and professionally. But the most important thing is that the balcony door now closes and opens perfectly.
Alexander
: They called a technician to repair a PVC balcony door - the handle on the street side was broken and cracked. They arrived quickly and brought a handle - not the plastic one we had, but an aluminum one. Additionally, we installed a latch for the balcony door, also aluminum. The price suited us quite well - it turned out the same as if I had gone to the store myself, bought it and installed it.
Kolobov A.N.
The wooden door to the loggia did not close. The price for repairing a balcony door at PermOknaService was quite satisfactory to us. There was also no need to wait for a specialist. First, he removed the faulty part, closed the door and sealed it with tape. I brought new fittings and installed them. All this in one day, literally in 1.5 hours. We also didn’t pay any extra money - the price completely coincided with what the manager told us over the phone.
Replacing the lock on the balcony door
We change the lock and handle with our own hands. Stages of replacing a lock for plastic doors:
- Open the sash and unscrew the screws.
- Turn the decorative plug on the base of the handle horizontally and unscrew the bolts holding the handle.
- Remove the lock and handle.
- We measure the length according to the old drive, aligning the holes for the handle pin.
- We prepare the lock, install it in the groove, you can hammer it into the hole with gentle blows using a rubber hammer.
- We install the handle, tighten the bolts, and cover the fasteners with a plate.
After installing the lock, the first turn of the handle always occurs with force. To learn how to repair locks on a plastic door, watch this video:
Lubricate the necessary elements of the lock and fittings. The door is ready for further use.
Let's sum it up
Some options for installing a lock on balcony doors can increase not only the level of security, but also comfort, that is, the door leaf will not open accidentally due to a draft. This aspect plays an important role for those people who are very tense due to external stimuli. Of course, thieves have become sophisticated and can break into any mechanism, but a good lock will at least keep them out for a while.
The video shows how to install the lock.
Can't turn the handle
If the door is hanging on one hinge and you can’t turn the handle, it means the door to the balcony was opened in two modes at once. You can fix this problem yourself within a few minutes. We find the opening blocker at the end of the sash; it looks like a tongue, located in the middle at the end; by pressing, we bring it to a horizontal position. We press the sash tightly against the frame, turn the handle to the ventilation mode, and then to the opening mode. The sash will fall into place, the handle will turn properly.
Door structures made of plastic
The lock on the plastic entrance door should obviously be different from the device for locking the balcony or interior doors. Moreover, this difference is significant and is explained by the design of each model.
The basis of the door leaf is a sandwich panel and a double-glazed window. In essence, this is a variant of a window structure, but more rigid, with a heavier frame and not fully glazed, although such options are also available. Repairing the product is difficult - due to the multi-layer structure, and repairing the fittings requires special skills. But do-it-yourself adjustment is quite possible.
- The entrance structure is larger in width and weight. The sandwich panel here is much thicker, the frame includes stiffeners, and the double-glazed window is installed in triple glazing to achieve good thermal insulation. Glass can be impact-resistant, which increases the overall level of safety.
This model has limited functions: the sash can be opened in the opening or ventilation mode. The advantage of the product is that the design can be unusual and decorative.
- Interior - the sandwich panel here is much thinner, and the double-glazed window is installed as a single unit. This option is often completely glazed. The operating mode is only opening, since no other functions of the interior model are needed. The fittings are handles, hinges, a lock, and special ones are selected here, despite the lightness and thinness of the fabric.
- Balcony – this design is multifunctional. The sash can be opened in ventilation, micro-ventilation, opening, and position fixing modes. It must be equipped with a handle on the balcony side. The design is close to the entrance, since it must provide heat and sound insulation of the home, so the sandwich panel here is thick and the glass unit is triple glazed. In the photo there is a door to the balcony.
In addition, there are sliding, hinged and folding models, for each of which special hinges, handles and locks must be selected.
