How to independently adjust the plastic balcony door

27.03.2021

After installing double-glazed windows on the balcony, various difficulties often arise in the operation of the door. They can be fixed with the help of a service center (especially if a guarantee was given for the work). However, in most cases, it is quite possible to adjust the plastic balcony door on your own.

It is important to learn how to determine the cause of a malfunction and use the appropriate tools for repair. To do this, there are several simple test and step-by-step instructions that will be discussed in detail in the article.

Types and advantages of plastic balcony doors

Today, plastic doors are widely used, which have almost completely replaced outdated wooden counterparts.

At the same time, they can be equipped with different mechanisms, depending on which doors are distinguished:

In most cases, balcony doors are combined with windows that can be located on opposite sides of it (to the right, to the left, and less often on both sides).

There are also free-standing doors, and they also have their own classification:

consisting of one half (single-field)
consisting of two halves (two-pole).

Schematically, these options are shown in the figure.

All of them have their own characteristics in the door lock mechanism, however, they differ little in terms of performance. Accordingly, the problems associated with wear are approximately similar.

Along with plastic, metal, glass and even classic wooden doors are made, but the last two groups are much less common. The reason for the popularity of PVC doors is their simplicity and reliability:

doors are easy to use - they are comfortable to close, open and use in any mode;
they are quite durable and, with proper installation and operating conditions, can work trouble-free for many years;
they are easy to maintain in case of breakdowns;
doors are aesthetically pleasing and easily fit into different types of design.

Balcony door device

Before you understand how to adjust the plastic balcony door, you need to briefly understand its device.

In most cases, the classic version is used with two windows and one door, located to the right or left of them, as shown in the diagram below.

The door consists of the leaf itself and fittings, which perform two important functions:

fastening the door to the jamb;
ensuring the closing and opening of the door in different positions.

Handle and lock

The main elements of the fittings are a handle and a lock, which ensures reliable closing of the door and comfortable opening. Depending on the features of the locking mechanism, locks can be with a latch (roller or latch) or without it, as shown in Figure 1.

The handle is usually mounted only from inside the room. This is inconvenient in cases where it is necessary to close the door while on the balcony (for example, in winter). In these cases, an additional handle is installed from the outside, allowing this function to be implemented.

NOTE. In the case of installing a second (external) handle, it is important to make a lock from the inside so that outsiders cannot enter the apartment from the outside.

You can visually evaluate the convenience of such a device here.

Also, balcony doors can be made in a different design, color, glazing area - for example, as shown in the photo.

Possible problems with the operation of the lock can be associated with the following reasons:

Misuse - excessive mechanical pressure, blows to the mechanism.
Natural wear and tear of components.
Pressure from the side of the door due to its skew towards the lock.
Incorrect installation work.
Poor quality materials.

Visual video instructions for repairing the lock mechanism

Latch

Along with the lock, the locking element is often equipped with a special latch, with which you can adjust the desired width of the open door. This is necessary in cases where the door is not equipped with a hinged mechanism, but it is required to open it for ventilation. The latch also prevents children or pets from accessing the balcony.

Schematically, the latch consists of the door fixing mechanism itself, which is attached to the surface with self-tapping screws, and a regulator that determines the opening width, as shown in the diagram.

Video latch mounting features

Determining the quality of the door on the balcony

All the problems that arise with the operation of the balcony door can be divided into 2 large groups:

associated with improper installation;
appearing with natural wear and tear.

Video - installation features of a balcony door and windows

Immediately after installing a new door, you need to check the quality of work. There are some simple tests for this:

When closing the door, it is important to make sure that it is firmly pressed against the plastic surface along the entire perimeter.
The door must not move vertically - i.e. Normally, it runs perfectly parallel to the box.
When open, the door must remain stationary in the absence of influence (wind).
The door closes softly, without any extra effort;
The door lock is fully functional and functions in all modes (if the door is equipped with a folding mechanism).

Of course, along with this, the product should not contain any external defects, scratches, damage, etc.

Diagnosing problems: step by step instructions

To properly adjust the plastic door on the balcony, you first need to accurately determine the cause of the malfunction.

Door adjustment is needed in cases that are easy to determine on your own:

The door closes tightly, with extra effort.
When opening the doors, you also need to apply force.
Air can be felt from under the door.
In a calm position, the open door cannot lock in place, it “creeps” to one of the sides.

Replacing the rubber seal

Very often, the problem area of such a door (as well as many others) is the tightness of the closure. In winter and in windy weather, this is easy to check by the air entering inside.

ADVICE. Checking the tightness of the door closing is very simple. Walk along its perimeter with a lit lighter and pay attention to the flames. If it even sways a little from air currents, it means that there is a small gap in this place.

Basically, the problems are related to the condition of the special seal (usually rubber). It may show mechanical defects:

uneven occurrence;
lagging behind the surface in certain places;
relief, swelling of the layer;
scratches, cracks.

Accordingly, the rubber is replaced with a new one. This is the most correct option, since the seal is quite affordable, and repairing a damaged product will not allow it to serve as long as we would like.

The seal usually lasts a long time and only needs to be replaced when it is clearly worn. The sequence of actions for replacement will be as follows:

First you need to remove the old filler, carefully dismantling it around the entire perimeter.
Then a new rubber mount is inserted into the groove.
The seal is evenly lined around the perimeter, while it cannot be pulled - in this case, when cooled, it will stretch even more, which may cause cracks.
In the knots, it is glued with special glue.

NOTE. The seal will last much longer if it is impregnated 1-2 times a year with a special silicone solution. You can buy it in the relevant companies involved in the installation of plastic doors and windows.

Visually, the replacement of the rubber filler is shown in the video

Here is an option with plastic windows, but replacing the seal on the balcony door is no different.

Door Hardware Repair

The problem with the rubber seal is the easiest option for problems. However, that is what needs to be checked first. The situation is more complicated with deviations in the lock or other door fittings, because of which it cannot lean against the surface perfectly tightly around the entire perimeter.

In this case, the diagnostic sequence will be as follows:

First you need to slightly open the door and attach a sheet of paper to the surface.
Next, close the door so that it firmly presses the sheet.
Now you need to try to pull out the paper - normally it is pulled out very hard.

If at the same time the paper is removed from the clamping space quite easily, then there is a small malfunction. They can be eliminated by setting the constipation to the maximum.

The sequence of actions will be as follows:

If the clamp is not tight enough, then you need to move on to a more complete study of the problem:

NOTE. If the width of the strip on the side of the jamb is about 3 mm, and on the side of the door handle it is 2 times larger, this clearly indicates a marriage during installation. In this case, you cannot fix the problem yourself. and the whole door will need to be reinstalled. To check this, you need to measure the width of the doorway at the top, middle and bottom. The values must fluctuate within 1 mm.

If it is found that the door is already somewhat of the required size, while it is evenly narrowed, then the problem can be solved in another way - the sealing rubber must be replaced with the one that is supplied with plastic entrance doors.

This rubber is wider and can easily compensate for the difference found.

Balcony door: step by step repair instructions

To adjust the plastic balcony door, it is important to collect all the necessary tools so that during work it is possible to perform all the necessary actions at the same time:

a set of different screwdrivers of all kinds;
pliers;
asterisk keys;
hexagons of different sizes.

Further, the sequence of actions depends on the type of problem and the mechanism of the door itself. If it is normal, i.e. works only in the "open-close" mode and does not have a folding function, repairs will be much easier.

First you need to remove the white lining from the canopies, if any.
On the reverse side is a screw - it must be unscrewed with a hexagon.
Carefully turn the horizontal screw to achieve the optimal position of the door. For example, if the door clings from above, the top 2 screws are lowered.
Next, you need to check the position of the door, how it closes, and, if necessary, make additional adjustments.

NOTE. If the door diverges strongly, it can be adjusted by simultaneously turning all three connecting screws.

To adjust the clamp, due to the weakening of which drafts occur, a striker is used.

It has a hole where the hexagon is inserted and rotated halfway.

Video features of repairing a balcony door

the video material discusses the adjustment of the pressure of a plastic window, but its mechanism is similar to a balcony door

Ensuring correct operation of the handle

It often happens that it is not necessary to adjust the plastic door itself on the balcony, but a loose handle interferes with the correct operation of the locking device. In this case, the problem is determined by extraneous sounds, turning the mechanism.

The situation is solved very simply - first, a decorative overlay is removed from the handle, and then the screws that fix it to the surface are pulled up to the stop.

Video instruction on how to adjust the plastic door on the balcony

Hinged balcony door: step-by-step repair instructions

The repair of the door, which, along with the usual mode, functions in the tilt mode, is not fundamentally different. But since the fittings in this case are more complicated, that is, their own characteristics.

door sagging

When the door clings to the threshold and noticeably sags, then the sequence of troubleshooting steps will be as follows:

If the door is located above the norm

In the opposite case, when the door clings to the top, the work takes a little longer. In this case, you need to adjust the position of the door using the screw in the scissors, as shown in the photo.

To do this, the door is opened, the screw is rotated with a hexagon until it takes the correct position. Then you need to check the correct operation - open and close several times.

Ensuring correct clamping

To properly adjust the pressure, you need to perform the following steps:

The door is opened and closed several times to check the quality of the work.

NOTE. In order for the door to work correctly and the fittings to last as long as possible, it can be lubricated a little with machine oil every year.

Problems that cannot be fixed on your own

All considered small-term repair work on the maintenance of a balcony door can be divided into 2 large groups:

Work related to leveling a sagging or pulled up door.
Work on regulating the force of pressing the door to the plastic surface.

However, there are some types of malfunctions that are associated with factory defects or mechanical impact on the door that cannot be fixed at home:

Door hinges torn from the surface.
Complete or partial destruction of fittings (lock mechanism or door hinges).
Violation of the integrity of the seams of the frame or door, made during welding.
Crack or broken glass in package.

Such types of violations are eliminated only by professional workers. Often the question arises of completely replacing the balcony door with a new one or replacing the fittings.

NOTE. If a situation has arisen that you need to get into the apartment through a closed balcony, then you can do this by simply breaking the glass. The fact is that replacing a double-glazed window is much cheaper than repairing the door itself, or even installing a new one. In addition, it is faster and easier to implement without calling additional services.

Repair of the door on the balcony is carried out only in case of obvious malfunctions. It is quite possible for a person without professional skills to adjust a plastic balcony door.