PhD, site expert.
PVC balcony doors have become so familiar in life that many take it for granted. Therefore, the appearance of problems in their operation is a complete surprise to the owners. Many in a panic urgently look for phone numbers of repairmen. Experience shows: in such situations there is no need to rush. It is easy to identify the problem on your own and fix it, because adjusting the plastic doors of the balcony with your own hands is not such a difficult matter.
For those who are first contacting this type of repair, we will give detailed instructions on how to adjust the plastic door on the balcony yourself.
When to adjust the door
Only accidents and disasters instantly occur in the world. All other problems mature gradually. This thesis fully applies to the balcony door. As it operates, it gradually changes the geometry and pressure force, which over time, if appropriate measures are not taken, can lead to the replacement of accessories, completely or its individual elements. Diagnosing and fixing problems at an early stage is quite simple.
1. The pressing force can be checked in several ways:
- bring a burning match or candle to the closed door. If the flame started, it means drafts are walking between the box and the door,
- put paper in the gap between the box and the door leaf. If it is easily pulled out from under a closed door, appropriate adjustments must be made. Check should be on each side.
The ideal option is if the paper sheet is pulled with the same effort on all sides of the sash - the geometry is not broken, and the force of the clip, if necessary, can be easily adjusted.
2. The most difficult case is if the door starts to change geometry. There are also several methods for early diagnosis:
- open the door at 45 o and leave for a short time. If it spontaneously, without the help of the wind, completely opened or closed - the door sagged due to the weakening of the upper hinge,
- go to the balcony. Close the door. On the inner perimeter of the door frame, using its edge as a ruler, draw on the door a diagram of its fit to the profile of the frame. The lines should be parallel to the edges of the door, and the width of all the drawn strips the same. Any deviations require a new adjustment of the door hardware.
Attention: different widths of strips vertically, for example, from the side of the handle 5-6 mm, and loops 3-4 mm, speaks more about factory defects than about the need to carry out adjustment work.
- carefully inspect the seals. If the geometry is broken, some of them will be deformed differently (wrinkled).
If time is lost for a successful repair, the cause of the malfunction must be established:
- the lower part of the door began to cling to the door sill. The reason is always the weight of the door. Door hardware is designed for weight up to 120-135 kg. The door together with a single-chamber double-glazed window weighs 35-40 kg. With an increase in the number of chambers, glass thickness or glazing area, the weight of the door approaches 60 kg, which is critical for hinges of any manufacturer. The metal of the canopies during operation of the door becomes corny tired, as a result of which the sash sags,
- door leaf clings to the door frame in the middle. Two reasons are possible here: the door profile is deformed outward or it is shifted to the side under the influence of high temperature (the door leaf expands, and the hinges push it onto the box from the front side),
- the door does not close well - in the pressed position, the handle does not lead the trunnions into the reciprocal level (in the language of experts, the answer). There are also two reasons: the door settled, as a result of which the eccentrics (hooks) of the locking strip do not reach the grooves of the door, the profile of the door leaf was deformed inward by pulling the hooks - they stopped reaching the gate or the box bent out with the same result,
- door leaf does not fit snugly. In order not to muzzle, it is necessary to adjust the trunnions and otvetka,
- stick stuck - the door was open too fast
- the handle is loose or broken. This occurs during intensive use of the door leaf,
- cracked glass in a double-glazed window - there was a skew in the profile of the door leaf,
- cracked plastic door frame or door leaf - The reason is the shrinkage of the house, not the door.
Adjustment of balcony doors
Regardless of the reasons why there were problems at the doors to the balcony, to adjust them you will need:
- slotted and Phillips screwdriver,
- building angle
- pliers
- gaskets made of plastic.
Tools available. Now consider how to adjust the plastic balcony door in each case.
Pens
With the handle, adjustment of the balcony door is not possible. It only removes the trunnion trunnions from the grooves of the answer (opens the door) or fixes them there (closes). Intensive operation often complicates this process: the handle does not work well. Problems can easily be fixed by doing an independent repair. The main thing is to figure out what happened. A pen:
- loosened
- broke
- jammed
- tight turns.
Loosened up. The weak landing of the handle on the door (staggering in the hands) speaks of the untwisted hardware that holds it. The problem is eliminated very simply: you need to slightly apply the strip that closes the fastening plate to yourself, then turn it by 90 o (see photo). Use a screwdriver or a Phillips screwdriver to tighten the screws all the way. Put the bar back in place.
The handle is broken. The technology process is similar to the previous type of repair:
- the bar is pulled and rotated to the side,
- the screws are completely twisted out
- the broken handle is removed
- a new handle is put in the same position as the old one (it depends on whether the door is open or closed),
- the mounting plate is attached,
- the pad is back in place.
Jammed. Due to the careless, or rather, hasty opening of the doors, the locking mechanism does not always have time to work, after which the handle cannot be turned - it wedges. This situation is not uncommon, but only possible for doors that open in 2 planes.
The lock protects the locking mechanism from further manipulations with the handle of the open door - if you turn the handle in the open sash to the “airing” position, you can disable all the fittings.
The locking mechanism is mounted on the end of the door immediately below the handle mechanism (a number of manufacturers produce hardware with a lock at the bottom of the door leaf). In this case, it can have a different look and method of lifting the blockade from the handle, which is clearly visible in the above photo.
At the Maco hardware, you need to press the latch and move it to the “vertically down” position, and then change the position of the handle. For other manufacturers of accessories, the tongue of the lock that holds the handle is sufficient, press it to the end of the door and also turn the door handle.
Hard to turn. The problem of a tightly turning handle arises in one case - for a long time, preventive work was not carried out to care for the fittings. Due to accumulated dirt, the locking strips move with difficulty. Repair is simple - just clean the fittings and then grease all the metal parts. The lubrication process of the hardware can be seen in the work: “How and how to lubricate plastic windows correctly?” - it is the same as the euro-window.
Important: if the handle rotates heavily with the sash firmly pressed to the door frame, the problem is in the trunnions and trims. Repair is simple - either put the pins in summer mode, or put thin, not thicker than 1 mm gaskets under the strips.
Clip
The simplest type of adjustment is to set the force of the door to the box. During the installation of the door, the installers install the standard (middle) version of the sealing rubber to fit together. Over time, they wear out and the balance is disturbed. You can adjust the clamp of the balcony door in 2 ways: turn the trunnion trunnions or adjust the reciprocal bar (the euro does not have such a window).
A trunnion (eccentric) can be found at the ends of the door:
- two or three on the front side,
- one or two on the back,
- 1 - at the top and bottom (if a folding mechanism is installed).
Different manufacturers have it in a different look, which is clearly visible in the photo:
- eccentric locking, adjusts the clamping force - the first in the photo,
- anti-burglary locking clown with adjustment of clamping force - medium,
- locking anti-burglary eccentric (regulates the height of the hook and the force of pressure) - the third.
The trunnion can be in 3 positions:
- neutral or standard, with an average downforce,
- summer - weak pressure,
- winter - the pressure is as strong as possible.
You can determine the force of the clip by the mark on the eccentric or its position. At the oval, the vertical position means a weak clamp (transferred to summer), at an angle - standard, horizontal - strong (winter). A round eccentric has a risk. If it is turned to the street - the summer version of the clamp, the apartment - winter, up - average.
You can change the position of the trunnion with a hexagon (furniture key) or pliers. Sometimes to carry out the adjustment, the eccentric must be pulled over. Pliers (wrench) are required for the products of the company "Maso", where the eccentrics are oval.
The mechanisms of the Roto accessories are regulated by a furniture key. Some models of accessories for balcony doors have the ability to adjust the clamp through the strike plate. To do this, she has an adjusting screw for a hex key (see photo, option “A”). Turning along the clock hand strengthens the clamp, against - weakens.
You can also change the fit of the upper corner of the door in the hinge area using the adjusting screw on the folding scissors. To do this, the door leaf must be opened immediately in two positions. At first, it swings open, after which the latch of the lock is pressed against the fittings, and the handle is put into the “airing” position. After that, the door closes slightly and leans back.
On the plate of scissors there is an adjusting bolt for the furniture key (see photo). Twisting it, the clamping force is increased, twisting - weaken.
When sagging
The problem of a door clinging to the threshold is eliminated with the help of adjusting screws in each hinge, responsible for changing the horizontal position of the door. At the same time, we note that for a sash with two opening modes, 2 loops are put, and with one 3. Therefore, with three hinges, adjustments must be made on each of them.
To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to raise the lower corner opposite the upper loop. To do this, the top of the door goes to the hinge, and the bottom, on the contrary, is wrung out from it. If necessary, the sash can be slightly raised.
Work is carried out in the following order:
- the door opens 90 o (a smaller angle is also possible, but adjusting in this case is quite difficult),
- tighten the adjusting screw 2 turns with a hexagon wrench,
- tighten the screw half a turn on the middle loop,
- on the hinge at the bottom of the door, unscrew the screw one turn (counterclockwise)
- close the door and see the position of the lower corner, as well as the position of the hooks with respect to the strike plate.
If the door still clings to the threshold, the adjustment process must be continued, but the number of revolutions should be reduced. Often, after the door is aligned, the hooks of the bolt plate either do not fit at all with the door or do not fix the door well. In this case, the reciprocal bar is rearranged. The problem can be solved by lifting the door leaf up.
To do this, the screw located in the lower loop (responsible for the vertical) must be tightened in the direction of the clock. To have access to it, you need to remove the decorative elements of the loop. The hex key is inserted into the loop itself from above.
Attention: at firms "Rehau" and "Veka" door hinges are different. To configure them, you need a different tool. But the adjustment technology is the same.
When touching the middle part
Now let's look at how to adjust the balcony door if it touches the box with the middle part. The step-by-step procedure is as follows: with the horizontal adjustment screws, the door leaf moves towards the hinges. First you need to pull in the area of the lower loop, then the upper.
Here the opposite problem is possible: the hooks do not reach the gaps in the reciprocal levels. In this case, using the horizontal adjusting screws, the entry of the hooks of the locking strip into the grooves of the counter strip on the front side of the door is adjusted. From the back you can:
- eliminate deformation of the door leaf by a gasket between the double-glazed window and the door profile,
- in a new way to adjust the reciprocal levels for the hooks - put plastic linings under them.
For winter mode
There is nothing complicated in how to adjust a plastic balcony door for the winter:
- open the door
- inspect its ends from all sides - the locations of the eccentrics are determined,
- with a furniture key (pliers), all eccentrics are transferred to winter mode. Oval in a horizontal position, round mark in the direction of the room.
If everything is done correctly, during the cold weather it will not blow into all cracks and holes.
Preventative maintenance of the balcony door
In order for plastic doors to serve for a long time and not create problems for their owners, they must be regularly in the beginning of winter and summer:
- To clear of dirt, then to wash. First, plastic is washed (door frame and door leaf), then a double-glazed window. It is necessary to wash the balcony door both from the outside and from the inside. In washing solutions there should not be aggressive chemistry (acids and alkalis) and abrasives. For glass, a variety of home-made washing preparations or those bought at the store (“Secunda Super”, “Synergetic”, etc.) are used. It is better to wipe plastic parts with a soft cloth or sponge, and double-glazed windows with special napkins or a rubber scraper,
- Wash, dry, and then grease the rubber bands and the metal parts of the stop valves,
- Adjust the cam for the upcoming season.
Conclusion
Problems arising during the operation of the balcony door are eliminated mainly by various kinds of adjustments:
- poor sealing of the seals is eliminated by adjusting the trunnions,
- the sagging door is lifted by horizontal adjusting screws,
- lift the door without changing the location of the corners relative to the box, you can screw inside the lower canopy,
- deformation of the door profile is removed by a side gasket under the double-glazed window, boxes - by installing a gasket under the mating strips.
Reasons for adjusting plastic doors
It is necessary to adjust a plastic balcony door in several cases:
- When the canvas sags under its own weight. This is the most popular PVC door problem. But this can happen for another reason, if there is a subsidence of the building in which it is installed. This phenomenon manifests itself in grazing the lower part of the canvas over the edge of the door frame threshold, as well as the appearance of a gap in the upper corner of the canvas. Sagging is due to the large weight of the glass, which occupies most of the canvas. And if a two-chamber double-glazed window is also installed, then the loops of such a canvas fail much faster, displacing the sash.
- The door leaf is also displaced due to temperature changes, which significantly affect the quality of the plastic. As a sign of door displacement, the sash clings to the frame in its middle part, or too tight fit.
- A loose clip of the door leaf to the frame is accompanied by drafts or simply the passage of cold into the room. This phenomenon can occur for two reasons, this is the failure of the sealing gum or the weakening of the locking elements, which need constant adjustment.
- Leaky position of the handle in the socket is also a reason for adjustment. This is due to prolonged use of the door leaf or poor-quality adjustment during its installation. This phenomenon can be caused by the breakdown of fittings due to improper use or poor-quality material.
- The latch system does not work, which performs the function of temporarily fixing the door leaf in the closed state. There may be several reasons for this: improper installation of the latch, displacement of the door leaf, sagging of the web due to the weight of its own weight or due to settlement of the building.
Important! In case of untimely elimination of sagging of the door leaf, cracking of the double-glazed window can occur, which will entail large financial costs.
How to adjust a balcony door before winter
A plastic balcony door may lose its initial settings over time, which will entail certain problems. So, preparing for the winter, it is necessary to adjust the door so that its opening and closing is easy and without interference. This will prevent the blowing of cold air into the apartment.
Steps for setting the door before winter:
Check the door for sealing rubber. If defects are found, they must be replaced. To do this, you must:
- Buy a sealing gum similar to the previous one.
- Using improvised tools, remove the old seal.
- To clean a surface.
- Insert a new seal into the special groove. When laying a new elastic band, note that it should not be stretched, otherwise the canvas clamp will be loose.
- Cut the seal in the corners of the frame, additionally fixing it with special glue.
- It remains to check the new seal for fit to the door frame. If the installation was carried out correctly, the door will close easily, without clinging anywhere. A good indicator is also the absence of drafts.
The next step in preparing the door is to check its tightness against the frame. To do this, just take a piece of paper and put it between the door frame and the door. Closing it on the latch, you need to pull the sheet and try to pull it out. If the sheet came out easily, the door pressure density is low, when pulling the sheet with effort, it means that the contact density is normal.
In case of loose fit of the sash, it is necessary to adjust the locking elements.
- Further, the door block is checked for skewing of the sash. Basically, this can be determined by the difficult closure and opening of the canvas. In the presence of a mechanical latch, when the door is skewed, the tongue will be difficult to get into the groove on the fixing panel. If deviations are found, they must be eliminated immediately.
How to adjust the clip of a balcony plastic door
Before adjusting the pressure of the sash to the frame, it is necessary to make sure that the reason for the weak fit lies in the locking elements, and not in the deformation of the sealing gum. Sometimes the cause of weak pressure is a shift of the sash or damage to the fittings.
The technology for adjusting the clip depends on the brand of accessories used. But since in most cases the doors are equipped with elements such as eccentrics, the tuning technology consists of the steps:
- Adjustment is made with a small hex wrench, 3-4 mm. After inserting it into the hole located in the center of the eccentric, you need to turn the key clockwise. Turn of a key should not exceed several millimeters. If the adjustment is made to ease the pressure, the rotation is counterclockwise.
- When equipping the door structure with trunnions, instead of eccentrics, they can be rotated using ordinary pliers. The following arrangement of pins is a guide for proper adjustment:
- when the element is parallel to the profile, the clamp will be minimal,
- with a perpendicular arrangement, the clamp will be maximum.
At the end of the adjustment, it is necessary to check the door leaf for fit, using paper or newspaper for this. The check is carried out in three places, from above, in the middle and at the bottom.
It is necessary to take into account the moment that when making the adjustment for the first time, it is not necessary to set the door to maximum mode, since the rubber bands quickly dry out. As a result, having made a relief for the summer season, when switching again to the winter period, there will be no normal fit and you will have to change the seal itself.
It is recommended to adjust the door tightness twice a year, before the winter and summer season. Before the summer period, it is necessary to loosen the clamp, and before the winter, on the contrary, strengthen it.
Important! When adjusting the clamping elements, make sure that they are all in the same position.
What could be the symptoms of a malfunction
If you are wondering how to adjust a plastic, balcony door, then first you need to establish the cause of the failure of the double-glazed window.
The following failures are sometimes observed:
- The lower end is in contact with the threshold. The reason for this may be the subsidence of the door under its own weight. This problem is observed quite often, since the double-glazed window has a sufficiently large weight, and subsidence arises from constant manipulations. Sometimes the hinges can be tightened, but in case of significant deformation, they must be replaced.
- Poorly closed balcony door. This happens when the leaf rubs in the middle of the structure. Such a problem often arises from temperature changes in the winter. To avoid this problem, learn how to insulate a balcony door for the winter. Physical deformation caused by natural causes may also be observed.
- Adjustment of a clip of a balcony door. It happens that there is a bad contact of the door with the frame, which leads to the appearance of a gap and, accordingly, a draft. This occurs in case of poor fixation of the seal with the sash.
- The handle is too loose and does not fit well in the grooves. This problem is easily solved by the usual adjustment.
How to adjust the door if it dipped
Sagging of the door leaf is one of the common problems, since in the summer period in most cases the door is open and under its weight it starts to sag a little.
How to determine if a door is sagging:
- Having risen from the back side of the door and closing it, you need to outline it around the perimeter, using the loot as a ruler. After opening the sash, examine the obtained distance from the line to its edge. If it is the same on all sides, there is no need for tuning; in case of deviations, adjustment is mandatory.
- The door in the open position, with the normal location of the canvas, should not be arbitrarily opened or closed. But you need to take into account the moment that when performing this test, there should be no drafts or wind.
Steps for adjusting loops when the web is sagging
- Remove the protective covers from the hinges. To do this, having opened the door to the maximum distance, the fixing screw is unscrewed. Mostly for this, a 3 mm hexagon is used. Then carefully remove the covers.
- Elimination of the problem with sagging of the sash begins with a loop located at the very bottom, using the same hexagon in the work. Having inserted it into the key hole located in the upper end part of the loop, the bolt is pulled up by 2–3 turns, clockwise.
- Similarly, the upper loop bolt is tightened.
- At the end of the adjustment, the doors are checked for uniform and easy closing. If it still clings, it is necessary to tighten the bolts located in the side of the loop.
- Pulling is carried out according to the same principle, first the upper, then the lower loop.
- Next, decorative elements are installed that hide the hinges.
Advice! Before putting decorative pads, loops, as a preventative measure, it is advisable to lubricate with inorganic grease.
How to adjust the latch on plastic doors
The latch adjustment process is carried out in several cases:
- With the weakening of the mechanism.
- If the device does not coincide with the fixing plate.
- Ways of adjustment:
- In the event of a mismatch between the ball mechanism and the groove, the locking bar is rearranged, after marking up.
- If the tongue does not fall into the groove, the locking bar can also be moved by loosening the hardware. Thanks to the elongated mounting holes, the bar can move freely. Now you need to install it in the necessary position, tighten the screws.
- To enhance the action of the mechanism, it is necessary to carry out such measures:
- remove the mechanism from the door leaf,
- on the back of the mechanism, unscrew the nut securing the spring,
- pulling out the spring, you need to stretch it a little. If necessary, you can put a small washer under it.
- tighten the fastener.
- In the case of using a non-separable mechanism, with holes on the sides, it is necessary to squeeze a little spring with a thin screwdriver and insert a small washer under its base.
- When using magnetic latches, the main reason for their failure is demagnetization, but in this case the adjustment will not help, a complete replacement of the mechanism is necessary.
- If the latch has loosened, or vice versa become tight, it is recommended to debug the mechanism using a 4 mm hexagon. In the end part of the locking mechanism there is a special screw under it, and they need to tighten or loosen the latches.
How to adjust the handle of a plastic door
The door handles are adjusted if they are out of order or simply loose, interfering with the normal operation of the door structure. In order to adjust it, it is necessary to carry out such actions:
- Find at its base a plastic plug that you need to rotate 90 degrees.
- Tighten the screws located under the plug using a screwdriver.
- If this does not help, then the cause of the loosening of the handle is most likely due to its deformation. To eliminate the breakage, it is recommended to replace the handle with a new one.
What to do to adjust the doors as little as possible
The need for adjusting plastic structures arises for several reasons, so by eliminating them you can avoid the debugging process. To do this, you should adhere to our recommendations:
- When choosing a plastic door structure, you need to pay attention to the weight characteristics of the door leaves. The hardware is mainly designed for weight up to 130 kg, which is quite enough for most door structures.
- The fittings should be verified manufacturers and the best quality. Only she can guarantee long-term operation without failure.
- After installing the door plastic block, the master must adjust all the necessary parameters.
- To avoid sagging the sash, under its own weight, it is recommended to immediately install special compensators. Such a device is especially necessary when installing double-glazed windows with large dimensions and weight.
- A door jam will prevent a special tire. This fixture provides additional support for the sash.
Summing up, we can say that the adjustment of plastic balcony doors is required to prevent serious damage to the door structure, as well as to eliminate the blowing of cold air. The plastic door should fit snugly to the frame, open and close without much effort, and without clinging to anything. You can set up the door with your own hands, spending a little time and effort on this.
How to understand that adjustment is needed
The acquisition of a high-quality model of a plastic balcony door does not insure against wear. PVC guarantees the duration of use, a double-glazed window - soundproofing, but they significantly increase the weight of the structure, which as a result leads to sagging of the door leaf. In addition, frequent opening and closing causes a decrease in the door's tightness.
The correct position of the door is indicated by:
- lack of skew of the sash,
- stability of the door in the open position,
- tightly pressing the door to the box.
If there are any deviations, urgent repair is required. It is not always possible to deal with the problem yourself, in some cases you will have to seek professional help and replace some parts. Therefore, before you adjust the balcony plastic door, it makes sense to figure out what caused the defect and how it can be solved.
Common problems
The device of a plastic balcony door does not need constant preventive settings, but it will not be possible to completely avoid adjustments. Most of them are associated with non-compliance with the correct position of the door leaf in the box:
- The door rests against a plastic sill. The root cause may be an installation error or sagging due to the increased severity of the structure.
- The canvas is rubbed in the middle part - near the handle or above. The problem is caused by sudden temperature jumps or drafts, and is eliminated after adjusting the loops.
- The door is loose on the frame and allows air to pass through. The reason is either damage to the seal caused by temperature changes, or a violation of the clamping position due to the frequent opening of the door.
The most common problem is a loose or stuck door handle. A series of openings and closures of the sash, as well as the use of ventilation modes, lead to a defect.
Sash sag correction
Violation of the diagonal due to the lowering of the door by several millimeters leads to the fact that at the time of opening it abuts or touches the lower sill. Adjusting the plastic balcony door involves lifting the sash and pulling it with the hexagon to the upper hinge.
The sequence of work will be as follows:
- Open the door wide open.
- Remove the cap from the bottom hinge.
- Turn the screw clockwise with a wrench.
- Put the plug in place, close the sash.
- Check how the running door has changed, and if necessary, start the algorithm again.
Important: The adjusting screws of individual hardware systems are sharpened not under the hexagon, but under the asterisk. It is desirable that among the tools was this key.
Friction in the middle is a sign that the door is not sufficiently pulled to the hinges. The solution to this problem is carried out by inserting the key into the side adjustment screw and smoothly pulling the sash to the lower hinge. If necessary, do the algorithm with the top loop. As a rule, these manipulations will be enough for the door to move freely.
How to change the density of the clip
To begin with, it is worth checking the seal - often its deformation becomes the cause of blowing. If everything is okay with him, then the problem is in the fittings.
When adjusting the clip of the balcony door, locking elements on the door are used.The clamping screws are made in the form of eccentrics: the key hole is slightly offset from the center. The rotation of the eccentric biases the locking element in the desired direction, which strengthens or weakens the clamp.
In some cases, the clamping screws differ from this design. If they walk through the hole, then the minimum pressure is ensured by the central position. To change the density in such a device, you need to rotate the screws around the axis.
Correctly performed debugging is indicated by a sheet of paper tightly sandwiched by the door under the upper part of the sash. With this simple technique you need to check all the door sides.
Door handle debugging
The only problem with the balcony door handles is loosening. To quickly resolve this problem, you must:
- Turn the protective plate at the bottom of the handle 90 °.
- Align it in the required position and tighten the fixing screw.
- Fit the plug and grease the metal parts.
If after adjustment the gap remains, then, most likely, the handle body cracked. The only way out is its complete replacement.
Important: Installing a magnetic lock on the balcony door will reduce the frequency of use of the handle, which will extend its service life.
Seasonal adjustment of the balcony door
Double-glazed windows are not 100% tight, so it is recommended to set the maximum pressure in winter, and in the summer - to weaken it for a minimum air flow. Seasonal adjustment of the plastic balcony door involves changing the location of the cam.
This measure is justified in old windows, where the sealant has partially lost its elasticity. The state of pressure is largely affected by the degree of pressing, so if you adjust it to the maximum in newly installed windows, the seal may be damaged.
Preventative measures
Typically, the adjustment of a plastic balcony door is carried out independently upon the occurrence of problems. Calling a specialist 2 times a year for inspection is pointless: using simple preventive measures, you can extend the smooth operation of the structure.
To reduce the frequency of adjustments and reduce the overall load on the structure, especially when it comes to heavy heat-insulating models, it is recommended:
- Order a micro-lift (sag compensator), which will reduce the load on the door due to its slight rise when opening.
Install a door closer that will ensure a smooth closing of the door.
Put an opening stop as a way to protect against leaf jam.
The guarantee of trouble-free operation of the door structure is suitable fittings. Locks and hinges must support the weight of the door. For standard balconies, devices designed for no more than 120 kg are enough.
Dust and dirt
In some cases, problems with the operation of the door are caused not by the device itself, but by dirt and dust that have got into it. This occurs on non-glazed balconies, especially if gusty winds are characteristic of the climate. In such a situation, it is worth checking all sides of the door leaf, locking mechanism and hinges. If liquid gets into the metal elements, rust may form, which the WD-40 can remove.
The device of a plastic balcony door
The balcony door block made of PVC or metal plastic is made as a rather complex engineering design. The balcony block combines the functions of access to the street (for open balconies and insulated loggias) and the aesthetics of a three-dimensional window from the living room or kitchen of the apartment.
Therefore, designers impose increased requirements on the block for the tightness of the door leaf, the possibilities of its adjusting movements, and the reliability of accessories. In the design, these requirements are ensured by the use of multi-chamber double-glazed windows (double or triple), rubber seals, adjustment mechanisms in the hinges, lock, tongues of constipation.
The need to adjust the balcony door is determined by simple independent experiments:
- Open the door and leave it open, making sure there is no wind or draft. If the door spontaneously opens or closes, a setting is needed.
- With a pencil, mark the position of the closed frame around the perimeter of the installation box (from the balcony). The parallelism of the lines indicates the normal position of the frame. If, upon opening the canvas, you will see parallels diverging, you need to adjust the skews.
- Insert several sheets of writing paper between the frame and the box. The paper should be pulled out with the same effort. A clamped, torn sheet will record significant pressure violations that require adjustment.
Basic adjustment of the balcony door
To adjust the balcony door with your own hands, remove it from home tools or buy:
- screwdrivers with a flat, cross-shaped sting (selection of size is carried out according to hardware accessories),
- hexagon socket wrenches (triangular, pentagonal, "star" slots are also used for imported designs),
- pliers (pliers),
- meter metal ruler or tape measure,
- glue, scissors (for replacing sealing rubber or silicone).
This video closes all questions about adjusting the balcony plastic door:
Each of the mechanisms of the locking structure, mounting the frame on the hinges is responsible for its own area of work. But the same symptoms (the plastic door to the balcony does not close, the frame rubs against the box with the bottom or side edge) arise when the particular mechanism is incorrectly configured, so they need to be considered separately.
Elimination of sagging door leaf
Problems with sagging of the door leaf occur when loosening door hinges, subsidence of the house, requiring additional adjustment of the position of the frame in the installation box. A loose loop can be easily identified by the looseness of the fixing screws or their absence. To eliminate the deficiency, select a screwdriver with a suitable sting pattern (screws with slotted or crosswise slots are used for different manufacturers).
After removing the decorative cover covering the hinge (on the inner edge of the frame), tighten all fixing screws as tight as possible. Only after that it is necessary to determine the place where the frame touches the box. Most likely, it will be the middle of the frame or the bottom edge. Less commonly, the house drawdown raises the upper edge of the glass cladding.
To adjust the position of the balcony plastic door in the installation box, use long adjustment screws mounted in the door hinges. In most door structures, the frame is attached to the box with three hinges equipped with adjusting screws.
For horizontal displacement of the frame, screws are located parallel to the lower and upper edges of the glass cladding. Most often, manufacturers use screws with a cross-shaped or curly (hexagon, "asterisk") slot to adjust. When adjusting, the screw is usually rotated clockwise.
Attention: do not try to adjust the position of the frame immediately with three or four turns of the screw. One turn may be enough to eliminate the bias. By tightening all the screws, you can completely upset the geometry of the frame.
If the balcony door does not close well in the middle, it is adjusted with a screw on the middle hinge or three screws. Raising the lower edge of the far edge of the canvas lift the screws of the upper and middle loops.
The vertical geometry adjustment (up and down) is carried out by adjusting screws at the ends of the upper and lower loops. For adjustment, you will need 2, 5 or 5 mm hex wrenches. To raise the door or lower the frame, the screws rotate clockwise or in the opposite direction. With amateur adjustments, it is rarely possible to achieve the correct geometry settings the first time. Acceptable result will bring multiple experimental adjustment with several screws.
Adjustment and strengthening of the handle
If the handle is wedged or it does not turn completely, the cause usually becomes a breakdown of the internal mechanism of movement of long rods located in the window lining. Vertical adjustment of the frame is also unsuccessful. It is unrealistic to repair such a breakdown yourself, you need to call the master, and completely replace the mechanism.
It is not difficult to strengthen the loose handle on your own. To do this, turn the decorative cover that covers the mounts under the handle. The opened fixing screws or screws must be tightened with a Phillips or flat head screwdriver.
Clamp density setting
By pressing the plastic door of the balcony is regulated in various ways. Round trunnions (with a displaced central hole) or oval eccentrics are responsible for clamping the frame to the box. When you turn the traction knob, these parts are moved up and down the metal bar. When the handles are horizontal, the trunnion or eccentric enters the central slot of the figured bracket screwed to the door frame.
If the mounting screws of the bracket are not loose, the adjustment of the clip of the balcony door is carried out by turning the trunnion or cam. To control the position of the trunnion, a noticeable slotted risk is applied to the edge of its circumference. The oval shape of the eccentric allows you to visually control its position. To increase the clamp, the trunnion is turned with pliers.
In the same way, you can switch the door to winter mode. For maximum clamping, three eccentrics are translated (with a special key or pliers) into the horizontal position of the oval.
Door opening and closing troubleshooting
Incorrect adjustment of the clip leads to problems with opening and closing the exit to the balcony. If the balcony door does not close from the outside, in addition to improper adjustment of the clamp, the reasons may be a skew of the frame or a displacement of the curly bracket due to damaged or loose fasteners. Having fixed the bracket, having made all the adjustments, you will get rid of this drawback.
If the balcony door creaks when opening, the reason, in addition to the friction of the frame on the box during distortions, may be contamination (rust) of the hardware or door hinges. To get rid of the creak of loops, pour a few drops of machine oil into the top hole of the stem (with a nipple or syringe).
Seal replacement
New settlers who settled in a new building in the summer or early fall often find that a draft is blowing from the balcony with the onset of cold weather. Loss of tightness in a balcony unit can be caused by several reasons:
- defective door structure (improper installation of double-glazed windows, gaps between the joints of plastic elements),
- slots around the perimeter of the installation box (insufficient layer of mounting foam, sealant),
- distortions of the block caused by the settlement of a high-rise building,
- improperly configured fittings,
- the destruction of assembly joints in the slopes, under the windowsill, at the threshold,
- the use of a low-quality sealant, contamination of rubber with building paint, plaster, street dirt.
If the 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 sealant leads to the fact that the plastic door is blown away by the wind, the balcony does not close tightly.
When choosing a sealant that acts as an insulator of noise, cold air, water condensate, you need to pay attention to the material (rubber based on natural rubber, silicone, EPDM, TPE grades related to stretch thermoplastic elastomers are preferable).
To change the sealing gum between the frame and the door frame you need:
- tear out or cut out old rubber,
- clear the groove along the perimeter of the frame from all residues of glue and rubber,
- degrease the inner surface of the groove with white spirit, acetone, solvent,
- gently apply a layer of glue and let it dry,
- insert a single piece of sealing rubber or silicone into the groove,
- cut off the remainder of the seal at the junction and press it in tightly.
Seal replacement video:
Proper operation and maintenance of the balcony door
With the correct setting of the plastic balcony door, the service life of the structure is fully consistent with the manufacturer's guarantees (from 20 to 50 years). Mandatory measures recommended by manufacturers of plastic and metal-plastic constructions include:
- washing of double-glazed windows and facings with a simple soap solution (aggressive detergents are contraindicated),
- lubrication of the rubber seal with silicone compounds (at least once a year),
- cleaning and lubrication of accessories, external parts of locking mechanisms,
- timely replacement of the gasket gasket (protects the plastic parts of the structure from friction, wear).
In addition, it is impossible to load open sashes with linen, clothes, foreign objects, use the ventilation mode in strong winds, and clean door blocks using cutting objects or abrasives.
Useful preventive recommendations
How to adjust the plastic doors on the balcony? Sooner or later this issue will have to be resolved, and to prevent this problem from occurring as much as possible, preventive measures are necessary.
First of all, before buying a double-glazed unit, familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics of the design.
Each manufacturer uses different accessories, and sometimes not the best quality, which leads to the need for adjustment immediately after installation. The fittings must correspond to the weight of the structure, so pay particular attention to this issue. Most often, high-quality fittings are designed for a mass of 100-120 kg.
In this case, this is quite enough, but it should be remembered that the design of the door may be different. For example, if there is a four-chamber door, then the hardware may not withstand such loads. Accordingly, in this case, it should be as strong as possible. Experts recommend the use of a special sag compensator (micro-lift).
This mechanism is not expensive and helps prevent sagging. Also, adjusting the balcony door will be much less necessary if an opening stop is used.
In any case, this design requires careful operation. Sudden openings and closures must be avoided. In this case, you will significantly extend the service life of the door and, accordingly, accessories.
Fix pen problems
This malfunction is considered the most common problem and it is solved very simply. To do this, only an ordinary screwdriver is needed. Then we do the following:
- It is necessary to take something sharp, for example, an ordinary knife and pick up a plastic lining with it.
- Next, turn the bolts that are 90 degrees clockwise under it. It is necessary to twist to the stop, but not too much, as the plastic may crack.
- After that, reinstall the overlay. This procedure should fix this malfunction, but if the backlash remains, then for sure the problem is in the handle itself, and you just need to buy a new one.
We fight with a bad clip
Adjusting the clip of the balcony door is a fairly simple procedure. To check whether it needs to be regulated, a simple manipulation should be done:
- Take a plain sheet of paper and place it between the leaves, then close the door tightly.
- Next, try to pull out the sheet. If he sits firmly in place, then adjustment is not necessary, and if he staggers or does not hold at all, then adjustment is most likely required. This procedure should be done not only in one place, but along the entire perimeter of the door.
How to independently adjust plastic balcony doors in such a case:
- First, inspect the entire structure, and be sure to pay attention to the seal. In some cases, he is the culprit, and adjustment is not needed. If it is damaged, etc., then a simple replacement of the balcony door seal is necessary.
- If everything is OK with the gasket, then see if the handle closes to the very end. If a problem was discovered with the progress of the structure, then it must be eliminated by adjusting the screws on the hinges.
This is done as follows:
- It is necessary to open the door, unscrew the screws and remove it from the hinges.
- Further you will see a long screw, which is located horizontally.
- Tighten it, and then reinstall the doors.
- If this manipulation was not effective, then it is necessary to tighten the eccentrics (mechanisms located at the end of the sash). This mechanism is responsible for the level of pressure.
Be sure to read the instructions that describe how to install a plastic balcony door before proceeding with the adjustment. Each manufacturer and model may have a different setting.
Correctly eliminate sagging doors
If the balcony door is sagging and adjustment is necessary, then we take the following actions:
- First, open the sash. It should be remembered that some models may have nuts that are unscrewed with a special sprocket key.
- We take a hexagon and we turn a screw. It is most often located near the upper loop.
- Next, turn it several times clockwise and return the leaf to its place.
- We remove the pads from the hinges, thus opening the way to the adjustment screws and tighten the top screw.
