Removing panel from PVC-U door

[Peter Saffrey]

Hi there,

I'm trying to install a cat-flap in my front door, which is a two-panel PVC-U type. The lower panel has a raised pattern on it, so I can't fit it on that panel. The advice I have received is to remove the lower panel and buy a replacement panel, and then fit the cat-flap to that.

My problem is with actually removing the panel. I assumed that what I needed to do was remove the black rubbery seal from the indoor side of the panel and then unclip the plastic mounting and lift out the panel. However, the black seal is pretty certain it wants to stay where it is... I've managed to lever out a few inches with a pair of pliers and a lot of effort, but this is making me wonder whether I'm doing something wrong. The bit of the seal that goes under the panel is flat with ridges on it, but even in the section I've managed to pull out, it seems to continue around the edge of the panel. My questions are these:

(i) Am I trying to remove a seal that should not be removed? If so, how am I supposed to get the panel out? Is there some other technique I should be using?

(ii) When I replace the panel, do I also replace the seal? If I still have to remove the seal I think I may leave it in a bit of a state...

Peter

[shaun]

The seal comes out complete with the 4 pieces of beading holding the bottom panel in place. With a nice big chisel you should be able to pry the beading out (carefully) without marking it.

You'll have to remove either left+right or top+bottom beading first as one pair holds the other pair in.

[Stuart Noble]

I got the beads out but buggered if I could get them back. Those plastic panels aren't cheap either, and the earlier, thinner type isn't easy to get hold of . I ended up getting a man in. £100 including the flap.

[Peter Saffrey]

Thanks for your replies. My bead is one long piece. I'm not sure what you mean about using a big chisel - it's wedged under the seal and I don't think I could use a chisel without cutting off the thin ridged strip that's trapped under there..

I can also see that once I get it out, it's going to be a huge pain getting it back in again.

My local PVC-U shop quoted me 40 quid for the panel, or 140 quid with the panel fitted with a cat-flap and into my door, although I'd have to buy the cat-flap. This seems pretty steep. It would also be nice to be able to do it myself, because if I ever come to sell the house I may want to put the plain panel back in.

Peter

[adder1969]

I recently had to remove a pane of glass from a window and suspect the fitting is similar. From the middle of one side of the rectangle which is the panel, use the big chisel or similar to knock the beading in toward the middle of the panel. You should then be able to pull/bend the beading out of it's channel, complete with the rubber seal. Refitting is easy enough if you can bend the beading enough to get the two corners of the last piece in before tapping the middle part in (i.e. the opposite of removal) I suspect the removable beading may only be on one side.

[Stuart Noble]

Not sure what you mean by the bead being one piece. It's 4 pieces, mitred at the corners, and you remove it from the inside. There is a fine crack between the bead (the 45 deg piece) aand the flat part of the door that you can usually get a thin blade, like a paint scraper, into, but you can get more leverage with a chisel. It's a snap fit and takes quite a lot of force to get the first bit out. You may need to push the panel quite hard at the same time.

I think it gets more difficult as the plastic ages and becomes more brittle.

[Peter Saffrey]

I think we're suffering from a mismatch in terminology. My panel does not have a plastic bead other than the flat surrounding sections. The panel is held in by a black rubber seal, rather like silicon sealant but more solid. This is what I'm having difficulty removing without destroying.

Peter