uPVC door warping

[hicks]

We recently had new uPVC doors installed. They fitted perfectly when installed, but we've noticed that during warm weather the door sticks on the frame when you try to shut or open it. The back door is particularly bad. This weekend we had trouble actually opening the door as it was really jammed on the frame. It's as if something in the door is expanding, causing an incorrect fit within the frame, and it's less of a problem in cooler weather. Anyone heard of such a problem? Is this due to incorrect fitting, or an issue with the door itself?

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Why not call the firm that installed doors and give them a piece of your mind.

[hicks]

Fully intend to do so, but was fishing for more ammunition or technical details in case they try to blind us with science. Besides, I'm still not sure if this is fitting problem, or manufacturer's defect.

[sm_jamieson]

Maybe they didn't leave enough expansion space around the frame, and when it expands, it can only expand inwards ? Also, door could be slightly misaligned which could exacerbate the problem. Simon.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They have a steel frame which will expand when heated, but the clearance round the door to frame - taken up by seals - should cope with this. Sounds to me like it has been damaged or incorrectly installed. Having done a few myself it is *essential* to fix the door or window frame level, true and square, and not under load or stress. This should be easy enough to check oneself.

[normanwisdom]

If they bind they are either badly fitted, or badly made, or both. Most likely both - being plastic. Call them back to make good; it's their responsibility so don't be fobbed off with excuses.

cheers

Jacob

[Owain]

Doesn't matter, if they supplied and fitted the doors.

Owain

[Autolycus]

Does it have the usual "espag" lock? The sort where several small rollers on the edge of the door slide down into slotted metal keeps screwed to the frame when you lock the door. If one or more of the metal keeps is installed a bit too high, unlocking the door doesn't raise the rollers enough to clear it, and the door feels as though it's binding on the frame. Plastic doors can sag slightly in hot weather, and this makes the problem worse. Try lifting hard on the handle as you open the door, then as you close it watch to see how much clearance there is between each roller and keep. If it's just the odd one that's tight, then a stroke with a file or re-positioning the keep should do the trick - but the door installer should see to it.

The metal reinforcement in plastic doors and windows is structurally fascinating - it's not joined at the corners, so all it does is stiffen the stiles, and contributes nothing to maintaining the truth of the corners. Intermediate rails aren't even always welded to the stiles, so they don't do a fat lot to stiffen the structure, either. So plastic doors sag in hot weather.

[normanwisdom]

So plastic

So call the installers and tell them to replace them with doors which don't sag, till they get it right.

cheers

Jacob

[hicks]

Yes it has that type of lock. But the problem is more fundamental. The geometry of the door frame, or door itself isn't correct. When closing the door, the edge of it actually scrapes the frame to a greater or lesser degree, depending on ambient temperature.

[Chris Bacon]

"Politely request that someone comes and fixes the problem".

Reserve pieces of mind, 4x2, etc., for later, if needed.

[marvelus]

The lock casings usualy have a screw behind the latch bolt which is loosedn to reverse the lock. This can come loose just in normal use. All that is required is to remove the lock casing and tighten this screw. If the door is sticking around the lock area I suspect this is your problem. In any even get them out to fix it under warranty and whatch what they do so you can learn.

[Ziggur]

This is a common problem in warm weather, particularly with brown doors.

I have seen installers pour cold water on a door to cool it enough for it to be opened and adjusted.

Call them back to fix it.

[freddyuk]

Put a square against the door and check the corners are actuall

square.If they are not then the glass, which i presume is fitted, need to be removed and repacked to make it square. The glass and packing hol the whole unit square otherwise it will sag under its own weight Fiddling with the locking mechanism is then an option but check th above first

-- freddyuk