UPVC Doors Won't Lock In Sunshine

[Tinkerer]

We have a pair of UPVC doors on our porch. One is only opened when required for large items to be taken into the house and it carries the frame into which the "everyday" door locks.

We have found that the locking mechanism for the "everyday" door works fine until the sunshine arrives. In the afternoon sun it presumably gets very hot and the handle will only lift just over half the normal distance which is not sufficient to allow the key to be turned although I do not think the problem is the handle as it operates fine when the door is open. Once the sun is off it the locks work fine again but that is no use if you need to lock up during the afternoon.

I can't imagine that we are the only people to have experienced this problem. I assume that the door is expanding/bending in the heat and some adjustment is required. Problem is that I cannot identify which part of the umpteen part locking system is jamming. I was wondering if anyone else had experienced the same problem, or is familiar with this type of door, and could suggest how to find where it lies.

[Brian Gaff]

Well in my case its the little bolt that slides up into a metal bit on the frame. What seems to happen is that the door twists slightly making it catch the edge. I filed it a bit and it seemed ok for a while but is binding again I notice. I bet quite a few people find this problem in one form or another as there are now so many sliding and pushing bits to keep the door shut, it seems to not need much for one or more to start binding up. Brian

[Andrew Gabriel]

Well, it could be loads of things. First, can you lift the handle and lock it with it open, i.e. is it the locking mechamism which is faulty, or does this only happen when you close it first and try locking it?

[Mrs Bonk]

I have French doors and get the same. I work afternoons and dare not open the doors in the morning as the sun hits them then I can't lock the door to go to work. On mine it is the bolt on the one door hitting the lock hole in the central bit. I removed the offending brass section housing the "hole" I still have two working bolts ( this probably voids my insurance) I have the same on the back door this time I had to remove two brass housing strips ( dunno the correct name) I fitted two other security bolts instead. I did intend to replace everything but moving it about eighth of an inch however, did one which worked, then when the door cools- it doesn't bolt lol. I did file one down and that worked but couldn't file enough of the other one.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Check to see if the door has dropped by measuring the two diagonals top to bottom corners. They should measure the same, and if they don't, the door has dropped due to incorrectly fitting the glass and/or panels in it, without healing/toeing them. Very common, because the fitters often don't understand the process, and it takes a while to fail after they've gone. (Can also do the same check on the frame opening to make sure it's square too.)

[Tinkerer]

Thanks Andrew. I will carry out those checks. In answer to your earlier question the locking mechanism works fine when the door is open so I take it that it is either fouling at one of the points where it latches into the "fixed" door or where it bolts into the top or bottom of the frame. It sounds as if I am not the only one to experience this problem. Fortunately it is only the porch, there is still a sturdy old fashioned wooden front door behind it.

[The Medway Handyman]

You can adjust the hinges on most uPVC doors (assuming they are). Look for a 'prize off' blanking cap & you should find a hex socket screw.

[Tinkerer]

Thanks, I didn't know that and they are indeed a pair of UPVC doors. Now I am waiting for sunshine again so I can start checking things out.

[DerbyBorn]

I had a similar issue which I sorted by adjusting the hinges. One of the rollers that engages in a slotted casting was hitting the bottom of the slot and preventing the full travel of the mechanism.

[Rob]

I've had this problem for several years. My doors are finshed black on the outside and white on the inside. Immediately I became aware of an expansion problem and realised I should have gone for aluminium frames. I'm stuck with sticky doors

[Gary]

When I worked for Everest we were asked not to sell UPVC doors on the south facing houses .Aluminium was to be encouraged. ( Only because of the sticky door problem)

[Mrs Bonk]

Thank you dear. my door is out of line. I came home one day to find three small hardly noticeable indentations on the UPVC frame exactly level with each bolt. Although my uninvited guests never managed to get in the door has never been the same. Perhaps I should have claimed on the insurance. I did have a window and door man at the house once to try to level it with the hinges and it was ok for a while, come winter I realised there was a gap down the central part that let in a draught. I stuffed rags in and tried myself to adjust things but it seems when one thing is level another isn't. I cant be bothered with the fine tuning every few days depending on weather. I did think to replace with wood but my new shed door is wood and that sticks too. Maybe patio doors would be better.

[SteveW]

In our case, sunshine bows the door. When the door gets hot on the outside, the outside expands while the inside doesn't and it bananas. The (inward opening) door closes in the middle, but the top and bottom are still just too far open to lock. From the inside it can be locked by pushing the top and bottom closed while locking, but from the outside it's a right pain!

SteveW

[Andrew Gabriel]

I would suggest trying to square up the door first, but it's more involved, particularly if glazing security tape has been used to fit the panels.

You have to take out the panels. Then try to square up the door by using something to jack up the bottom corner (opposite to hinge side). If you can do this with it shut, that may make it easier. You are unlikely to be able to get it back square again and may break it if you try, but at least take up any easily recovered slack to make it nearer to square. Now with it held in this position, refit the panals using a selection of packers. (You will need to clean off and replace any glazing tape used.) Each panel needs tight packers either side of the lower corner on the hinge side, and the upper corner on the opposite side. This makes the panel form a diagnoal bracing piece in compression. Then pack the other two corners of each panel, but it doesn't need to be as tight. Refit beading now if there's no glazing security tape holding the panels in. You can remove the door jack now and test the fit. Refit beading if you didn't do it above.

[harry]

Above is all true. Depending on your situation, remove the beads and then jack the door up (while closed) by driving a wedge under it and put in silicon between glass and frame all the way round& replace the beads . You have to leave the door closed and jacked up for a couple of weeks to let the silicon go off. Best done in warm weather.

This is a last resort if all else fails. The deformation may be permanent.

[Ilene D'over]

Reading this thread with some interest. The hinges should NEVER be used for adjustment unless they have been "fiddled" with by an ignorant fitter or worse still, DIYer. Sorry to be so blunt!

In the factory, the hinges are adjusted to centre the door in the frame and the eccentric hinge pin is adjusted to give the correct pressure on the door seal at the hinge side. The lock keeps are adjusted to the cams on the lock mechanism.

If correctly fitted, there should be no problem. As has been stated already, if the door is not "toed and healed" properly it will drop when the plastic gets warm and cause binding on the lower end. If the keeps and cams are not set correctly, cold and hot weather will cause binding. The hinges are not the cause and should not be touched.

Frames can move and if they are not secured to the cavity properly they will start to lean towards the lock side of the door, again causing binding so, make sure the door frame is absolutely square and then check the door against the frame. The overlap of the door on the frame must be equal at all points and is usually 8-10mm. Once this is achieved, the keeps and/or cams can be set. This should be done on a mild day and not in full sun.

Thermal stability of modern PVCu is surprisingly good.

[jennyharris444]

Try a watering can of cold water, works for us.Good luck.

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[The Other John]

I expect after 7 years he'll be glad of that advice! :)

[John]

The rollers are probably hitting the bottom of the slots. Adjust the door hinges.

[Cynic]

Get some engineers blue and coat the possible sliding/contact parts. Then as you operate the mechanism over a range of temperature it should be rubbed off where contact occurs. That should identify the possible areas of the problem.