How to adjust PVC door hinges (pictures)

[SS]

Does anyone know how I can adjust these hinges on a PVC door (dropping at the latch side)

I hope the links work.

one looks off center..

[F Murtz]

Can you lift the door off to separate the hinge and put a spacer washer in the hinge?

[Chris J Dixon]

The hinge is deliberately made with an eccentric pin. By rotating the plastic wheel (and hence the pin) using the screwdriver slot, you can get some degree of adjustment. When you replace the plastic cap, which should have a couple of pegs on the underside, it stops the wheel from rotating in normal use.

Chris

[Paul - xxx]

+1

Be careful to try and adjust them all evenly. It looks like one is different to the others, so I'd reset all of them, then back out again a notch at a time. This stops the door or frame moving as much. I know they're not supposed to 'much', but UPVC doors do experience thermal expansion and in our school I have to adjust them every season, it seems.

One problem is they're usually delivered as a pre-set door/frameset to a building site and some builders just whack them in any old how, not caring if they're hung well or true, so it might be worth making up a plumb line to check the verticals and a spirit level for horizontals and make a decent job of it.

OTOH, a lot of the time it's suck it and see, a twiddle here, a twiddle there and job's a good 'un .. :).

[Ret.]

My uPVC front door (which is the typical type with a frame with a 'sandwich' filler of part glass and part moulded plastic) occasionally drops slightly and catches at the bottom. I have found that this has nothing to do with the hinges - but is the frame itself slipping out of shape (In effect the top and bottom of the door frame start to slope down slightly). If I bend down and grip the underneath of the door at the latch end and heave up, this puts the frame back into shape and the door no longer catches. I perhaps have to do this once or twice a year.

When I refer to the door 'frame' in this context - I am not talking about the frame into which the door fits - but rather the outer frame of the door itself, into which is fitted the moulded insert.

[Paul - xxx]

That's interesting, never come across this yet, but I can see how it might happen .. and we may have a door with exactly this symptom where everything's plumb and square but it still 'drops' and catches on the bottom edge occasionally, however the hinges are set. I'll give it a try next time, cheers. ;)

[Ret.]

You're welcome!

[SS]

I managed to adjust the the hinges which gave me an improvement but the door is still catching slightly on the latch side.

[Ret.]

If your door is of the same type as mine - ie having a frame like a window - but having a moulded insert instead of a sheet of double glazing - then try my suggestion. Just bend down and place both hands under the door at the latch end and heave upwards (not too hard or you might lift the door off its hinges!). You should hear a 'creak' as the door frame readjusts itself - and you then may find that the door no longer catches.

[SS]

Link below is the door it has glass but not full size. If you look at the top of the frame it appears off the square.

this is where it is catching..

[Ret.]

Clearly your problem is not the same as mine! Sorry.

[SS]

Kev thanks for the input, I am trying anything that might work, as I mentioned I do have an improvemnt so will keep plodding away. I just moved to this house a few weeks ago and prior to that had wooden doors and windows, hate these damn plastic things.

[Ret.]

I prefer the plastic! I have plastic windows, plastic doors front and side, plastic patio doors at the rear, plastic eves, plastic soffits, plastic roof tile end caps... Completely maintenance free! I used to hate painting window frames.

[SS]

My previous house although wooden window frames was not painted it was a preservative, Butinox or something similiar sounding, I only done them 3 times in 21 years and the wood was still sound. I agree though maintenance free is the way to go, the only prob with this house is the previous owner has not maintained anything, still I got a good reduction on the house price because of it and basically its just general maintenance stuff and internal painting, salmon pink and blue walls with grey skirtings and rads must have put loads off a decent house.

My previous house although wood frames was not painted, it had a

>

[Chris J Dixon]

surrounding brickwork. If it has worked a little loose, the plastic frame could easily have bowed slightly. Similarly, on the hinge side, if it is not solidly held, there could have been movement.

Chris

[Another John]

Or indeed, taking off the lock plate, cleaning surfaces up, and then reinstalling it nice and tight: that pic looks as though it's only the lock plate which is catching.

J

[SS]

I will obviously try the suggestions, I have now checked it with a spirit level along the top of the door and it is off the level so it seems the frame is sagging towards the latch side.

How would I adjust the frame? I will try and tighten other screws and fixings as this will short term stop it catching, however I would like to get the source of the problem sorted, which does now appear to be the main door frame.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "SS" saying something like:

For FUCK'S SAKE! Snip, you buggers!

[Man at B&Q]

Reply in the thread FFS!

MBQ

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Man at B&Q" saying something like:

I did, you f***er! Not my fault your reader's broken.