UPVC Door Problems (Dropped)

Dave

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Hi all, hoping someone here can assist me with my door woes.

We have UPVC doors front and back, both of which have dropped. I have measured corner to corner on both of them and there is only a few mm difference so it's not toeing and heeling that's required.

I have tried adjusting them in the past without success. The top hinge on both doors looks bent due to the weight.

So, is it possible to remove the door and bend the hinge back? Adjust the hinge? Or even if required replace the hinge. I know there are a few different types so I've included a photo for reference.

I'm pretty handy with DIY but need to know what I'm doing before I start. Any help would be great.

d6cd4096.jpg
 
sure someone has not been trying to break in, never seen UPVC doors drop before , maybe the wrong hinges were used ?

Definitely not, no tool marks anywhere and they have very gradually got worse.
 
wierd , maybe the doors are being slammed when shut? kids etc?

Kid too young to open the doors. It only appears to be the top hinge that's bent over so much.
 
How many hinges are on each door? There should be at least 3.

It is odd, to me, it looks like there's a fault with the hinge, obviously it's bent, but it really shouldn't, so there may be a fault or crack in the hinge pin itself?

You may be able to bend the hinge back, but it may crack/break the hinge pin. Have a look to see if you can see a tiny allen key grub screw anywhere on the hinge, if there is one, unscrew it & remove it (from each of the hinges). See first Pic.


DSC00004-2.jpg



The door sash itself should then lift off (upwards) the hinge pins. It may well take a bit of wiggling to get the door moving upwards, and require a but of brawn, but that's how to lift it off. Be careful though, as depending on the glass, it could be quite heavy


However, you may be able to adjust the hinges, but the problem may persist, if it bends any more. You should do this with the door sash still in place, but release the grub screws if present..

You'll need an appropriate sized allen key (probably 4 or 5mm) and if you look at the picture you posted, on the top left of the gold coloured bit you'll see in indent. If you look at the hinge from that side, you'll see a recessed allen key head (see next pic, which is similar).


DSC00003.jpg





Turning this will pull/push the door sash in/out from the hinge body. If you crank the top hinge in, and possibly the bottom one out, you can tilt the door slightly so that it lifts in one corner, hopefully clearing the bottom. Also, underneath the hinge, there should be another allen key (usually same size) which should turn, which causes the hinge pin top lift up/down.


You could use this in conjunction with the left/right tilting to clear the bottom. However, bear in mind that if you overdo it, the locks may not operate/engage properly, so it really needs to be little adjustment at a time.


Obviously... disclaimer.. own risk.. not my fault... :D


But don't dismiss toeing & heeling though. It may only be a few millimetres out of square, but if you end up at the limits of the other adjustments, it may make all the difference.
 
Thanks very much for that, great post.

I'll have a go tomorrow morning cause it's getting to the point where the doors are really hard to close.

I'll see if I can adjust it first and if it doesn't work I'll take the door off and try to bend the hinge back straight.

Edit:- I should also add both doors are catching on the handle side at the top which makes me think it's the hinges bending rather than toe or heel problems.
 
I've just had a look at the hinges (3 on each door) and there is no grub screw so I'm assuming I can just lift it off.

There is a grub screw like the second picture but nothing on the bottom.
 
Not all hinges have a grub screw, but be sure to have a god check & look around it all the way, or it really makes it hard work :)

And for scale, the big allen key as about 5mm, but the grub screw will be 1 - 1.5mm.

There may be another 'big' adjustment screw on the side of the hinge, which moves the door in/out for compression of the gasket, which you won't need to bother with.

You can buy replacement hinges, but some of the online places charge a fortune, so be wary.

As regards the toe & heel, it certainly doesn't look or sound like the problem, but it may be worth 'tweaking' if you don't get enough adjustment with the hinges. Although it can be a pain to do.
 
Thanks again for the info, very helpful indeed.

Makes the job much easier if I know what I'm looking at before I start. I'll let you know how I get on. I know of a couple of window places locally so will try there first if I need new hinges.
 
Just to update this I fixed both doors today.

It appears that there is a plastic bush in the hinge that has worn away on one side causing the door to drop.

I turned it round and glued it in to place with a bit of superglue. Also tweaked the hinges and for the first time in years neither of my doors catch.:clap:

Thanks again Orson, you've been a great help.
 
Hi Dave,

How did you get the door off to get to the plastic bush?

I think I've got exactly the same type of hinge with the same problem - it looks identical. Did you have to take a plastic cover off the top of the hinge to get your picture? If so, it's the same hinge.

I've tried lifting the door but it won't budge and have adjusted the nuts so the top is tight and bottom pushed further out but it still catches at the top on the vertical on the handle side and the bottom on the horizontal handle side Makes for a nice air-con unit this time of year at the top too.
 
Hi Dave,

How did you get the door off to get to the plastic bush?

I think I've got exactly the same type of hinge with the same problem - it looks identical. Did you have to take a plastic cover off the top of the hinge to get your picture? If so, it's the same hinge.

I've tried lifting the door but it won't budge and have adjusted the nuts so the top is tight and bottom pushed further out but it still catches at the top on the vertical on the handle side and the bottom on the horizontal handle side Makes for a nice air-con unit this time of year at the top too.

Hi Graham, I just lifted the door off and the bush was on the pin of the hinge that dropped in to the lower half of the hinge.

I did have to remove the plastic bits so it looks like it is the same hinge as mine.

It lifted off quite easily at first but I tried to lift it off again later to make some adjustments and it wouldn't budge. Might be because I took it off first thing this morning when everything was cold. If it's stuck fast then try a car jack under the door with a bit of wood to spread the load but obviously be careful as you may break something.

It's also worth mentioning that only the top hinge had the bush come out on the pin, the bottom 2 stayed in the holes so if the bush doesn't come out you may have trouble. You could however just swap the top and bottom hinges.
 
Thanks Dave. I'll have a bash at that at the weekend if it doesn't snow too much. It's not really a winter job but if I can get the door off pretty quickly it shouldn't take too long.
 

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Not as bad as you guys but I looked at my top hinge and it is showing signs of leaning... :suicide:

Forewarned is forearmed though, so thanks all... :thumbsup:
 
Just to update this I fixed both doors today.

It appears that there is a plastic bush in the hinge that has worn away on one side causing the door to drop.

I turned it round and glued it in to place with a bit of superglue. Also tweaked the hinges and for the first time in years neither of my doors catch.:clap:

Thanks again Orson, you've been a great help.


I'd forgotten about that type with the plastic inserts. Generally, they have the hole for the hinge pin off centre, so that you can turn the insert around, and move the door in/out or left/right slightly.

Glad you've got it sorted. :smashin:
 
Orson, if you're familiar with these hinges(?) is there a completely metal hinge I could buy which would fit that you know of?

This is just going to happen again within a year or so I fear and if I'm going to remove the door I'd rather replace them with a better quality hinge.
 
I feel a group buy coming on :thumbsup:
 
Unfortunately, there are (were) a few different varieties made, slightly different in respect of shape (some are contoured to fit the profile of the frame) and sizes, so it's not always as straightforward as it ought to be.

There are a few places on the web sell them, but they do tend to be expensive.
 

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