Can fitting a upvc back door be that hard?

[r896neo]

I have a horribly draughty wooden half glazed back door. I was wondering what people thought of fitting a pvc replacement as a diy project?

I saw one when i was in the builders merchant for £90 and thought i might give it a go. Do you think it is a terrible idea or worth a dig.

It leads to a very secure rear yard/ garage where i keep a motorbike so security is not an issue but thought it might eliminate the draught better.

I am pretty handy and work with wood a lot but have never tried fitting a pvc door/ window before and thought this is a pretty low risk area so it might be a good project.

Any encouragement/ discouragement welcome.

Oh and is this notifiable to BC?

 

[MasterAbacus]

Go for it.... As long as the measurements are the same, and you use good fixings....

Depending on how the old door / frame comes out, you should be able to do a removal and fit in a couple of hours....

Do you homework tho...
Be prepaired for loose bricks, damaged plaster etc etc.... those little after jobs can take an age to rectify.... Also whats above the existing door in regards a lintle?.... UPVC seem to flex a little more than good old timber, so you mght have to add some sort of Steele above the door frame.

 

[JohnD]

ugh, plastic door

 

[r896neo]

cheers for replies, lintels are concrete. It is in a 10 year old kitchen extension so i imagine it it still relatively stable and true.

Is it pretty self explanitory as regards fitting? Just decent hammer fixings best?

 

[MasterAbacus]

A good drill will be required, masonary bit, and probably a good steel bit for drill the door frame. Then use good quality fixings, long plug and screw type....

Drill through frame, then into wall (Changing bit).... than hammer through the plug and screw fixing, tighten screw and all should be good....

I tend to do the middles first, then use a level and drill others...

 

[bendylow]

6.5mm masonry bit,112mm or 142mm star drive masonry fixings (no plugs required).drill will go straight through frame.make sure cill is level.make sure the hinge side is upright and fix this side first starting at the top,if you've not done one before it's a good idea to set the frame plumb and level and wedge it into place.once it's in,if the panel is already in the door,open the door and place a wedge under it to take the weight,one thing to remember is,when measureing the opening,measure it in three places on the width and height and use the shortest lengths as your sizes,leave between 5 and 10mm all round so that you have room to level the frame,how straight the walls are will dictate how much you leave.

 

[gogsboy]

Wonder if someone could advise on this to save starting a new topic..

We are moving into a house where they have added a front porch years ago and it has a hardwood door that's seen better days.

The porch is quite low roofed and we wanted to replace the door for a UPVC one but they all seem to be bigger than the size of doors that is fitted now.

It there a certain way round this as such ro do we just forget about getting on of these UPVC doors

 

[masona]

The porch is quite low roofed and we wanted to replace the door for a UPVC one but they all seem to be bigger than the size of doors that is fitted now.

It there a certain way round this as such ro do we just forget about getting on of these UPVC doors

You would be better off using a solid door for security reason, upvc doors are not burglar-proof

 

[bendylow]

why not have one made to measure,don't know about where you live,but round here there are a few companies that only sell pvcu doors,and prices start at about £350 for a front door including letter plate and handles.

 

[JohnD]

which is more expensive than a stronger, more attractive, hardwood door.

 

[bendylow]

i do beg your pardon, but did he not say,

"we wanted to replace the door for a UPVC one"

 

[cobnut]

Hi all,

I'm in the same boat as neo. I have a draughty back door which makes the kitchen and house cold. I'm looking for a good door. I was surprised to see a few gasping at the word "upvc".?
How is a solid wooden door better insulating and more secure? And where do you get one from??? I was going to get a PVC one as you can have a secure locking mechanism fitted.
What would the price difference be between the 2?

Oh and does replacing a door need Building control or any other notification?

Sorry for all the questions but it seems like people on here know their stuff.

Thanks,
Steve.

 

[JohnD]

a plastic door needs lots of catches and bolts to try to make up for the fact that it is fundamentally a weak, flexible material.

In the same that a door made of weetabix might need lots of added security measures.

When (not If) it goes wrong it is not very easy to mend and sometimes the mechanism has been discontinued. search on "PVC Door" and see what problems arise.

it also looks repellent.

 

[diyisfree]

I dont want to get into the argument regarding which is better (wood V plastic)

I just wanted to advise the OP that if it is a glass back door then DONT forget to top and tail the glass or the door frame within the main frame will sag after a while and you will get problems with the locks.

Just so you can add my vote, So long as you go for a good quality locking system and steel reinforced panel then plastic are ok. For ultimate security, go for a composite door.

 

[jjnaughalty]

I'm new in here, just about to fit a new pvc back door, all glass. I notice DIYISFREE says dont forget to top and tail. What do you mean by this? I've fitted all my windows and internal doors but never an exterior door