UPVC door height adjustment, gap now visible

sparkyshark · 24 Dec 2020

Hi, we have a upvc door, probably about 20 years old.

Locking the door has become fiddly and we now have a gap appearing on the top left. You can see daylight as well as it letting in the draught. I've had a quick look on the web but didn't find anything definitive.

Could someone please help so that I can raise it back to its normal height/operation please. Cheers.

diy_fun_uk · 24 Dec 2020

I don't think those hinges have any vertical adjustment. In all likelihood, the opening side of the door has dropped slightly and the door now requires a toe and heel:

How to Toe and Heel a Door | MPL Locksmith Training (mpl-locksmith-training.co.uk)

sparkyshark · 25 Dec 2020

Thanks for that, sounds like the resolution. I’ll also have a look at some YouTube videos to see it done visually now I know what to look for.

Would I need to do this procedure on the bottom panel or top glass or both?

Suspect the panel below will be light so not much gain there.

Do the latest windows/doors have this issue or has that been fixed with stronger/better materials with latest generation upvc? The reason I ask this is that my mum also has a similar issue with her windows which are also quite old.

Cheers,
Sparky

diy_fun_uk · 26 Dec 2020

sparkyshark said:
Thanks for that, sounds like the resolution. I’ll also have a look at some YouTube videos to see it done visually now I know what to look for.

Would I need to do this procedure on the bottom panel or top glass or both?

Suspect the panel below will be light so not much gain there.

Do the latest windows/doors have this issue or has that been fixed with stronger/better materials with latest generation upvc? The reason I ask this is that my mum also has a similar issue with her windows which are also quite old.

Cheers,
Sparky

I think it's acceptable to try just the upper glass panel and see how you go. New doors and windows can still be susceptible to this, however a degree of adjustment can often be achieved through adjustable hinges fitted with most modern installations, negating the need to toe and heel unless things pass a certain point dropping wise.

sparkyshark · 29 Dec 2020

The toe and heel didn't work. Either I'm doing it wrong, though it seemed simple enough on the YouTube video. I even tried to push the door while it was open towards the hinges to see if there was any give and there wasn't any movement.

The hinges are of WMS butt hinge type - is it worth me ordering a new set in case there's an issue with those.
I could get a pro in but based on what I've already done & seen it didn't really make any difference. == it also appears to have been toe & heeled before as there were packers on either side.
Worst case it'll have to be a new door but that that will probably cost nearer £400 ?

diy_fun_uk · 30 Dec 2020

It definitely looks as though it's dropped. When you had the glass out, were you able to manipulate the frame upwards at that side i.e. to close the gap? If yes, what happened when you put the glass back in and packed it? Did it just drop again? The packers you saw were probably from the original construction of the door. If the hinge side looks in order i.e. no sign of movement or a hinge that is failing, they're probably still okay. If there's no sign of movement that side, replacing the hinges is unlikely to resolve the gap at the other side. When doing the packers, they need to be in there quite tightly to ensure no movement.

You could try having a go at the toe and heel again?

ronniecabers · 1 Jan 2021

As diy-fun_uk suggests, I'd try toe and heeling again but do both the upper glass panel and the lower flat panel. A small tip is to get a wedge under the door , bringing it back up to the height you require it before inserting the packers...means less chance of it ' dropping ' again, and as diy_fun_uk says ...those packers need to be tight!

sparkyshark · 2 Jan 2021

It is defo dropped. You may not be able to see it clearly from the pictures, in real life you can see that the diagonal markings on the door to the frame are out.
I put as many spacers as I could fit to pack it, and even put a dollop of silicone to stop any future movement.
I didn't do the bottom panel, as the glass would be the heaviest component of the door, but I could give that ago also.

I didn't see any noticeable improvement with my attempt at the toe & heel op. When the glass panel was removed and with some force I think I was able to push the door towards the frame to see if it had any give, and I think it did. I'll take some new photos when I'm over again and verify the above. The Butt hinges appear to be solid.

See image. The red areas are where I placed the spacers.

diy_fun_uk · 2 Jan 2021

You should definitely be able to exert upwards pressure at the handle side and the gap at the top should disappear. If there's little vertical movement you could try re-packing the solid panel also to see if this helps. I've been led to understand packing the lower solid panel to resolve a dropped door can be an exercise in futility as the packers can 'sink' into the side of the panel (edges not solid like the glass panels) however could be worth a go if doing the upper glass panel alone isn't resolving it.

Bear in mind packers need to be tight to ensure dropping doesn't re-occur and you might need to insert some vertical packers also to ensure the glass panel can't move either vertically or horizontally.

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UPVC door height adjustment, gap now visible

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