Plastic patio doors a real pain to unlock

[d000hg]

We have narrow plastic patio double-doors from kitchen to courtyard. Handle on one side, to open the other there are recessed metal 'cams' you twist. Apart from the fact the doors are so narrow that you have to sidle through unless you open both (why didn't they just put a wide normal door?!) it's great.

But, opening it is a real pain. Sometimes I just can't do it at all, other times with enough mucking about I eventually can. The issue is the locking pins at the top seem to get stuck when it's locked and you unlock and open... the bottom part of the door is clearly free but not the top. The handle is a bit loose so I don't know if it's a bit proud, or is simply being held by friction stopping the pin retracting properly.
When I look at it with the door open, it works perfectly but when I close the door, locking it requires a real wrench upwards on the handle to engage the bolts/pins fully so the key will turn. So it's hard to see what is wrong specifically.

Is this something that should be easy to fix? For someone with a bit of DIY experience but no natural knack for it, should I have a go or get someone in to sort it out who knows what they're doing?

 

[JP_]

Maybe the doors need realigning? My doors have adjustable hinges, bit like you get on kitchen cupboard doors. I think an allen key fitted. Just had to tighten the top one a bit to stop the bottom sticking. If not that, no idea! Plastic warping in heat?

 

[footprints]

Sounds like a right pain to use, why not bite the bullet and get a new standard door fitted, We had a nasty tilt and slide door such a pain we never used it, going around the side door instead. Since fitting "standard" doors we use it all the time.

 

[d000hg]

I'm considering it longer term but they're a bit pricey and we want to live with the place a while - plus we have other priorities for our budget

It's just too wide for a single door and too narrow for a double one... possibly a stable (split) door would be nice but my investigations into pre-built doors didn't show me anything I really liked. If I can have it adjusted to make it at least usable that'd do for the time being, we only really use it for getting the groceries in!

 

[footprints]

If you do decide to replace at some stage this is the solution we used in a rental property that had those silly narrow double doors (original timber single glazed Brrrr!) the new upvc standard size door and side light worked well.

 

[nickjb]

Either the door needs aligning or the lock does. Sounds more like the lock. They all seem to adjust differently but usually there is an adjuster screw or two and mounting screws. Slacken the mountain screws, move the adjusters, tighten the mounting screws.