French upvc door catching

[John]

Any tips please? The conservatory door will shut but not lock. Its a double door, with both doors opening outwards. One door has to be shut before the other. The problem lies with the door that has to be locked last. The door handle has to be pushed up before locking. The door locks fine when not in frame. Its a UPVC door and about 2yr old. What needs adjusting?

[Chris]

Because the door is so new and the fact that the door locks fine when it is not in the frame suggests that either the hinges need adjusting or the glass in the door needs re packing (toeing and heeling) to square/lift the door up. Most hinges are adjustable with allen keys, you may need to remove some plastic covers first. To toe and heel the door you would need to remove the plastic beading that holds the glass in place and re-pack around the glass. This can be tricky and you will need a plastic glazing wedge to help remove the old and install the new packers. To toe and heel a door you pack the glass around the bottom corner on the hinge side of the door and around the top corner on the handles side. The more you pack it the higher the door will rise.

If you are hesitant to carry out the work yourself then contact a double glazing repair company.

[John]

Finally got round to sorting out our dodgy double glazed doors.

I adjusted the door hinges which was easier than i thought once i found the correct size allen key. The door hinges adjusted from the side. The main door was still catching so i went to a local upvc window manufacturer who gave me a dozen or so glass packers.

With the beading removed from around the glass i could insert the packers. I used a metal wall paper scraper to remove the beading and a wooden spatular to lever the glass to insert the packers. It was a bit of a "Heath Robinson" affair but it worked.

Thanks for your help chris.