Mounting door contacts onto beveled uPVC door

[rebuke]

I'm fitting an alarm in my property (unfortunately this has been prompted by the fact I was burgled yesterday - GRR!). This is probably a really trivial question, but what is the best way to attach a door contact to a uPVC door with a beveled edge (which also sticks out a little bit from the frame)?

Or is the best bet to put a flush mounting one in, at which point do I need to cut a hole in my door / door frame?

 

[breezer]

surface, and screw it. (but do try it first with a meter to get the position right first time)

you may damage your door if you try to fit a flush one

 

[rebuke]

I've done a bit of playing with a meter hooked up - it seems the bevel is large enough that I can't get the pieces close enough together to trigger reliably - should I try and rig something up where I screw in a thin piece of wood/plastic to the door, and mount the contact to that so it can get above the bevel, or is there another trick that might be easier or whatever?

 

[breezer]

i suspect it was the way you mounted it that was wrong.

try using a large dob (technical term, that) of blue tac to hold it while you connect your meter.

you are aware you should be using the ohms scale and looking for a resistance of around 1 ohm when the door is shut.

get it right and it does work, trust me

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this is my door (i know its old, needs atention) but look a the gap between contact and magnet, it works fine.

do also note they are level to each other

 

[unseen]

I can concur with Breezer on this one... Most mags will cope with a large gap as long as they are lined up together... I had to do this to get a mag contact working on both my shed and the back door, works perfectly and mines a crappy BT wireless system

 

[Europlex]

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Checked it for damp lately?

 

[breezer]

how is it going to get damp? its pvc.

 

[Europlex]

how is it going to get damp? its pvc.

Aren't the screw heads a hint?

 

[breezer]

No. and you of all people should know better.
Its' a uPVC door, and despite what it looks like we do ocasionaly clean it, which involves a damp cloth (not wet) said damp cloth will and does make the cheapo screws change colour.

If it was a wooden external door I would agree with you, but as its uPVC it does not suffer from any moisture other than its ocasional wipe with a damp cloth.