Options available to increase compression seal on upvc french doors with no compression adjustment on hinges

[Wyleecoyote]

Top strike plate

 

[Wyleecoyote]

Bottom strike plate or whatever they're called, the bolts of the door insert into them when door locked

 

[Wyleecoyote]

Locking mechanism

 

[Wyleecoyote]

When the last and current set of french doors were fitted in 2020, the whole estate had new window and door fitted by a team of contractors.

The two previous sets of French Doors, where fitted by Housing Association Operatives, which are kind of a jack of all trades type maintenance men, that fit or repair everything and anything.

 

[ronniecabers]

In your top and bottom ones you can see the Allen key bolt, by turning that it will move the ' keep ' either in or out,so that when you pull the handle up the top and bottom of the door lock will locate in them, in theory adjusting the top and bottom compression. Your other picture shows the cAm , which again has an Allen bolt which can be turned, by turning it you can alter the compression where the cam locks onto the slave door. It'll probably only take small adjustments, but if no adjustments on hinges it's your only option.

 

[robinbanks]

If you're stuck with having to polish a turd consider changing the bubble gaskets for bigger ones or fitting self adhesive EPDM foam gasket to the face opposite the gasket. Shouldn't have to put up with that though. Are you dealing with the manufacturing direct or are you having to go through the housing association?

 

[Wyleecoyote]

ronnie & robin, thanks

Yeah, both stike plates have been adjusted numerous times by many a HA maintenance operative and myself and it appears to make little to no difference or causes additional issues.

When the top strike plate is moved ever so slightly out toward the outside to increase compression, the door handle becomes difficult to lift up to lock and although being on the 2nd floor, I still like to lock the doors.
When the handle has been forced up and the key turned to lock it, it's far more difficult to turn the key to unlock and feels like the key is on the verge of snapping, although it actually increases the compression down the centre of the doors, I can still slide a 2 pence coin through the top and bottom seals of the door and without resistance.

The locking cams have all been rotated towards the door and the cam recepticals on the slave door have the same allen key adjustments, and have all been adjusted moving them towards the outside.

I'm dealing with the Housing Ass and their maintenance operatives, who say the doors need replacing.

As a temporary fix, I'll consider the stick on foam, don't fancy replacing the bubble seal as it may cause an issue if and when the HA do another inspection in an attempt to resolve issues.

I also believe the unit has not been correctly sealed into the opening, as now there's signs of a draught around the frame and wall.

 

[Wyleecoyote]

When the unit and doors were brought into my flat, the doors were already fitted to the frame, and I was told they're pre assembled off site to ensure the frame and doors seal effectively, as they're constructed at the same time.

I don't recall if the fitters removed the doors to fit the frame or not, I don't think they did.

If the doors and frame are contructed together, then surely during manufacturer are they not tested to ensure the doors actually seal correctly.

 

[robinbanks]

From the glazing outfits I've seen I'd say you're right; they're not tested for seal because the components used should all work together, when assembled per maker instructions, to provide a good engineered solution. There isn't any need (or arguably capacity) for the assembly worker on the factory floor to do any thinking, because that should have already been done by a design engineer

It would be typical for frames to have doors fitted but not glazed, so they're lighter to carry and easy to grab. When I fit doors I tend to put them in place and use a single fixing near a solid part of the frame to prop them in place, then foam the gaps up fully around the edges, then fit the mechanical fixes after the foam has gone off. This helps avoid the frames being pulled out of shape by the fixings but it's not a particularly quick way of fitting, as one has to wait for the foam to cure. It's entirely possible that the people who wanted to kerrang your door in at 3pm had homes to get to and a match to watch at 5pm, so it was performed much more hastily..

If you don't open the door much in winter you might get some joy out of just taping the edges to cut down the fright and see what difference it makes. If it improves things then it would be a good proof that the door needs some re-engineering.

 

[Wyleecoyote]

robinbanks....Thanks for your very thorough reply.

Yeah, when the unit arrived, it wasn't glazed and they fitted the unit and screwed it in place before fitting the trim, I can't remember them using the exp form or if they removed the doors to fit.

Most often, the doors are taped up and not used but because of the hot weather in July, I had to open the them, as it was like being in a greenhouse.

I've recently noticed there's a draught from gaps between the finishing trim and the walls and I suspect the bottom of the frame was never sealed to the brickwork, as it feels like the draught is going under the carpet.
I'll probably see if I can get an independent window surveyor to inspect the installation myself, at the HA expenses or insist the HA carry out another inspection and if need be, write to my MP.