A UPVC door is a high-quality door and will last for a long time. However, it’s normal for them to experience door-dropping after a period of time. Whilst one side of the door is supported on the hinge side, the lock side is not, and this is where wear and tear can occur.

A way to correct this drop is toe and heeling. This is a simple process that realigns the door and restores the correct and sustained operation of the door. This is important for energy efficiency and security.

Tools and Materials You’ll Need

To correctly toe and heel a door or window you will need:

• a tape measure
• stiff putty knives
• a glazing shovel
• packers or shims
• clear silicone

Step-by-Step Guide to Toe and Heel Adjustment

Here is a step-by-step guide to toe and heeling doors or windows:

1. Assess the Situation

Begin by giving the door or window a closer inspection. It might be difficult to lock or a window’s sash difficult to close fully because of a misalignment in the glass unit or frame.

Start by measuring the door diagonally – measure corner to corner (top left to right bottom corner, top right to left bottom corner). Make a note of each of the measurements and check if they match. If not, your door is out of alignment.

2. Remove the beading strips

First of all, remove the beading strips that hold any glass or panels to the door, start with the longer strips. To do this, place a stiff putty knife between the beading strip and the frame. Gently work the knife as a lever until the strip breaks away.

3. Remove the glass or panels

Next, remove any glass or panels from the door looking for any packers as you do so and removing them, before reinstalling the glass into the door frame. Position them as near to the lock side of the door as possible, leaving a slight gap on the hinge side. Then, take measurements of the distance between the glass or panel and the top of the frame, as well as the distance between the glass or panel and the hinged side of the frame. Record these measurements for reference.

Using the measurements you recorded in the previous step, take two packers that are half of the total width of the measurement (e.g. for a 6mm gap, packers need to be approximately 3mm). As well as two packers that are half of the total height measurement (from the glass or panel to the top of the frame). Next, position them within the frame.

4. Insert the glazing packers

Use the clear silicone to put one of the width-based plastic packers and one of the height-based packers into the bottom left corner of the frame. Each packer should be positioned around 50mm away from the corner, further along the longer door strip. These will help to distribute the pressure evenly and you can then add the glass or panel back into the frame

The glass or panel will naturally lean a little towards the lock side of the door, but don’t worry, this can be corrected by placing the glazing shovel into the lock side and pushing the glass or panel towards the hinge side of the door. Hold this in place by adding another width-based packer to the top right corner of the frame 50mm down from the corner.

Now you will need to use the glazing shovel on the top of the lock side of the door, and work it gently to lift the frame into place, before adding the second height-based packer to the top right corner of the frame – 50mm left of the corner.

5. Test and fine-tune

Once all of your packers are in place, you will then need to check that the frame and door panels are level with each other. Then test whether the door is able to open, close and lock properly, before refitting the beading strips. If you think the door may need a re-fit, or is still not in the correct position, contact a professional for advice.

Conclusion

We hope that this article has been useful in giving you some guidance into toeing and heeling doors, if you decide to have a go yourself. If you don’t feel confident to toe and heel yourself, we’re here to help. Contact Cosyhomes Windows for help and advice.

Having a composite door that isn’t shutting properly may mean that you need to adjust the hinges. Don’t worry, it’s not difficult to do with the right tools and can be a rewarding task. In this article, look at the signs that composite door hinge adjustment is needed and a guide to help you adjust your door hinges.

Signs That Adjustment is Needed

There are some tell tale signs that show that you need to adjust a composite door to its correct position, including misaligned hinges, difficulty opening and closing the door fully, and poor energy efficiency. Good quality doors should stop draughts and keep your home secure.

Before you beginning adjusting the door hinges, you need to check whether your door is level. You can do this by placing a spirit level on top of the composite door. If it is not level, you will need to adjust the door hinges.

Step-by-Step Adjustment Guide

Adjusting the door hinges on a composite door can be a tricky but rewarding task. With the help of our guide and the right tools needed to make the adjustments, you should be able to do this yourself.

Gather the Necessary Tools

Begin by making sure that you have the tools you need to adjust the door hinges, including:

• A screwdriver
• A hammer
• A level
• A tape measure
• An allen key – depending on the type of hinge on your door
• A hex key – again, this will depend on the type of hinge on your door

Assessing the Situation

• Check the gap between your door and the door frame all the way around. If there is an uneven gap, this means that it is out of alignment.
• If the composite door isn’t functioning properly, for example the bottom of the door scrapes the floor when you open it or the door won’t lock easily, this is also a sign that there is an hinge misalignment. Making your door secure, particularly if you have a composite front door, is very important.
• Check what type of hinge plates you have on your door. There are many different hinges including:
  • Piano Hinges – a long thin hinge that runs the entire length of the door. More common on a heavy door.
  • Ball Bearing Hinges – a hinge with a ball bearing in the middle that allows the door to swing smoothly.
  • Butt Hinges – a plain butt hinge has a pin that joins the two plates at the hinge’s knuckles. These are probably the most common type of hinges due to their reliability.

Loosening the Hinge Screws

For this part of the guide, we are going to look at how to adjust butt hinges on a composite door.

• Turn the bottom/top screw, using your screwdriver, to get sideways movement. Pay careful attention that you don’t remove the screws entirely, as you will need to put them back in the same place later. You can now begin to adjust your composite door.
• Adjust the butt hinge using an allen key, removing the cap on top to expose the screw.
• If there is a grub screw in the centre of the hinge, you must loosen before you adjust the pin as it holds the pin in place.

Realigning the Door

If the misaligned door slightly catches on the top of the door frame you will need to adjust the door height. The door will need to be lowered by adjusting the bottom hinge.

• Remove the centre covers of your hinge by hand and then, using an allen key, loosen the socket screws by about a ⅓ of a turn.

• Next, you will need to lift and support the door to the required height whilst securing the socket screws. It’s important that you don’t forget to replace the covers.

A composite door catching on the floor means that you will need to adjust the top hinge.

• Use an allen key at the door side of the hinge. Turn the screw 1-2 rotations clockwise. Then, test your door to see if it still drags. Continue to adjust hinges and tighten the screws until you get a smooth door that doesn’t drag.

Final checks

• Once you have adjusted the hinges, you will need to check that the door is level again. You can check by opening the composite door slightly on the lock side, looking up and down the frame to see if the gap is consistent throughout or whether it needs more adjustment.

Conclusion

We hope you found this article useful if you need to adjust composite doors in your home. With the right tools and some guidance, this is something you can do yourself. However, if you feel that the issue with your door is not a quick fix, do contact your original supplier or contact us for assistance.

If you have another type of door that you think needs adjustment, our handy articles on patio door adjustment and bifold door adjustment can help.