All about repairing balcony door handles

Repairing handles on plastic balcony doors can be done with your own hands, even if they scroll or break. It is enough to study in detail the possible causes of problems, identify them, and then eliminate them. Each owner of modern glazing in an apartment or house should learn more about how to remove and change the handle if the plastic balcony door does not close completely, as well as about other possible home repair methods.

Repair of the handle on a plastic balcony door is possible in cases where the structure requires adjustment or replacement due to wear.

Most often, home craftsmen are forced to eliminate the following ones.

• The door does not close completely. When the handle is jammed and it breaks, the problem is most often localized in the lock, designed to prevent the hardware from turning. In most cases, the problem is easily eliminated after the vertical installation of the sash, followed by pressing the plate with the spring at the end of the leaf. Then you can turn the knob to the correct position.

• The sash sagged, broke. In this case, the handle does not scroll. In this case, you can fix it by adjusting the blade itself. To do this, you need to remove the plugs on the hinges, insert the corresponding L-shaped key into a special hole, and then rotate it clockwise until the sagging of the door structure in the opening is eliminated.

• The moving part is loose... Here you can repair a breakdown even if the element that closes the door turns in place. It is enough to tighten the fasteners located outside or inside, depending on the type of construction.

• The core falls out. If it flew out of the mount, then the problem lies in weak or torn screws. In this case, you will have to bend the decorative strip, giving yourself access to the hardware. They are taken out, if necessary, replaced with elements of a larger diameter. Then the fastening part of the handle with a pin is inserted into the hole, and the screws are tightened until they stop.

• The locking element or latch is broken from the inside. In this case, the problem may be the breakaway pin connecting the core and the handle. The outer part of the hardware will have to be removed. Internal - knock out or pull out. After that, it remains to replace the broken handle with a working one.

• The handle goes tight, sticks, sometimes even squeaks are heard when opening. This problem is associated with a lack of lubrication. It is necessary to purchase materials to replenish its supply inside the lock or handle mechanism, and then pour them inside.

If it was not possible to eliminate the breakdown, you need to disassemble all locking fittings. This will make the fault diagnosis more accurate.

To dismantle a single outer or inner handle, it must first be turned into a horizontal position. After that:

1. the decorative plug covering the screws is pulled back and also turned, freeing access to the fasteners;
2. a screwdriver rotates the screws counterclockwise;
3. hardware is removed from the nests;
4. the square core is removed with the handle itself.

Upon completion of all operations, a new locking element can be installed in the old place.

If there is a lock or latch in the door leaf, the side plate with the locking mechanism is first removed. After that, the handle itself is dismantled.

In case the handle is simply loose, it can be easily adjusted with fasteners. First you need to pry off and pull off the decorative plate that closes access to the hardware. It is rotated 90 degrees so that you can safely reach the desired point. After that, using a Phillips or flat head screwdriver, depending on the type of screws used, rotate them clockwise.

After dismantling the old handle from the balcony door, it is quite possible to change it without unnecessary difficulty. For example, put a double instead of a single one, or just fix a more modern version. The procedure will depend on what type of handle design you plan to use during installation.

The most common version of the handle, which has a locking element on one side (from the inside of the room).

Installing the handle after dismantling the previously existing fittings is done as follows:

1. the replaceable unit is removed from the package;
2. the handle is inserted into the hole on the door leaf;
3. the locking mechanism is moved to the "open" position;
4. the handle is removed, installed horizontally (parallel to the floor);
5. self-tapping screws are placed in the sockets of the fasteners, and then screwed in until they stop;
6. a decorative strip is installed to hide the fasteners.

These handle models have a lever on both sides of the blade. When pressed, the locking mechanism works both inside and outside the room. This is a convenient and safe option to avoid situations when a person is closed on the balcony. With this type of construction, the door leaf is overlapped on the opening. Double-sided handles always have a narrower handle with pronounced asymmetry.

Installation of this type of hardware takes more time. After dismantling the old handles, proceed as follows.

1. Using the old locking elements, move the door to the "open" position. There should be 2 holes in the space that opens. They are located on the inside of the door. What is closer to the center, when replacing, will have to be done outside, on the opposite side of the canvas.
2. Drill through. From the inside, work is carried out with a drill with a diameter of 5 mm, and from the outside, up to the lock mechanism, an element of twice the diameter is used. It is important not to damage the locking fittings. You can make it easier for yourself by simply removing the lock completely.
3. Fitting. It starts from the outside. It is necessary to insert the handle retainer into the hole, mark the points of the fastener location with a marker.
4. Drill holes for self-tapping screws in the door leaf. The diameter is matched to the fastener.
5. Install the lock mechanism if removed.
6. Insert the outer handle horizontally into the hole. If the length of the square pin is too long, shorten it with a grinder.
7. Install the inner handle.
8. Screw in self-tapping screws from the outside. Close them with a cap.

Upon completion of the installation, it is necessary to check the functionality of the locking mechanism.

The movement of the fittings, if installed correctly, will be light, smooth, without backlash.

By the type of design, such handles are divided into shells and petals. The former are made of aluminum, while the latter are usually plastic. These elements are used to cover the door. They are not equipped with a locking mechanism, therefore they are easily installed on the door leaf in any convenient place. It is enough to drill the holes and then fix the handle with screws.At the end of the surface of the screws, you need to close it with a plug.

In a set with stationary handles, latches are often used. They provide reliable fixation of the curtain in the opening, prevent accidental opening of the balcony door. You can use a magnetic or roller element. It is installed on the end of the door, while the counter plate is attached to the jamb opposite. When closing, both parts of the structure must match each other.

If special burglar-resistant handles are used, then more fasteners will have to be removed when replacing and installing new elements. In particularly difficult cases, the stuck elements are drilled out. In the absence of experience, it is better not to disassemble such mechanisms on your own, since there is a great risk of damaging the canvas itself.

How to repair the hardware on the balcony door, see below.