Breakage of a plastic door to a balcony is one of the most common situations you may encounter. The plastic door jams and it is impossible to open it without knowing some secrets. There are a large number of reasons why a plastic door to a balcony may not open. In order to avoid unpleasant situations, you should consider each possible problem in detail.
Plastic door jamming is a common problem.
Preventive actions
As a rule, it is better to avoid faulty door units than to not think about how to fix them later. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the correct operation of the door throughout its entire service life. This does not require a lot of time or any professional skills.
Basic measures for caring for PVC doors:
- Cleaning from dirt and dust;
- Lubrication of all moving and rubbing structural elements;
- Do not apply significant force to the handle when opening;
- Do not hang foreign objects on the fittings;
- Adjust the hinges in a timely manner.
If you comply with all the listed operating requirements for metal-plastic blocks, the structure will last long enough without the need for repairs.
Repairing a handle on a metal-plastic door
The screws are located under the decorative plate.
If the handle on the door begins to stick, you need to lubricate it, but it happens that it breaks. It can break due to natural wear and tear or under significant force when opening it. If you need to replace it, it is very easy to remove it yourself.
How to remove the handle:
- If possible, turn the handle to a horizontal position.
- The screws holding the handle are located under the decorative plastic plate at its base, it is located vertically. Pull the plastic plate towards you and turn it horizontally.
Aluminum reinforced handle will last much longer than a plastic one - Unscrew the screws with a Phillips screwdriver. We remove the handle from the groove.
Handles for metal-plastic windows and doors are made of plastic and aluminum. Plastic handles often break; an aluminum reinforced handle will last much longer. You can purchase it from any company that sells metal-plastic windows. These elements are produced in white, brown, golden and silver shades.
The handle is attached to a square, which is inserted into the fitting groove. All hardware manufacturers have a standard groove; when purchasing, pay attention to the material from which the handle is made; it will fit the window and balcony door.
Procedure for jamming a plastic balcony door
If the plastic balcony door does not open, everyone should know what to do in such a situation.
Outside
There are such unpleasant moments when the door does not open when a person is on the balcony. To fix the problem you need to do the following:
- Look around and find any thin and sharp object. This could be a screwdriver, knife or spatula.
- Inspect the glass unit and hook the glazing bead in the middle. Carry out the same actions above and below. The bead is carefully removed around the entire perimeter and the glass unit is removed.
- Actions must be taken as carefully as possible to avoid damaging materials.
Using this method, you can save the glass unit without damage. After the door is opened, the glass and glazing bead must be returned to their places.
To open the door from the inside, you need to check the operation of the handle
Inside
If the door leaf does not open from the inside, this alleviates the problem. It is necessary to align the canvas in the center using a special metal tongue and a screwdriver. If the problem is in the handle, it can be removed and repaired very quickly.
You should not try to forcefully press on the door. This leads to the fact that the entire structure is deformed and subsequently needs to be replaced.
When opening the door, you must carefully inspect the seal. In some cases, it comes off and gets crushed while the door leaf is closing. In such cases, the door may jam. To solve the problem, the seal is re-glued or replaced with a new one.
If all else fails, you need to seek help from specialists.
A few recommendations
All of these tips on how to open a door lock without a key should only be tried if there is an emergency, a truly urgent situation - such as a person stuck on a balcony, it is winter, and the door cannot be closed - and the room is cold, or it is evening time, I need to get out the door urgently. In all other cases, it is better to contact a special center for servicing plastic structures, preferably the one where this product was purchased, especially if the product is under warranty.
Specialists will quickly, professionally, and without harm to the product fix the breakdown, possibly without unnecessary financial costs. In addition, such repairs may be included in the warranty service, or there is a chance to receive qualified advice on eliminating and preventing further breakdowns and long-term functionality of the metal-plastic door.
Opened the door in two modes
If the handle was not turned all the way when you open the sash to the ventilation position, then the fittings may work, opening the sash in two modes, while the leaf hangs on one hinge. This problem can be easily fixed with your own hands. Gently press the sash near both hinges, press it firmly against the frame, move the handle to the horizontal position, and open it to the opening mode. Now the metal-plastic structure will work properly.
If it was not possible to move the handle to the horizontal position, we find the opening blocker at the end of the sash, move it to the vertical position, now the handle will turn easily.
Types of locks
To find out the reason for the lock's failure, you need to know its design. Today, manufacturers offer different models of products that differ in design and locking mechanism.
Level
Despite their strength and reliability, these are not the most popular models. The design of the bolt mechanism includes plates. If a lever lock breaks, it must be visually inspected under a light beam. It is possible that small foreign particles have entered the core and are interfering with the operation of the shutter mechanism.
Cylinder
In these devices, the main working mechanism is a cylinder, which, if broken, must be drilled out with a drill, removed and a new core installed. Cylinder locks are most often installed in plastic doors.
Electromagnetic
The PVC door leaf is secured using the magnetic components of the locking device. They are used relatively rarely, but are quite reliable.
The operation of such mechanisms requires electrical power. Therefore, it is not recommended to install or replace them yourself; it is better to entrust this work to specialists.
Electrical
Electric locks do not have handles or keys. A plastic door equipped with such a device is opened using a special key fob or electronic card.
Such bolt mechanisms are almost impossible to hack, so they are considered the most reliable. They require an electrical outlet to function.
Multi-point
The design of multi-locking mechanisms includes several special clamping parts. The quality of pressing of the leaf to the frame of the door block, the service life of the structure, as well as protection against burglary depend on these elements.
Stainless steel is used to make lock parts. The device turns out to be quite durable and reliable, and rarely breaks. But, if any malfunctions occur, most often the product has to be replaced.
Interior designs
As a rule, locks on interior doors are not designed to protect against external threats, so they are simple and easy to use even for the most inexperienced security guard. To do this, it is enough to know the structure of the lock and where to apply force when opening it. Various cases:
- The lock is jammed. Manufacturers, anticipating situations where locks would jam on interior doors, took care of the simplest solution to the problem. Looking closely at the lock, you can see a small screw in place of the latch. Simply turn the screw with a flathead screwdriver and the lock holding the door will be released.
- The locking mechanism is broken. This problem arises due to the refusal of the door handle to fulfill its direct duties, to move the latch. Solving this problem is simple; just insert a hard plate between the leaf and the door at the latch location, move the lock tongue, and the product will open.
- Another option for opening an interior door without a key is to remove the door handle and act directly on the rotary mechanism of the lock.
The main thing is to remember that during manipulations associated with opening the lock of interior doors, everything must be done quite carefully, without damaging the door leaf and frame. Changing the lock is cheaper than installing the door.
If all else fails
In cases where the door leaf does not open and all possible options have been tried, it is necessary to remove the door from its hinges. To do this, you need to open the protective PVC lining and carefully remove the structure. Inspect all fasteners and lock to determine the problem.
It should be noted that this procedure is not recommended during the winter period. Also, you should not remove the door if there is a small child in the house and the balcony is open. It is better to invite a specialist for repair work.
If the balcony glass unit jams very often and the handle turns, it is necessary to replace it. Because sooner or later the door will be impossible to open.
Prevention is an important element for long-term operation of the structure.
