New front door fitting nightmare - any advice?

itm2

About 3 years ago I had a new composite front door fitted by Fusion Doors. Since it was installed the door has repeatedly "dropped" in the frame, making it impossible to close without slamming it hard.

Since the door came with a 5 year installation warranty I have been calling out the maintenance company (Martindale) every time to "fix" it. At first they simply adjusted the hinges using an allen key, but the problem kept coming back after a few weeks. I then asked for a visit from a more senior person, and was visited by a branch manager who advised me that the problem was with the fixings used for the frame - the screws went directly into the brick, rather than into plastic collars in the brickwork. This made the frame insecure.

A fitter returned to replace the fixings on the hinge side of the door, but the problem returned. Over the course of another 2 visits more fitters eventually ended up replacing ALL of the fixings with collared fixtures.

After another few weeks the problem came back, so I asked for another visit from the branch manager (the same person as before). This time he could see no obvious problem, but sent some more experienced fitters to look at it. They came a couple of weeks ago, and said that the problem was because the adjustments which had been made to the hinges had only been made to the top hinge, and that all of them should have been adjusted. They made the necessary adjustments, assured me that it would DEFINITELY resolve the problem, and left. That was 2 weeks ago, and the problem has returned (we can no longer close the door without slamming it hard).

We have now had ELEVEN visits from Martindale to correct the same problem, but the problem remains. I was wondering whether anyone could offer some advice on what to do to get a proper resolution?

Furts

You need to step back and answer a series of questions. Who installed the door? Your guarantee should be here. Who are Martindale and what is there involvement? (Most maintenance companies employ lots of ill trained, semi trained and non trained fools.) What have you reported back in writing to create a paper trail on your complaint?

You then need to look at the technicalities. Many composite doors are of barely adequate construction, and you may have one of these. I do not know Fusion Doors so I cannot comment on the product. You then need to ask what construction is the door fitted into, and where are the fixings located? It appears that the fixings are not adequate, but only you can determine that.

I suspect that the frame needs suitably fixing into the opening. However I also suspect that you are creating the problem - to an extent. By slamming and forcing the door you are loosening everything and becoming the victim of your own misfortune.

itm2

Furts wrote: »

You need to step back and answer a series of questions. Who installed the door? Your guarantee should be here. Who are Martindale and what is there involvement? (Most maintenance companies employ lots of ill trained, semi trained and non trained fools.) What have you reported back in writing to create a paper trail on your complaint?

You then need to look at the technicalities. Many composite doors are of barely adequate construction, and you may have one of these. I do not know Fusion Doors so I cannot comment on the product. You then need to ask what construction is the door fitted into, and where are the fixings located? It appears that the fixings are not adequate, but only you can determine that.

I suspect that the frame needs suitably fixing into the opening. However I also suspect that you are creating the problem - to an extent. By slamming and forcing the door you are loosening everything and becoming the victim of your own misfortune.

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately we don't have any option but to slam the door to close it from outside - it's a Yale key-free lock and the outside handle does not operate the latch when the door is being pulled closed. Presumably this is a security feature. Hence when leaving the house pulling to close it is the only option. This is why I am now reporting recurrences of the problem at a very early stage - because I was aware that the constant slamming was probably making things worse.

The frame does now look secure in the opening - to me at least, but I don't know much about this sort of thing. The sealant around the frame is not broken, which is an indication of something I suppose. I have no idea what the quality of the door is like, but I can visibly see that it's not aligned correctly in the frame when we have the problem, so it seems to be a problem with the fixing rather than the door materials.

Most (but not all) of my complaint reports to Fusion Doors have been via email. I have to deal with Fusion rather than Martindale as Martindale are sub-contracted to Fusion, and Fusion are the company that I bought the door from.

I was looking for suggestions as to how I should approach my next communication with Fusion. After 11 previous attempts, simply asking them to send Martindales to fix the problem (albeit with increasing frustration) no longer seems to be an effective option, and time is ticking away on my installation warranty.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Are you sure the handle doesn't operate the latch? I have a Yale keyless handle on my composite door and as long as the handle is engaged (up to the timeout from opening the door from the inside, entering the code or pressing the fob button) the handle will continue to open the latch from either side.

Out of interest, do you make sure you securely lock the door whenever you close it by pulling up the handle?

itm2

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

Are you sure the handle doesn't operate the latch? I have a Yale keyless handle on my composite door and as long as the handle is engaged (up to the timeout from opening the door from the inside, entering the code or pressing the fob button) the handle will continue to open the latch from either side.

Out of interest, do you make sure you securely lock the door whenever you close it by pulling up the handle?

There's a small window (a few seconds) after opening the door when the outside handle does operate the latch, but we nearly always miss it. We do try to securely lock it when we remember, but don't always remember!

TheCyclingProgrammer

itm2 wrote: »

There's a small window (a few seconds) after opening the door when the outside handle does operate the latch, but we nearly always miss it. We do try to securely lock it when we remember, but don't always remember!

You can increase the timeout. Alternatively, if the lock has disengaged, just push the button in and pull the handle down on the inside, or enter your code, to re-engage the handle and you'll be able to close it with the latch in.

I do recommend you get into the habit of securely locking the door. It keeps the door rigid top to bottom and reduces the chances of the door warping/bowing under direct sunlight. Also check your manufacturer warranty - ours (Door Stop) - requires you always securely lock it.

itm2

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

You can increase the timeout. Alternatively, if the lock has disengaged, just push the button in and pull the handle down on the inside, or enter your code, to re-engage the handle and you'll be able to close it with the latch in.

I do recommend you get into the habit of securely locking the door. It keeps the door rigid top to bottom and reduces the chances of the door warping/bowing under direct sunlight. Also check your manufacturer warranty - ours (Door Stop) - requires you always securely lock it.

Thanks for the feedback. Does anyone have any ideas re. how best to move this forward with Fusion Doors? It feels like I've been banging my head against a wall for the last 3 years.

Furts

itm2 wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback. Does anyone have any ideas re. how best to move this forward with Fusion Doors? It feels like I've been banging my head against a wall for the last 3 years.

Please correct me if I have misunderstood, but it looks like Fusion are a national supplier who sub contract out fixing to whoever is the cheapest in a particular area.

As a general rule this is not the preferred route to get doors and windows - it is a recipe for problems. I appreciate this will not cheer you up, and would add that using national suppliers typically means you will not have sought the opportunity to scrutinise the product quality and accreditation. I suspect you will not have sought advice on the suitability of your structural opening to receive a new door and frame.

I suggest you need to go back to Fusion Doors in writing quoting the Sale Of Goods Act. Your door and frame need removing and either re-fixing from scratch, or you need a new door and frame. After three years of slamming and jaming it is likely your structural opening is in a sorry state - this can only be addressed by careful repairs and analysis. There is little point re-fixing the frame in such instances - it may work but it also may not.

Ultimately you may end up in the Small Claims Court - but hopefully Fusion Doors will play ball and get to grips with matters.

Also look at matters from Fusion Doors perspective - why have you allowed this situation to extend for three years and why have you managed 11 visits to rectify one door? I apologise if this is not what you wish to hear but but it remains a relevant point. This means you should adopt a careful, polite, and non-confrontational approach.

Hope this helps.

itm2

Furts wrote: »

Please correct me if I have misunderstood, but it looks like Fusion are a national supplier who sub contract out fixing to whoever is the cheapest in a particular area.......

Also look at matters from Fusion Doors perspective - why have you allowed this situation to extend for three years and why have you managed 11 visits to rectify one door? I apologise if this is not what you wish to hear but but it remains a relevant point. This means you should adopt a careful, polite, and non-confrontational approach.

Many thanks for that - I shall follow your advice and request a removal and re-fitting, quoting my rights under the sale of goods act (but in a non-confrontational way).

Just so I understand the point you make in your last paragraph ("why have you allowed this situation to extend for three years and why have you managed 11 visits to rectify one door?") - are you suggesting that Fusion Doors may regard me as partially liable because this has dragged on for 3 years? Since I've been emailing complaints to them regularly about this, since 6 months after the door was first fitted, was there anything else I could reasonably have done?

itm2

Just one more question - would the relevant legislation be the Sale of Goods Act, or the Supply of Goods and Services Act?

greenface

does your framework rattle still ? the first screws were probably adequate so long as they were long enough (and the walls are sound) ,which is why im asking if the frame still rattles . asking someone around a dozen times for something that should have been sorted on day one (maybe 2) as above there is a problem with product and really needs to be refitted with another without seeing it .