Composite door swelling in the sun?

Frank99

I find it hard to shut both my composite door and back upvc door in the summer due to the sun swelling effect, if i go out at 3:00pm onwards the sun hits the door making it impossible to shut until it cools down.
I had both of the sorted out last year only for the exact problem to resurface this year.
Anybody know of a quick fix solution, i have tried damp clothes without success.

Annemos

I also have this when the temperature goes above about 24 degrees and the sun is right on my front door which is UPVC. For about 5 hours. 

(Somebody suggested that it is because I have a large window in it and so the frame is quite narrow on the outer edges.)

I did find that if I opened the door and left it open inside for about 20 minutes then it would lose the expansion. 

I also found that a watering can of cold water on it would also make it go back, but I did not like that solution as there was water everywhere. 

I was starting to get very irritated, as it is stressful if you do not know if you will be able to lock the front door when you need to go out! 

In the end I decided to have a proper lock put on the side gate (instead of a bolt from the inside of the gate.) So when the weather is hot like today, I use the gate and the back kitchen door, instead, on the opposite side of the house which is cool. That works just fine. Stress-free life and Summer enjoyed again! 


(Of course this only works if you can get out from two different sides.) 

Bendy_House

Possibly, in both your cases, the surrounding door frames (I'm guessing PVC in each case?) was fitted either slightly out of true, or slightly pushed inwards along the vertical sides. The result would be to narrow the door's clearance gap in the frame by a fraction, just enough to cause this bother?

When you look at this gap around the door, can you detect this? What if you get summat that's the exact gap thickness (a piece of whittled timber?), and run it around - does the stick stick anywhere? (Soz...)

And then look at the gaps along the top at each corner - any evidence that the frame is out of square?

Finally, when it's sticky but you CAN still open it, can you identify WHERE the contact is being made? The answer to that could determine the fix, tho' it might be to remove and refit the frame, I guess.

TELLIT01

I had a similar problem with patio doors and the installers made adjustments to the hinges.  I don't know what precisely, but we had no problem after that.

Annemos

I also had a Subsidence claim on that side (heavy clay and trees), which made it totally stuck. I could not open the door at all. 

I did wonder if the sun-heating problem would be solved once that claim was sorted out. The door was adjusted at the hinges when those repairs were done.

It is much better than it was, but it still happens in very warm periods, like today. (I shall not even try to use it until about 4pm). 

It is also part of a glazed porch, so it is not completely set into walls either side, but into a whole glazed length with big windows either side. (Bricks are only up to the window sill.)

The joys of home ownership! 

Bendy_House

Annemos said:

I also had a Subsidence claim on that side (heavy clay and trees), which made it totally stuck. I could not open the door at all. 

I did wonder if the sun-heating problem would be solved once that claim was sorted out. The door was adjusted at the hinges when those repairs were done.

It is much better than it was, but it still happens in very warm periods, like today. (I shall not even try to use it until about 4pm). 

It is also part of a glazed porch, so it is not completely set into walls either side, but into a whole glazed length with big windows either side. (Bricks are only up to the window sill.)

The joys of home ownership!

Well, no surprise that subsidence in that area could well have caused this. And, if so, then part of the repair should be to make good the openings again so that all these issues are resolved.

Have you checked all around the door to see where and how it's binding?

Annemos

Yes it is very clear where it sticks in one place. When it expands, about 18 inches from the bottom of the door, one of the metal things attached to the door frame just catches the door frame and prevents it closing. There is no more room to screw that metal thing that slightly juts out, back any further into the frame. (I think it's all part of the metal framing strips that accept the multiple locking parts.)

(Sorry, you can see I am not an expert. My terminology is very basic!) 

It has been attempted several times over the past years via the hinges, but the chaps are never here when it is at its most heat-expanded.

It is about 24 years old, so I am probably fortunate it does work most of the time. 

The thought of buying a new door and trying to get that one to fit, is totally outside my comfort zone these days. It will have to happen eventually, I suppose. Probably best to let the building settle too for a little while, as trees were removed 2020. 

I wonder if glazed-porch doors often give more trouble than main doors?