New conservatory door won't shut - heat !

MouldyOldDough

We have a new conservatory (3 months old) and the heat, today has swollen the door and it won't shut/lock

Would you assume that by this evening, the door will have contracted and will shut

or would you call out the (local) company who built it and get them to adjust it - bearing in mind that it may be too small if they do this ?

ThisIsWeird

Give it a go tonight, and that'll indicate whether it's heat or a larger issue. But, good chance it's as you suspect - PVC does expand a fair bit with heat.

Since it's only three months old, I think we can assume that the doors weren't quite set 'optimally' when installed, and there may even have been a teeny bit of settlement of hinges and frames and stuff. So, I'd like t think they's come out - happily - and tweak them.

At some point, readjusting these doors will become your responsibility if needed, but hopefully that won't be for a few years

It will likely only require a wee tweak, and this shouldn't make any difference to the 'cool' setting.

kimwp

You could try hosing it to cool it down.

Annemos

My front door does this when we have hot and humid weather like now, where the sun is on it from sunrise to 2pm. 

Once the sun goes off it, it goes back properly within a short period of time. 

I watch the weather forecast and do not use the door in the morning before 2pm. (I use side-gate.)


In emergencies, before I had the side gate fitted, a cold hose down as kimwp said used to work very well within 5 minutes. 

With mine, it primarily causes the locking system to stick. (One of the metal bits hits the plastic frame, when the door has expanded.) My door opens inwards into a porch. If I could get it open inwards to the inside out of the sun, then the door would go back after about 15 minutes and allow me to fully use the lock again without it catching. 


I am very used to it now. And to be honest, I have not had this problem much this year, as weather has often been overcast here. 

Lorian

Get them back it should shut if its hot or cold. If you are not familar with adjusting the hinges then its better they do it.

Bettie

Same problem. The man came back and adjusted something in the corners of frame and fiddled with adjusting screws. It was OK for a while but guarantee is finished and it has started again. I don't bother opening it as have other doors I can use. 

Eldi_Dos

@Annemos
If there was a emergency that does not sound very good, I would get a locksmith or other professional to fix that.

TELLIT01

We had the same problem with a pair of conservatory doors but a single visit sort it.  That was over 10 years ago.  If it is a pair of doors you may be able to get it to close by opening both, and then closing at the same time.  Be gentle, don't force it to close.  It should be adjusted properly though.

MouldyOldDough

Its fixed itself - now that it is in the shade !

Annemos

Hi Eldi-Dos..... oh it wasn't that type of emergency......  just if I had to go out during the hot time of day to meet my sister etc etc. 

I have tried to have door adjusted in the past and it just does it again. So now I just live with it when the weather is hot.