New composite door draughty

kuepper

Just had a better look and there's also a draught at the bottom left side where the gap between door and frame is wider. I'm coming to the conclusion that the door is the wrong size for the frame or the frame is the wrong size for the door

housebuyer143

Why are you working yourself and jumping to conclusions? Just call the builder and have him look. It likely only needs minor adjustments.

twopenny

When I moved into my bungalow which hadn't been lived in for years I had odd problems with locking and window draughts.

I could work out most of it myself with a screwdriver and such.

I recently had our local Window Doctor to come and give the place a going over. She easily did amazing things to make everything work just so.

I;d say the door was put in but not finished and adjusted. Just ask him before you get worried.

kuepper

It's been 'adjusted' but there's still draughts. He's told me it'll take time to 'bed in' but that just sounds like BS and in the meantime he's invoiced me for final payment. I don't want to be the one in the wrong by refusing to pay but if I did pay I'll have paid £2000+  for a door that has draughts, and when I'm paying that much I expect it to be 100% draughtproof. A friend has suggested trying to negotiate a discount but that's no good as I'll still have a draughty door. What am I supposed to do?

housebuyer143

kuepper said:

It's been 'adjusted' but there's still draughts. He's told me it'll take time to 'bed in' but that just sounds like BS and in the meantime he's invoiced me for final payment. I don't want to be the one in the wrong by refusing to pay but if I did pay I'll have paid £2000+  for a door that has draughts, and when I'm paying that much I expect it to be 100% draughtproof. A friend has suggested trying to negotiate a discount but that's no good as I'll still have a draughty door. What am I supposed to do?

Yeah that does sound like BS. I don't think a door "beds in". If you are unhappy then tell him that you are not willing to pay for it until it's draught free. If that means uninstalling it and reinstalling it then that's what he needs to do.

I had a similar problem with a sliding door, the quality was poor, it was draughty and the window installer tried to tell me that's how it was supposed to be 🙄 eventually after getting him out 4 times to see to the door he agreed to change it and use a different manufacturer. The new door is significantly better in all regards and the quality is much much better, no draughts. My point here is you know best sometimes and can tell if it's not right, regardless of what the contractor says to get out of having to do it.

You gave him the opportunity to fix it and it's not to your expectations. I wouldn't pay him until it is. 

ytfcmad

The door frame has been badly made, the weld is shocking.

kuepper

ytfcmad said:

The door frame has been badly made, the weld is shocking.

sorry but can you explain a bit more please, any specific bit you're referring to?

kuepper

ytfcmad said:

The door frame has been badly made, the weld is shocking.

I don't know about the weld but the builder came back again and gave me more BS about the cold weather making the metal parts of the door cold so the air around them became cold naturally. I told him I know what a draught is and he measured the door and that's of uniform dimensions but the door frame space it fits into isn't and he's getting back onto the manufacturers. The frame space was 3 mm wider at the top than the bottom and the frame space height was 4mm higher on one side than the other.

TELLIT01

I know it shouldn't be the way, but friends of ours moved into a brand new house and had draughts coming in through all the external doors.  Some were fixed but they still need a draught excluder across the bottom of their front door.  Builders just shrug and walk away.

kuepper

He got onto the manufacturers and this week installed a new surround so everything looks uniform now as regards the door fitting the frame well but there are still draughts around the hinges and where the handle is. I've been onto Citizens Advice and they sent me a pro forma letter to send about poor workmanship but I don't think it's about poor workmanship re the trader I just think the door/frame combo has a design problem. They said I can raise that with the trader but if he has installed the door to manufacturers instructions and says he can't do any more I'd have to pay him in full or agree a sum with him and that he's at least entitled to be paid for his labour which would be 2 men and a boy for 2 days at 7/8 hours per day. It's a messy situation, any ideas what to do?

I've now just realised that the  areas where the draughts are there isn't any draughtproofing. Like in the photo of where the handle and lock close it stops either side of the metal plate and it's the same with the hinges. So if the problem is with the door set-up and not the workmanship where does that leave me? For £2000 I  don't think it's unreasonable to expect a draughtproof door