Learn how to toe and heel a door the easy way.

Before learning how to toe and heel a door it is important that you understand why you would need to need to do this and how toeing and heeling works.

Doors are supported on one side of the frame by the hinges, but on the other (lock side) they have no support, causing them to drop over a period of time. The first indication of a dropped door may be a difficulty to lock the door, a gap at the top of the door or the door rubbing on the bottom of the frame. Most of the time an adjustment of the hinges is all that is needed to re-align the door. However, if this does not cure the problem the only option is to Toe and Heel the door to bring it back in line with the outer frame.

Toeing and Heeling a door is a simple process of placing packers within the inner frame of the door to brace the glass or panel. If you look at a five bar gate you will see the brace running from the bottom of the hinge side to the top of the lock or latch side. This brace keeps the gates latch side up in the air and prevents it from dropping. So instead of using a piece of wood as a brace we are going to pack the glass or panel within the door and use it as a brace.

Learning how to toe and heel a door can save you a lot of money on repair bills.

How to Toe and Heel a Door.

Tools and accessories required:

One (or preferably two) stiff putty knives to remove the beads. These can be purchased from any DIY store.

A glazing shovel to lift the door frame. This can be purchased from a local glazing company or online. As an alternative a wedge of wood can be used.

Glazing Shovel

glazing packers

A selection of packers. These can be purchased from a local glazing company or online.

Clear Silicone.

Remove the glazing beads that hold the glass or panel:

There are a few different types of glazing system that are in use. The main ones are:

Back Gasket or Back Wedge Systems. These types of Glazing Systems require you to remove a rubber gasket on the opposite side of the door to the glazing beads and are mainly found on older types of doors.

Fixed Gasket Systems. These types of system have a built-in gasket in the frame. The glazing beads can be removed without removing any gasket.

Please Note: GLASS IS HEAVY. It is advisable to have someone hold the glass in place when removing the glazing beads.

Remove the glazing beads by inserting a stiff putty knife between the bead and the frame at the centre of one of the long vertical beads. Use the knife as a lever to pop the beads out.

The glass or panel can now be removed from the door. Remove any packers that are in the frame rebate and place the glass or panel back into the frame, making sure to push the glass or panel over to the lock side of the door. Measure the distance from the glass or panel to the top of the frame rebate on the hinge side then measure the distance from the glass or panel to the hinge side of the frame rebate. Write the sizes down as we will need them in the next step.

Inserting the packers:

Packers “A” & “D” thickness each need to be half the distance of the width of the gap that we just measured. E.g. if the gap from the glass or panel to the hinge side of the frame rebate was 10mm we will use two 5mm packers. Packers “B” & “C” thickness each need to be half the distance of the height of the gap that we just measured. E.g. if the gap from the glass or panel to the top of the frame rebate was 8mm we will use two 4mm packers. The packers are spaced 100 mm from the corner of the frame. This is done to distribute the pressure of the brace effect over a wider area. Use a blob of silicone to hold the packers in position.

Put the glass or panel back into the frame. The glass or panel will lean over to the lock side of the door, this is normal. Insert a glazing shovel or wedge of wood into the gap on the lock side of the door and lever the glass or panel to the hinge side. Insert packer “D” into the rebate. This packer can be held in place with a blob of silicone to stop it from slipping down. Now insert the glazing shovel or wedge of wood into the top of the frame on the lock side. Lever the frame up and insert packer “C” into the rebate. Carefully close the door and check to see if the miters on the frame and the door are in line and if the door closes and locks properly. Thin packers can be used on the side and top for fine adjustment. The four other (black) packers are now put in place with a blob of silicone. These packers will make the door more solid and able to withstand a crowbar attack from a burglar.

Re-fit the glazing beads and you are done.

Toeing and Heeling a window is exactly the same procedure as above.

Tip: Instead of using a glazing shovel a plank of wood can be used to lift the door. just be careful as some doors lift off the hinge pins when lifted from underneath.

How to Toe And Heel a Door (or window)

Contact The Glass And Lock Co

How to change a pvc door cylinder – a simple guide

There are many reasons that you might want to change a pvc door cylinder, these include; Lost or stolen keys, Moved into a new property or simply because the the cylinder has broken or worn out. One of the main causes of cylinder failure is when a key is left in the cylinder on the inside of the door and someone attempts to unlock the door from the outside, this causes the cam on the cylinder to turn, making it impossible to remove the key.

How to change a pvc door cylinder:

pvc door cylinders are called Euro Cylinders, they come in various sizes and are either oval or standard key hole shaped. It is very important to measure the cylinder accurately. A cylinder that protrudes more than 5mm from the handles is a real security risk as they can be snapped off with comparative ease, allowing a burglar to enter your property within a matter of seconds.

Retaining Screw

Removing the Cylinder:

Locate and remove the cylinder retaining screw or allen key bolt. Insert your key into the cylinder and turn the key until the cylinder slides out.

Tip: Apply light pressure to the other side of the cylinder when turning the key.

Tip: Loosening the handles may make it easier to remove the cylinder.

Install the new cylinder:

Insert the key into the cylinder and align the cam in the centre of the cylinder so that it is not protruding from the body. Insert the cylinder through the handles and secure with the retaining screw.

Tip: After inserting the cylinder, lift the handles to engage the locks then turn the key so that he bolt throws out about half way, by doing this you are certain to be aligned in the correct position for the retaining screw to be inserted.

Measuring the Cylinder:

Measure from the centre of the retaining hole to the end of the cylinder. Both sides of the cylinder should be measured as some cylinders are not evenly spaced. The cylinder lengths increase in size by 5mm increments i.e. 30mm, 35mm 40mm, 45mm, 50mm etc.

Tip: If the existing cylinder protrudes more than 5mm from the handles, mark the cylinder against the flat of the handles with a pencil and measure from the mark to the centre location hole.

Cylinders can be purchased from your local DIY store or Locksmiths. The cylinders vary in price according to the level of security required. If you need to improve your security you could buy a cylinder with Anti Snap, Bump, Pick and restricted key features.

It all depends on the level of security required and how much you are willing to pay to achieve it.

Tip: If you have extra keys cut when you purchase the cylinder, check that they work correctly before relying on them to unlock the door.

How to change a pvc door cylinder

Before rushing out to buy a new door it is advisable to examine the cause of the locking or closing problem. The most common cause of Upvc Door Closing and Locking Problems is misalignment of the door and frame. Misalignment can be caused by a variety of factors, but the two main causes are worn hinges and incorrectly packed door panels or glass.

How to check if your Upvc Door is out of alignment:

Take a look at the mitres on the door and frame, do they line up with each other?

Place a Spirit Level on the top of the door, is the door level?

Measure diagonally from corner to corner and note the difference in the measurements.

Open the door slightly and take a look down the edge of the door on the lock side, is the gap between the frame and the door consistent all the way down or is it smaller at the top than the bottom?

These are all simple ways to check if the door is out of alignment with the frame.

Adjusting the Door on the Hinges:

Most modern doors have “Flag Hinges” that have “up and down” and “in and out” adjustment options. Older doors may have “Butt Hinges” fitted that offer very limited adjustment options.

Adjusting the Flag Hinge:

1. Lateral Adjustment

2. – 3. Height Adjustment or Compression Adjustment

Height adjustment can either be No 2 or No3 depending on the make and model of the hinge.

Remove the plastic plug No1 and insert an Allen Key into the hole, turn the Allen Key until the door starts to pull back towards the hinge side of the frame. Note how many turns you have completed and adjust the middle hinge (if fitted) by the same amount until the door is level with the frame. Keep checking after every adjustment to see if  the door is closing and locking correctly.

If the door still catches on the bottom of the frame or is difficult to lock then you may need to raise the door by removing the plastic cover No 2 or No 3 and adjusting all of the hinges up by the same amount until the door closes and locks correctly. Please ensure that you mark the position of the adjuster until you have determined which one is the height adjustment. This can easily be determined by closing the door and turning adjuster No1 or No2, if the door moves towards you or away from you the adjustment is Compression, If the door moves up or down the adjuster is the height.

Upvc Door Closing and Locking Problems

If the door has been fully adjusted and still does not close or lock correctly there are a couple of things that you may want to try. The first is to adjust the bottom hinge away from the door. This will lift the door on the lock side, but be aware that sending the door out at he bottom will also narrow the gap between the lock and the bottom keepers and any over adjustment may make the lock or door hit the frame or keepers. The second thing you can try is to move the keepers down until they are in line with the Latch, locking Bolts, Hooks and or rollers.

Butt Hinges:

Butt hinges have very little adjustment options. The old type of Butt Hinges have an Allen Key grub screw that holds the hinge pin(s) in position. To adjust these type of hinges, remove the grub screw(s) and turn the hinge pin(s) with an Allen Key to pull the door towards the hinge side of the frame. The hinge may have just one grub screw and pin or may have two.

The newer type of Butt Hinges have cross head adjusters and can be easily adjusted with a screwdriver.

If the door will not line up with the frame after adjustment then it may need to be toe and heeled. I will cover this procedure in my next post; Upvc Door Closing and Locking Problems How to Toe and Heel a Door.

 Upvc Door Closing and Locking Problems?

Contact Glass and Lock Co

There are many reasons that condensation, fog or steam appears within a double glazed unit, these include, incorrect fitting, bad manufacture or simply that the elements such as hot and cold weather have taken their toll on the Double Glazed Unit. Windows that have a lot of sun expose throughout the day are more likely to break down than those that are in a shaded environment.

How Does the Moisture Get in to cause Misted Double Glazing?

When a Double Glazed Unit has “broken down”, “blown”, or “misted” the perimeter seal has failed and allowed air to be sucked into the unit. In sunlight or hot conditions the glass will expand, drawing air into the Double Glazed Unit, when the temperature cools, the glass will contract, expelling the air and leaving some of the moisture inside. Over a period of time the anti-moisture granules (Desicant) within the Units framework will become saturated and stop working, allowing moisture to build up until a misting or fog is apparent.

Can The Misted Double Glazing Unit be Repaired?

There are some companies that claim that they can repair Double Glazed Units by drilling holes into the unit and injecting chemicals through the holes to remove the fog / condensation, the holes are then sealed with plastic valves.

How can this be a permanent solution to the problem? The seal on the double glazed unit is still broken, allowing air to be sucked into the Double Glazed Unit. The Anti-moisture granules within the frame of the Unit have been saturated and destroyed. Any water stains on the inside of the Double Glazed Unit will still be visible. Toughened glass in doors or low level glazing cannot be drilled. The underlying problems are still there!

The only real solution is to replace the Misted Double Glazing Unit.

Here are a few Quotes about Misted Double Glazing From The Martin Lewis Moneysavingexpert Website.

For a Free Quotation to Replace Your Misted Double Glazed Units Contact Glass and Lock Co – Leicester Glaziers

Misted Double Glazing