DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

My UPVC exterior door appears to have swollen in the present hot weather and I now have difficulty getting the locks to engage. I have to leave the door until late evening when it is cooler before being able to lock it. Has anyone else suffered this problem and is there anything I can do?

Never heard of it before Denise but most, if not all PVCU doors can be adjusted or "eased". There are many double glazing doctors around these days and a minor adjustment of the hinges or lock plates should not be expensive. Its not a great idea to attempt this yourself because just a quarter turn of an adjustment screw (normally located in holes by the locks or hinges) can, if turned out of sequence, mean the door will not close or lock at all remembering what you have just done, in order to "rewind" is not always easy..and believe me its been done a few times.

Denis regarding your door who put the door in.
I have heard that the door must be placed with the bottom sill going in first any other way can cause problems later on.

My parents had this problem, in a Council property, to such an extent that the only way to close it on warm afternoons was to push the door fully closed, applying pressure to the door-frame seals, whilst flipping up the handle to apply the lock rollers. The main locks could then also be applied.