ABC Bifolding Door Repairs
07824 360 689
1. Have the glass panels been positioned correctly or has the glass position altered?
The glass within the panels could be one of the reasons for the bi-fold doors being misaligned. The weight of the glass in bi-fold doors makes them exceptionally heavy. When the glass is put into the outer panels, it is done in a Toe and Heel manner. Using glass packers, this is a method of balancing the glass so that it is packed precisely and rests perfectly within the panels on all sides and angles of the door. When the glass panels are first put in, it is critical that they are installed precisely. The weight of the unsupported glass on the lock side of the door will cause that side of the door to lower, while the hinge side will remain in place, resulting in an imbalance. The sides, tops, and bottoms of the glass should be perfectly aligned to the sides, tops, and bottoms of the surrounding frame panels. In addition, the top right corner to bottom left corner diagonal measures should match the opposing diagonal corner measurements. If the doors are not properly Toe and Heeled, they will begin to drag along the bottom tracks or become misaligned with the locking keepers along the outer frame, making locking difficult or impossible.
2. Midway bolts on slave doors jammed
On the bi-fold doors, along the middle doors that fold there will be some handle locking points. These will be connected to top and bottom bolts that are part of the door mechanism along the middle so that when the door is closed these can also be bolted for extra security. In some cases, these locking mechanisms fail either at the top or the bottom or sometimes both. If one of these bolt locks is not working, it will usually fail in the closed position. Or you may find that the folding position of the door may be difficult to close because the top or the bottom lock bolt is not allowing the door to pull in correctly. If you do manage to get the door closed, then it's worth while pushing along the top and the bottom of the door to see if either, one of them is holding or not in the closed position.
3. Are There problems with the installation of the Bifold doors
We should make it plain right away that we don't create, sell, or install new Bifolding doors. Our expertise is in repairs of Bifold doors. We just work on bi-fold doors, and that's all we do. However, we find that many of the doors we are called out to fix have issues with the manner they were installed. As a result, we recommend having new bi-folding doors fitted by the business from which they were purchased or by installers recommended by that firm. The majority of respectable dealers and manufacturers of these doors will provide a warranty period for their products (usually between five to ten years). However, if the doors are installed by an unrecommended third-party installer, the guarantee will usually be voided. Even if the installation is done by a recommended fitter, you should always double-check that the seller's warranty applies. We frequently discover that bi-folding doors were fitted by builders who lacked knowledge with these sorts of doors and hence did not fit them properly. And many times, we've been called to a repair where the defect was caused by things other than the installation. However, there is still a dispute between the consumer and the door supplier about the warranty terms, which allow the seller to avoid liability for the repair of the defect.
4. The main door's locks are jammed or damaged.
The lock mechanisms on the lead (or end doors) on bifolding doors, come in many different types and varieties. They can either be single point locks or locks that connects to the mechanism along the edge of the door. These locks can fail because of a variety of reasons. This can be through misuse or wear and tear, but in many cases the locks will stop functioning correctly because of the alignment of the doors. If the doors have become unaligned because of other issues, then that would not allow the locking points meeting at the edge of the door against the frame locking point in the correct position, which may not allow it to lock, or maybe or through use of force in order to close the door eventually damage the lock.
5. Is there something wrong with the Hinges?
Examine all of the door panels' hinges. One of the first things to determine is whether the problem can be resolved without replacing any of the hinges. Are there any cracked or broken hinges? If that's the case, it's time to bring in a repair specialist. If that isn't the case, and you have some basic DIY skills, you might be able to solve the problem yourself. The first step is to gain a complete picture of the door glass panel alignment. Standing outside far enough back, take a look at all the panels together and try to assess how straight they are along the top and bottom against the line of the outer frame with all the doors fully shut (or as much as you can get them shut). Are all of the panels aligned? If this is not the case, there may be an issue which may be hinge related or another unrelated issue. Now open all of the door panels to the point where you can see all of the hinges. Do any of the hinges appear to be misaligned? Are there any loose screws or bolts, or are any screws missing altogether? If this is the case, replace or tighten the missing screws. By adjusting the hinges with an Allen Key, the gaps between the panels can be expanded or decreased horizontally, while also ensuring that the width of the gap between the panels from top to bottom is equal.
6. Changes in the surrounding structure
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7. Is there a problem with the Tracks
If the wheels of the sliding doors are damaged or broken they can then also through gradual use damage the tracks. This is something that you should be able to determine straight away by checking the tracks for any visual damage. You may also find that there is a problem with the tracks actual support on The main doors. In many cases, with problem tracks, we find That this may be down to the track Lowering and so causing the doors that are being supported to misalign. In some cases We find That if the doors were initially installed at the same time as the structure being built (for example, on an extension). If this is the case. Then you may have to consult a builder to see if the initials supports underneath the track are strong enough or have over time sunk or lowered.
8. Is the health of the runners (wheels & housing) jeopardised?
Check all of the bottom runners that run along the track and support the doors' principal weight. The main support runners will be at the bottom of the bulk of external Bi-folding doors. The majority of top-hung Bi-fold doors (doors with runners that carry the door's weight from the top down) are used to connect two rooms within a home. Although external Bi-fold doors that are also top hung are not uncommon. Look at how the bottom runners are sitting when inspecting them. Is there anything damaged or cracked among them? If this is the case, they will need replacing.Examine all of the bottom runners that run along the track and bear the brunt of the door's weight. The main support runners will be located at the bottom of the bulk of external bi-folding doors. The majority of top-hung Bi-fold doors (doors with runners that carry the door's weight from the top down) are used to connect two rooms within a house. External Bi-fold doors with top hung hardware are not uncommon. Look at how the bottom runners are sitting when you're checking them out. Is there a single one that is cracked or broken? They'll have to be replaced if this is the case. When opening and closing the doors check that the wheels are sitting correctly. They should be upright and not tilting. All the screws connecting the Wheel hinges to the actual door should be tight in position and not moving when the door is opened and closed. Check the wheels themselves are not damaged and are in the correct position on the track.
9. Side panels of wooden bi-folding doors have been damaged
Wooden bi fold doors are much more susceptible to the weather then upvc or aluminium doors. Because wood can contract and expand due to the elements of weather such as hot, cold or rainy weather It can have an adverse effect on the shape and the alignment of the doors. And because bi-folding doors need to be precisely aligned, the changes can then affect the running of the doors. Wooden doors need to be treated regularly to prevent the weather getting into the actual wood and Then creating mis-alignment.
10. Rubber Gaskets and seals
In many cases this can be the first indication that there is something wrong with doors and should get checked before the problem gets worse. The doors are not positioned correctly or misaligned if the rubber seals at the bottom or the sides of the doors start coming away or are dragging when opening and closing the doors.
11. Maintaining and caring for your bi-fold door
Keeping good care of your bifolding doors can save you a lot of money and aggravation in the long run.
There are a few simple steps that you should take:
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Always open and close the doors with care and ensure that people are not slamming them or misusing them. This can be the case with children.
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When opening the doors fully, it's always good to make sure that the end door (or the first door) is in the full open position. This will mean that there is less weight on the track whilst all the doors are being pulled along, and so does not put unnecessary weight and pressure on the end floor hinge.
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Open the doors fully at least once or twice a month even during the winter months. This will prevent the doors from just sitting in one position, whilst changes are occurring in the surrounds.
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When opening the doors fully, make sure there are no obstacles that can hit the doors when they fold open, as this can help prevent damage in the future.
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Our engineers have years of repair experience on Bi-folding doors. If you have any queries please feel free to call us and discuss. We are happy to answer any questions you may have. Call us on 0782 436 0689