Installing the handle on a plastic door. How to choose and install a handle for a balcony door Plastic balcony door how to attach a handle

Door handles for plastic doors have a fairly wide range, but each model is designed for its own purposes.

The question of how to install a handle on a plastic door is certainly important and we will analyze it thoroughly, but you need to install a specific model, so first we will study what the modern market offers in this niche.

Plastic doors are of several types, the gradation depends on the place of installation, purpose and size of the product, respectively, before fixing the handle on the door being installed or changing it on old doors, you need to pay attention to the type of doors. We will not go into details, we will list only 3 main directions.

1. Entrance doors - in apartments and private houses they are extremely rare, they are mainly placed on shops, offices and public buildings, which means that the handle must have high mechanical strength and be easily replaceable;
2. Balcony blocks and terrace doors - the massiveness and resistance to burglary of such blocks is lower, mainly attention is paid to the level of tightness and decorative component. Handles with locking mechanisms prevail here;
3. Interior doors - lightweight designs with the same light latches and locks. High-strength massive handles in interior doors are inappropriate, the emphasis is on matching the interior and ease of everyday use.

Before replacing or putting the handle, you should pay attention to the type of plastic door

Now let's figure out which ones exist plastic door handles:

• Stationary model - stationary handle for plastic door has nothing to do with the locking mechanism, such a handle is rigid installed on the door leaf and is intended solely to pull or push on it;
• One-way push model - as the name implies, such handle on a plastic door installed on one side only. It differs from stationary models in that it is structurally connected with the locking mechanism, in order to open the doors, you need to press the handle. These models prevail in balcony blocks;
• Double-sided push model – double-sided handle for plastic doors differs from the aforementioned one-sided model only in that 2 identical lever handles are installed on both sides of the door leaf, but both lever handles are part of the same locking mechanism, work synchronously and fixing they have the same elements.

There are several hundred models of handles for plastic doors, but they all belong to one of 3 types

Design differences

Inside each type of handles, there are often as many separate subspecies, so in the stationary direction there are 2 types of structures:

• Strong and powerful handles for plastic entrance doors have the shape of a bracket and are made of metal. The configuration and layout of these handles may be different, but they always come in pairs and are installed on both sides;
• The stationary shell handle is usually attached only on one side and in balcony blocks it acts as an auxiliary element paired with a one-way lever handle. The meaning of this tandem is that the lever handle is connected to the lock, which is not always convenient on open balconies.

The shell handle has a couple more names - the petal and the smoker's handle. The first option is a related model and, unlike the shell, has an even hook shape, and the shell is called the smoker's handle because it is installed on balconies and allows you to close the door when you go out for a smoke break.

Lever handles also come in several varieties. In this case, it all depends on the type of locking mechanism. If a standard lock with a cylinder head and a traditional latch is installed, then the classic lever handles go with it.

But in the balcony blocks, where the ventilation mode is provided, window-type handles are usually placed, which move around the central axis and are set in accordance with the selected mode.

A window lever handle is placed on a plastic door when several operating modes are provided in the door system

Installation of different types of handles on PVC doors

For an ordinary man in the street, installing a handle on a plastic door with your own hands seems like something transcendentally difficult. The abundance of mechanics, the ability to adjust and several modes of operation of the structure scare away.

Often people do not even know how to remove the handle from a plastic door, let alone how to change the handle or install a new one. Meanwhile, everything is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. But first, let's say a few words about the materials from which handles for plastic doors are made.

Although the door profile is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), handles made of the same plastic are rare. In fact, the only common plastic model is the petal and some of its variants.

Budget lever handle models are made of lightweight aluminum-based alloys, popularly called silumin. Such products are not expensive, they look quite decent, but they do not last long. Lightweight alloys break down quickly and cannot be repaired.

Cheap silumin handles break quite often and cannot be repaired

The most durable are steel handles and models made of bronze or copper alloys. To protect against corrosion and give a respectable look, steel is usually coated with a layer of chromium or nickel, but the price for such products is higher.

The trade-off is powder coating and polymer coating. Bronze and copper alloys do not need additional protection and decoration. Lightweight and durable aluminum handles, in price, occupy a middle position between expensive non-ferrous metals and more affordable, but heavy steel.

Highly loaded stationary handles for plastic doors are made mainly of steel

Installation of stationary handles

We have 2 types of stationary handles - an arc and a shell. A bow or office handle for a plastic door is included in a set, which includes 2 identical handles, 2 fastening bolts and installation instructions.

The handle for plastic doors in the form of an arc is most often used in office structures

If there are no holes for the handle on the doors, then you will have to drill them yourself. The instructions must indicate the center distance, and you need to be guided by it when marking. The drill diameter is taken 1 mm larger than the diameter of the mounting bolts.

When choosing a place for installing the handle and marking, it is necessary to take into account that the double-glazed window goes inside the profile by about 25 - 30 mm, so the indentation must be made more so that the double-glazed window is not touched when drilling the profile.

From an outside tool, you will need a pair of 13 mm open-end wrenches, and a wrench for tightening the fastening washer comes with the handles.

• Initially, each bolt has 2 fastening washers and 2 nuts. You need to unscrew a couple of nuts and remove one securing washer;
• After that, a bolt with one fastening nut is inserted into the hole on the outside of the doors;
• On the inside of the doors, put on the second fastening washer and tighten both nuts;

The outer and inner fastening washers differ in that the inner fasteners have side holes for a wrench, which comes with the handles.

The bolt is inserted into the hole from the outside of the doors

• Do not fit the nuts to the fastening washer tightly so that the bolt dangles slightly, after which you need to take 2 open-end wrenches and lock the nuts together;

The nuts must be locked

• Now take the outer handle and, attaching it to the fasteners, start alternately screwing the fastening washers into both parts of the handle;

• Then follow the exact same procedure, only with the inner handle. At this stage, all actions are performed exclusively by hand, no keys are used;

• After you have screwed the fastening washers into the inner handle, return to the outer arch and fit the washers on it as tightly as possible;

Additional adjustment of the fastening washers

• At the last stage, the handle is tightened using the included wrench. To do this, the L-shaped wrench is inserted into the side hole on the fastening washer and the washer is turned. Tightening is carried out alternately, until it stops.

Final tightening of the fastening washer from the inside of the doors

Of the stationary handles, shells are still mounted on plastic doors, compared to the instructions described above, this type of door hardware is installed much easier.

• To screw the shell to the doors, the handle must first be attached to the intended installation site and mark the entry points for the screws;
• Then remove the handle and make 2 holes according to the marking, the diameter of the holes should be a couple of millimeters less than the diameter of the screws;
• Now all that remains is to attach a handle and screw in the screws with a screwdriver;

Of all types of handles, the shell attachment technology is considered the simplest.

You can do even easier - take self-tapping screws for metal (with a drill at the end), insert them into the handle attached to the doors and use a screwdriver to drive the screws without any preliminary drilling.

Installation of lever handles

Push door handles for plastic doors are installed at the stage of assembly of the structure, that is, at the factory. This is due to the fact that the handle is built into the locking mechanism. Therefore, in this case, we can only talk about how to replace the handle on a plastic door.

• Initially, the old handle must be installed in the final position - open, so it will be easier to get to the fasteners;
• The fastening screws on such handles are covered with a decorative strip and this strip is located over the base of the handle. You need to grasp the edges of the overlay and slightly pulling it towards you, turn the overlay 90º;

It is necessary to turn the decorative strip 90º

• After turning the cover, the fastening screws will open for you. The screw heads are made for a Phillips screwdriver. Then take a screwdriver or screwdriver and unscrew the screws;

Unscrew the fixing screws on the old handle

• Dirt often collects under and around old handles; replacement will be a good reason to wash all these deposits;
• Turn the new handle to the same position in which you removed the old one - open with a 90º turn of the decorating strip, and then insert it in place of the old one;

You need to prepare and try on a new pen

• If you are not mistaken with the choice and the base fits perfectly into the old holes, then you just have to insert the previously unscrewed screws into these holes and fix the handle with a screwdriver or Phillips screwdriver;
• The final touch will be to return the decorative strip to its original position and test the new handle. Below in the video in this article, the process is shown clearly.

We fasten the new handle in place of the old

Installing a double-sided handle on a balcony door

With our own hands, double-sided handles on metal-plastic doors have to be installed when the owners, for some reason, ordered a design with one rotary handle from the inside.

Fortunately, this trouble is fixable. For installation, you only need a good screwdriver, two drills (5 mm and 10 mm) and the actual double handle itself for the entrance or balcony doors.

If you are worried that unwanted guests will enter the apartment through the balcony using a twin handle, you can buy a handle fromlock. The handle there is equipped with a separate lock, which when closing locks the rotation of both handles.

If plastic can still be used as the base of the rotary structure, then the handles and the core of the paired handles are made exclusively of metal

• As in the case described above with the replacement of the one-way lever handle, the first thing you need to do is to move the system to the open position and turn the decorative cover 90º to unscrew the fastening screws with a screwdriver;

Removing the pivoting balcony handle

• The diameter of the central hole into which the core of the twin handle enters is 10 mm. But the core is square and in order not to spoil the locking mechanism with a large drill, we take a 5 mm drill and drill a through hole through the main hole until the drill comes out from the back side;

It is necessary to drill a through mating hole

• Now you need to remove the 5 mm drill and insert a 10 mm drill into the tool;
• On the back side we drill a small hole up to 10 mm. When drilling, you need to be very careful, we only drill plastic, not reaching the metal locking mechanism;

The counter hole is reamed up to 10 mm

• Then we insert the core into the locking mechanism and put a new handle on it;
• The handle is attached in the same way as the old one, so we apply the base to the plane of the doors and draw a pencil around the entry points of the screws;

Marking for holes for installing the stock

• At the base, the bed for the mounting screws has a diameter of about 10 mm, which means that we need to take the same drill and drill a couple of holes along the markings so that the bed falls into place;
• Any locking mechanism of such a plan is adapted for mounting handles on both sides, which means that there are already sockets for fastening screws inside the lock, the main thing here is not to touch the base when drilling the plastic;
• There is one more nuance, double-sided handles are sold with a deliberately long core. The fact is that the thickness of plastic doors is different, and a long core can always be cut with a grinder or a hacksaw for metal, respectively, you need to measure the door leaf and cut off the excess from the core;
• At the last stage, the core is inserted, handles are screwed on both sides with screws, and the screws are covered with a rotary decorative cover.

Lever handle models are available in two versions

We talked in detail about how to screw the handle to a plastic window-type door, these mechanisms are designed not only for opening and closing the door leaf, they are capable of operating in several modes, including airing.

There are also lever handles for plastic doors with an English type lock, they come in a set along with the lock and are installed on the entrance doors.

They change in about the same way as the window handles, the only difference is that you do not need to drill anything there, it is enough to buy a model with similar fasteners and replace the old handle with a new one. To do this, you only need a screwdriver.

Handles for locks of the English type are installed on the lock plates and can be easily changed using a screwdriver

The nuances of operation and common breakdowns

In operation, handles on plastic doors are no more difficult than their sisters, who stand on metal and wooden doors. Swivel mechanisms should be lubricated with machine oil at least once a year, and fasteners should be tightened on stationary models.

But the question of how to repair a handle on a plastic door requires a separate narration, because for repairing a screwdriver alone is often not enough. In the video in this article, one of the options for such a repair is given, in addition, you will find detailed information on how to fix the handle and, in general, the balcony door.

Output

We tried to tell as much as possible about the existing models of handles for plastic doors and dispel the myth about the allegedly difficult installation, replacement and repair of such accessories. We hope that after studying the material, you will not have any problems with the choice and self-installation of any handle on a plastic door.

More than half a century ago, modern plastic windows and doors entered the market. Over the years, their design has changed, and the appearance has become more attractive, only the pen always did the same job and stayed in place.

Modern balcony doors and windows have a solid and durable structure, but although the balcony door locking mechanism takes little load, it can break. To install new fittings, you must first of all know what models exist and how to install them correctly so that it will serve for a long time.

The balcony handle can break - then it needs to be replaced

What types of handles are there for a balcony door?

On the balcony, you can pick up door hardware not only made of plastic, modern manufacturers offer durable metal products, original models made of glass and fiberglass or glass ceramics. When buying door hardware, you should also pay attention to its design and color, so that after installation there is no visual dissonance. But the most important thing is the hardware mechanism, you can choose the most suitable option. There are these types of pens:

• one-sided;
• bilateral;
• petal;
• shell;
• with an additional anti-burglary function.

One-sided products are installed most often, since there is no need for it from the street side. Such models have a fairly simple mechanism, and it is also convenient to use. To open the door, you need to pull or turn it.

Reversible handle models are also made of different materials, the outer and inner parts have the same color and design. The mechanism of double-sided fittings is very simple and convenient, therefore its installation does not require special knowledge and a lot of time. The locking mechanism is attached to a rod on both sides, and depending on the model, a latch or a twist mechanism with a lock is installed. A lock in the balcony door is not considered a mandatory element, but if the apartment is below the fourth floor or there are children, it is better to install it.

Double-sided balcony handle is easy enough to install

The "petal" handle is installed, if desired, from the outside, if residents often visit the balcony. It is often made of the same material as the door, moreover, it comes in a standard set when. The "petal" handle works like, but even with such a simple mechanism can reduce heat loss in winter and autumn.

Door fittings of the "shell" or "toffee" model are also installed from the outside and can be knocked out, made of both plastic and aluminum. They are more often installed in a family where there are, for example, smokers who often visit the balcony. "Shell" has no mechanism, with its help you can simply close the door from the outside.

Door hardware with anti-burglary function is installed by residents of the lower floors, protecting themselves from intruders. Also, this type of door hardware is in demand in families with babies. The mechanism allows you to fix the lock so that the child cannot go out onto the balcony. This model is very easy to operate and durable, and installation does not take a lot of time and effort.

Installation of the locking mechanism on the balcony does not require special knowledge, and it is absolutely not necessary to call a specialist for this. In order to properly install the pen and use it for a long time, clear and consistent instructions should be followed.

The simplest "tamper" handle allows you to close the door from the outside

Step-by-step instructions for replacing the handles on the balcony door

Almost every man has his own mini set of tools, and in this case it will come in handy. And if you want to get the job done quickly, use these tools:

• screwdriver;
• electric drill;
• hacksaw for metal.

We start the installation, following the rules and instructions.

1. If you need to replace a broken handle, dismantle the old one; if you install it on a new door, determine the location and drill a hole in the door leaf profile using an electric drill.
2. Consider the set of door fittings to be installed, make markings on the door for installing the metal base.
3. To or a twist lock, you need to remove the metal plate from the end of the door.
4. Drill a hole under the connector using a drill.
5. Assemble the locking mechanism in advance and measure the length of the rod, cut if it is too long.
6. Assemble the handle and fix it to the door using self-tapping screws.
7. Cover all holes for fasteners with decorative overlays.
8. If you are installing a "shell" or "petal", determine their location on the door from the outside and fix the required product with self-tapping screws.

The replaced handle must be tightened tightly with self-tapping screws.

To avoid subsequent breakdowns, you should properly care for the door fittings and open and close the door as carefully as possible. Since the balcony may not be heated or even open at all, the locking mechanism may begin to open poorly over time or jam, this may be a consequence of moisture ingress.

To avoid such problems, you need to lubricate the handle with special agents from time to time. And so that after installation you will forever forget about problems with fittings, immediately install products from high-quality and durable materials.

More than 60 years have passed since the first plastic windows appeared on the US and German markets. Over the years, their design has undergone many improvements. The handle remains an unchanged structural element throughout this time - the main control element for the mechanism of a plastic door or window. And the question of consumers is just as old - how to independently change the handle on a plastic balcony door or window.

Relevance of the topic

Replacing the balcony handle is not an idle question and not because of the whim of the consumer. It is the handle that accounts for all the power load applied by a person to actuate the opening-closing and folding mechanism of the plastic structure. The balcony is definitely not the most visited place in the apartment.

In theory, the load on the balcony handle should not be very high. But in life it happens that it is on it that people try to relieve their irritability and it ceases to fulfill its functions - to serve the opening of a plastic balcony door and can simply break down. In this case, it requires either repair or replacement. Two other cases when the question of changing the handle arises are: a change in the design concept of the room, when instead of the standard one made of white plastic, the consumer wants to see a handle in the style of Louis XIV on the miracle of XXI century technology, or the installation of an additional handle on the street side of the balcony, which is simply not provided for by the design of most manufacturers due to the fact that the balcony door is nothing more than a plastic window enlarged in vertical dimensions. And it is not customary to install handles on windows from the street side.

With the advent of children who know the world in the house, striving to climb anywhere and twist everything that is possible, it becomes relevant to replace the existing balcony and window handles with handles with fixing elements (locks).

These are the main reasons why reading this article may be useful and interesting for you.

Of all the types of repair that plastic structures may require during operation, this type of repair is the simplest.

It does not require any special knowledge or special tools. In order to remove the balcony handle, an ordinary Phillips screwdriver is enough. When installing an additional handle on the street side of the balcony, you will additionally need a drill (screwdriver) and a pair of ∅3 and ∅8 mm drills.

We eliminate the looseness of the handle

During operation, the screw fastening may loosen, and the handle will begin to dangle. To eliminate this defect, it is necessary to set the handle to the "open" position - strictly horizontally to the floor surface, then slightly squeeze and turn by 90 ° the decorative rectangular plug at the base of the handle that covers the screw heads. Use a Phillips screwdriver to tighten the loosened handle fastening to the stop.

Check its performance by turning it up and down several times, and then return the decorative plug to its place.

Replacing a Broken Pen

As in the case of the elimination of looseness, if the handle is broken, set it (or its remnants) to the "open" position.

We turn the decorative plug at the base of the door by 90 ° and completely unscrew the screws securing the handle.

After that, we take out the broken handle along with the square core on which it is mounted. We insert a new handle, pre-selected, and corresponding in size to the replaced one and fix it with the previously unscrewed screws.

Installing a handle with a locking mechanism (lock)

It doesn't matter which floor you live on - the first or the top one.

A window and a balcony for a child is always a place of increased risk and it is the parents' task to take measures so that the child cannot open it on his own.

According to the technology, replacing an installed handle with a handle with a lock is identical to replacing a broken handle and does not require additional explanation.

Installing the handle from the street side

Since balcony doors are essentially large windows. Then all their design and fittings are fully consistent with each other. Since it is not customary to install handles on the windows on the street side, this tradition smoothly passed to the balcony doors. If there is no technological hole in the PVC profile for the second handle, then the manufacturer does not bother himself with reconfiguring the equipment, taking care of the convenience of the consumer.

And the fact that the handle on the street side of the balcony is very necessary is known to all users of plastic doors. Someone ties the ropes and holds the door, constantly opening by a draft, while they are on the balcony. Someone, using all the power of their lungs, calls for help from households with a request to close the balcony door. Those who were accidentally closed on the balcony find themselves in the most ridiculous and absurd situation. There is no way to go out on your own. The situation is especially piquant - if it is winter outside, and the frost is below -30 ° C.

All these points encourage users to install an additional handle on the outside (street) side of the balcony door, making it double-sided.

The operation is not complicated at all and does not take much time. All you need to do is buy a handle from the appropriate hardware manufacturer installed on your balcony door. If it is difficult to find a company with a similar name, you can install a handle from another company. The dimensions of the socket for the square core and the location of the mounting holes for the self-tapping screws on most handles are the same.

To install a new one, you must first remove the handle located on the side of the room as described in the paragraph "Replacing the broken handle". Take out the handle with the square core on which the handle is attached. Through the resulting hole - drill a ∅4 mm hole and then drill it from the street side with a ∅8 mm drill - so that the square core of the outer handle can freely enter. Insert the square core of the outer handle into the hole and test it by turning it up and down. After that, mark the places for attaching the handle with a bright felt-tip pen. Drill holes with a 2-3 mm drill so that the self-tapping screws are easier to twist, and fix the outer (street) handle. Turn the bezel 90 °. Reinstall the handle on the room side in the same way.

After this simple and not complicated operation, those who like to smoke on the balcony will no longer have to notify other residents of the apartment about their desire, and those who like to conduct private conversations in the fresh air will be able to retire tête-à-tête on the balcony, closing the door behind them with a double-sided handle. ...

Instead of conclusion

In this article, we examined the cases in which replacement is required - if the handle is broken, or the handle of the plastic door leading to the balcony is repaired. The operation is technologically extremely simple and not time-consuming. Requires a minimum of tools and professional skills.

It is within the power of almost any user, without the involvement of service providers.

We wish you success in keeping your cozy home in working order!