Adjusting a UPVC door multi-lock often involves fine-tuning components on the door frame to ensure the door seals properly and the locking points engage smoothly. One key adjustment focuses on the striker plates on the frame.
Over time, UPVC doors can drop slightly, or the seals might compress unevenly. This can lead to issues such as:
- Drafts or leaks
- Difficulty locking or unlocking
- Stiffness when operating the handle
- Poor compression against the frame
Adjusting the multi-lock components helps restore proper alignment and function.
How to Adjust the Striker Plate Tongues
Based on common methods for UPVC door adjustments and the provided reference, a common adjustment involves the striker plates found on the door frame. These plates contain "tongues" or keepers that the locking bolts, hooks, or cams on the door side engage with.
Tools Needed
- Phillips screwdriver (as mentioned in the reference)
- Potentially an Allen key, depending on the specific type of striker plate or other adjustments needed (though the reference specifically notes a Phillips screwdriver for this task).
Step-by-Step Process
Here’s how to adjust the tongues of the striker plates, according to the referenced method:
- Locate the Striker Plates: Open the door and find the metal plates fixed to the door frame where the multi-lock points (like cams, hooks, or bolts) on the door edge meet the frame. There are usually several of these along the frame's height.
- Identify Adjustment Screws: Each striker plate typically has screws holding it to the frame, and potentially smaller screws associated with the adjustable "tongues" or keepers within the plate itself.
- Slightly Loosen the Screws: Using a Phillips screwdriver, slightly loosen the screws that secure the adjustable tongues or the plate itself if the tongues are adjusted via the main plate screws. Do not fully unscrew them. Just loosen them enough so the component can be moved.
- Move the Tongues/Plate: Gently move the tongues of the striker plate inwards or outwards.
- Moving the tongue outwards (as mentioned in the reference) typically increases the compression, pulling the door tighter against the frame when locked.
- Moving the tongue inwards will decrease compression, allowing the door to sit slightly looser against the frame.
- Test the Door: Close the door and operate the handle to engage the multi-lock. Check the door's alignment, ease of locking, and how tightly it seals against the frame.
- Fine-Tune and Tighten: Re-open the door, make small further adjustments as needed, and once the desired result is achieved, tighten the screws firmly, ensuring the striker plate or tongues are secure.
Understanding the Adjustment
Adjusting the striker plate tongues alters how deeply the locking points on the door pull into the frame. Moving them outwards increases the pressure on the door seal when locked, which can help eliminate drafts or rattles. Moving them inwards reduces this pressure, which might be necessary if the door is too tight or difficult to close and lock.
Important Note: Always make small adjustments, test the door's operation frequently, and ensure all screws are securely tightened after completing the adjustment.
