How to Adjust a Butt Hinge on a uPVC Door
3 June 2015
Door hinges come in all different shapes and sizes, some have a large degree of adjustment whilst others have very little. Sometimes it is necessary to adjust a door either because the door has dropped or a gap has formed allowing a draught and potentially water to get in.
Below is an easy to follow guide to one of the most common types of door hinge - the butt hinge. The adjustment does vary from manufacturer and model but the general principles are the same.
To adjust a butt hinge on a uPVC door you will need:
- A screw driver with a POZI No.2 head
- An Allen key depending on the type of hinge fitted – do not use a drill!
To adjust the hinges, you will need to open your door and identify the two adjustment screws. Please note: Some butt hinges use Allen key adjustment).
- Remove the top cover cap on the hinges that you are adjusting as this will show you where the hinges are currently adjusted to.
- Take note of the starting point with a marker pen should you wish to reset the hinge to its original position.
- The butt hinge has limited adjustment of 2mm backward and forward when the hinge pin under the cover cap is in the middle of the channel.
- Depending on the condition of the door will depend on if the adjustment will be sufficient to fix any issues.
What do I do if the door has dropped?
If the door has dropped you should be able to correct this providing the hinges are not fully adjusted already. Adjusting the hinge will create a squaring affect. When the top hinge moves it will potentially affect the bottom opening corner.
Below is an example of creating a squaring affect should the side of the door with the door handle scrapes on the frame.
To adjust a butt hinge on a uPVC door, follow these steps:
- Adjust the top hinge backwards.
- Adjust the bottom hinge forwards.
- Adjust the middle hinge as desired.
You can also use this method of trial and error to close gaps in the door. If you continue to get draughts even after you have adjusted your hinges we would recommend looking at our range of draught excluders that come with a self-adhesive strip and may correct the problem without having to purchase a new door.
If you have any questions or require further support or advice, then do contact [email protected].