How To Adjust French Doors

Contents:

• Tools & materials
• Step-by-step
• Common mistakes
• Key considerations
• FAQs

French doors are a stylish way to bring more light into a room, open up your living environment and create a wider doorway to your outside space. French doors are typically fitted as a pair instead of a single door. They are often light in construction and include glass panes covering most of the door.  

French doors are generally fitted as an easy pathway to your patio or garden, enabling you to spend more time outside. However, if your French doors are getting old or becoming less flexible, it may be time to research how to adjust French patio doors so they work well in your home. 

This article gives you a step-by-step guide on how to adjust UPVC French doors without professional help, including how to adjust French doors that have dropped. Adjusting UPVC French doors, or any type of French door yourself, can save you money and the time taken to find a professional company. 

It’s important to use the right tools when you’re planning how to adjust UPVC French doors. Plus, it’s recommended that you wear safety goggles and gloves to stay protected throughout the project. 

Here’s a list of all the essential tools and materials you need when you’re working on how to adjust French patio doors. 

• Screwdrivers, including Phillips screwdrivers & Flathead screwdrivers - a screwdriver will help you loosen old screws and fit new ones if required. 

• Hex keys - this key helps to loosen or tighten screws and bolts in snug sockets. 

• Spirit levels - a spirit level will help you ensure French doors are straight. 

• Tape measure - this will help you measure the space and doors to ensure a proper fit. 

• WD-40 lubricants - lubricants are used to lubricate and protect metal components, such as hinges, in French doors. 

• Silicone spray - this can help lubricate the moving parts of your French doors, such as hinges or tracks, to reduce friction and increase smooth operation. 

• Wedges or shims - a wedge or shim secures an opening between the door and frame while you adjust the door tracks and hinges. 

• Safety goggles

• Safety gloves

• Cardboard or dust sheets

When you’re beginning to work on how to adjust French patio doors, there are a number of challenges you may come across. It’s a good idea to be prepared for these and understand how to resolve any issues you find. French doors can be heavy and difficult to hold by yourself, so it might be useful to get someone else to help you with the lifting. 

Follow this step-by-step guide to adjusting UPVC French doors, or any French door style, and keep essential tools close to hand while you complete the job for easy access. 

 

Step 1. Check door alignment 

Before you begin adjusting French doors, it’s important to take a close look at door alignment. Focus on any uneven gaps between the doors and frame or how the doors fit together. 

Use your tape measure to assess the size of any gaps so that you can work out if these spaces need to be adjusted. Check with a spirit level to ensure that the doors are completely level, both open and closed. 

 

Step 2. Tighten all screws 

Tightening the screws in the hinges of your French doors is key to well-adjusted doors. This is because loose screws may cause sagging, which could affect the way the doors look and how well they work. 

Start with the hinge screws, particularly the adjustment screws at the top and bottom of each hinge. If these are loose, use your screwdriver to tighten them up. Move on to the screws in handle and lock fittings to ensure these are also tightened. 

 

Step 3. Adjust the french door hinges

Take a look at the measurements you made on the gaps between your French doors and the frame. If these need adjusting, you can use hex keys, an allen key or screwdriver to amend fittings. 

In order to do this, take your hex key and gently adjust the screws on the French door hinges to raise or lower each door as necessary so they fit properly in the frame. 

You may need to adjust the screws to move doors to the left or right for better side-to-side fitting. To adjust the depth of the doors, loosen or tighten the door hinge screws to make sure the doors are tilting at the right depth. 

 

Step 4. Adjust the locking keeps/strike plate

In terms of security, it’s essential that when you’re looking into how to adjust French doors, you can make sure they lock safely. If your French doors don’t latch properly, then the strike plate may need repositioning. A strike plate is the metal plate that holds the door latch or bolt when it’s closed. 

When slightly repositioning, remove the strike plate, clean it and the wall area with cleaning fluids and microfibre cloths, then thoroughly dry. Reposition the plate and use a screwdriver to tighten the plate screws back into place. 

 

Step 5. Test the door

Now you’ve finished adjusting UPVC French doors, you can test them to see how well they fit and if they need further adjustment. Open and close the French doors to ensure that any gaps between door and frame, or doors together, are even. You can also check that the French doors operate smoothly so they don’t stick. 

 

Step 6. Lubricate moving parts on french door

Once you’re happy with the way your French doors open and close, lubricate the moving parts for continued smooth functionality. To do this, you can use WD-40 lubricants, which should keep the parts moving freely.

Additionally, apply silicone spray to hinges and locks for sleeker movement and to keep the doors in good condition and prevent squeaking hinges. 

It’s easy to miss something when you’re involved in a project. Knowing about and avoiding common mistakes ensures a safe finish and helps keep your French doors balanced. 

Here are some common French door adjustment mistakes and tips on how to avoid them:

• Over-tightening hinge screws: overtightening can strip screw threads or damage the door frame which could reduce smooth door movement. To minimise any overtightening, gently tighten until you feel the screw is secure. 

• Not checking if the frame is square: if you don’t check that the frame is square before making adjustments, the doors won’t hang or close properly. This can also lead to uneven gaps. Use a spirit level to check the doors and frame are level. 

• Adjusting only one hinge: even if you think only one hinge isn’t level or secure, you need to adjust both as fixing only one could lead to misalignment or damage. To make sure there is proper door alignment, measure the hinges from top and bottom to ensure they are evenly placed and adjust both to the same measurements. 

• Misalignment of doors: ignoring hidden screws, overtightening of screws and not checking proper door alignment could leave French doors uneven and difficult to lock properly. Measuring with tape and checking evenness with a spirit level when you’re adjusting UPVC French doors should realign them. If you’re trying to work out how to adjust French doors that have dropped, remember to check the hinges and strike plates to ensure they are properly fitted and replace any old screws. 

• Forgetting to test the locking mechanism after adjustments: if you notice issues with the locks or even that you can’t turn keys properly to secure your French doors, there may be a locking mechanism issue. When the doors aren’t in line with each other, the lock may not work properly. After adjusting French doors, always check the lock to ensure it works. 

While adjusting French doors isn’t a major DIY project that needs lots of time and equipment, it is a job that requires proper preparation before you begin. This is because it can be hard to get the doors fully aligned and balanced, so taking your time to prepare with the right tools and equipment at the start will help. Learning how to hang doors can be straightforward if you follow these steps. 

Remember to start by checking French door alignment, measuring the gaps between the doors and frame. You can also tighten screws in the hinges and check the strike plates are in the right place. 

Finish by testing the doors to see if there is smooth movement and lubricate the moving parts in the door so that your doors continue to work well over the long term.