How to attach a handle to a plastic balcony door. We deal with the repair of handles for plastic doors and answer the question “How to change the door handle? Then proceed directly to the installation
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Any, even the best, door installed in an apartment or any other room cannot perform its functions without installing fittings on it. Recently popular PVC doors are no exception. In particular, without a handle for plastic doors, the leaf will not be fixed in the closed position, it will be inconvenient to open it. Without other fittings, door operation may be difficult or impossible. For example, without hinges, a swing door cannot be hung and used for its intended purpose.
The article will consider the types of handles for plastic doors, their features and installation procedure. In addition, the main types of latches that can be installed in a set with handles will be described.
Types of pens
Handles are one of the most important pieces of hardware. They make life much easier and more convenient. In addition to their functional advantages, handles can also be used as decorative elements, highlighting the interior features and delighting with their beauty.
It is not known exactly when handles appeared in a person's life and who invented such an important element of fittings today. The first information about them appeared in the papyri of ancient Egypt, which were written 4 thousand years ago. Over the years, the fittings have become better, more functional, many of its types and varieties have appeared.
The main impetus for the development of pens came in the last century, after the Second World War. It was at this time that plastic doors began to appear, for which they used completely different handles than for wooden and metal doors.
In the modern sense, handles for plastic doors are not just staples that must be pulled to open the door, but a whole mechanism that carries various functions.
There are two main types of such mechanisms on the market. The first type is mobile. These handles are also referred to as lanyard handles. The design feature is that the handle is associated with a locking mechanism. To open the doors, it is necessary to turn it or push it.
The second type is stationary. In this case, the handle is a fixed structural element that is not associated with the lock. Stationary knobs are widespread, as well as staples and shells.
The last variety should be described in more detail. They are mounted only when a normal latch is installed on the door, which fixes its position. Otherwise, in a strong wind or in a draft, the door may open and the glass unit may break. As a rule, the place of installation of this type of hardware is the outer part of the balcony door.
This handle received the name "shell" for a reason. It looks a lot like a clam shell. It can be made from both plastic and aluminum. Manufacturers strive to make such fittings invisible.
Installation is carried out anywhere on the canvas. The main rule is the convenience of opening in height. Fasteners are carried out using ordinary self-tapping screws, which, after screwing in, are closed with decorative caps. Installation is very simple.
Such a pen is also called a "smoker's pen". It is designed specifically for plastic doors that lead to the balcony. With its help, you can enter the loggia and close the door behind you. The interesting name is due to the fact that such pens are usually used by smokers. In most cases, this piece of hardware is included in the standard door equipment.
Depending on how the handles are mounted on plastic doors, overhead or mortise models are distinguished. Overheads are fixed on the outside of the canvas. Mortise are fixed in a cavity specially cut on the canvas.
The most common types of pens on the market are:
- The handle is a fold, which is inherently rotary. The handle is turned to open the locking mechanism. There are also push options. Such mechanisms can be installed not only on plastic doors, but also on ordinary interior doors;
- Staple handle. In the event that locks are installed on the door, such a handle is installed only in order to be able to pull it in order to open the door.
Various technologies are used for the production of handles for plastic doors. This allows you to make different versions of products from a variety of materials with different shapes and appearances. Used materials such as PVC, various metal alloys. The color can be completely different, which implies complete freedom for creativity.
Modern pens can become a real decoration for a house, apartment, or any other home. There are also design options that are made according to individual orders. They can be very beautiful, but also very expensive.
Balcony handles
One of the most common places for installing plastic door handles is a balcony. This is due to the fact that plastic double-glazed windows are commonly installed on balconies, with which PVC doors are in good harmony. Various color options can be used, but generally white is used.
This does not prevent you from installing handles of any color that will match the overall interior and style of the room. For the production of fittings, the same material is used as for plastic windows, as well as for window handles. This allows windows and doors to be in harmony with each other.
The handles can be installed only indoors, or they can be duplicated on the other side, on the balcony itself. It should be noted that this can allow intruders to enter the apartment from the outside, through the balcony (on the lower floors of houses or on the very top).
In order to protect property from thieves, handles for balcony canvases are equipped with locks. In addition, such products will not allow small children to enter the balcony, since this is a rather dangerous place for games, especially in the absence of external glazing.
In most cases, a handle designed for a plastic balcony door has the same features and characteristics as a handle for an interior or entrance plastic door. This can be verified by examining the list of materials that are used for the production of this type of fittings.
The canvas on which the fittings are installed can be one-piece, solid, made entirely of plastic, or equipped with various inserts made of glass or other materials. This allows you to create many ideas for design, in which handles play an important role.
An important role when installing fittings on the balcony is its resistance to external environmental conditions and reliability. In winter, severe frosts come, in summer - sweltering heat and humidity. Plastic feels great in all weather conditions - it does not break, does not crack, does not react to moisture.
Replacement and repair of the handle for the balcony door
The main load when opening the doors falls on the handle. Unfortunately, if used improperly, this piece of hardware may not withstand and break.
Do not think that the handle installed on a plastic balcony door is not very durable. Its strength is sufficient to withstand serious loads, to provide the ability to open the door in any, the most difficult conditions. There are times when people do not calculate the effort when opening the door, for example, being irritated by some circumstances and the handle breaks.
In this case, there are two options - repair or replacement of the handle. In addition, the handle can become trivially loose, for this it will need to be "tightened".
Consider the main steps that must be taken in order to repair a loose handle or replace a broken one. Such actions do not require any specific knowledge and skills, as well as complex tools. An ordinary screwdriver is enough. If you plan to install the handle from the outside of the room (on the balcony), you will also need a drill, or a screwdriver with drills of 3 and 8 mm.
First of all, we will consider how you can eliminate the play of the handle. It often appears during long-term operation of doors, this is due to the fact that the fastening is weakened by the handle (the screw is unscrewed). To correct this deficiency, the handle is moved to the open position (horizontal). Then you need to squeeze and turn the plug, which covers the screws. Using a screwdriver, the bolts are tightened, after which the handle again works flawlessly.
Before installing the plug back, check the operation of the handle by closing and opening the mechanism. If all is well, the plug is returned to the attachment point.
Let's move on to replacing the handle. There is nothing complicated in the procedure for removing and installing this type of hardware for plastic balcony doors. First of all, the handle is exposed to an open, horizontal position. Similar to the method already described above, the plug is removed. Using a screwdriver or screwdriver, the bolts that hold the structure are removed. After that, the pen is removed and replaced with a previously purchased new pen. Fixation is carried out using the same fasteners.
The handle is installed in the same way. So, there is nothing complicated in the procedure for installing the hardware in question on a plastic door.
Latches for doors
The handle for a plastic door in the open state cannot keep the leaf from opening. In such cases, the installation of a special latch is required.
The following types of latches are widely used:
- Roller. This option works as follows. When the roller enters the groove, a spring is triggered, which latches the mechanism. This is the most reliable and preferred option. On the other hand, if the web sags, the latch requires adjustment;
- Falevaya. The principle of operation of this latch is similar to the roller one, with the exception that not a roller is used, but a special rectangle (beveled). To open the door, you need to mount a rotary handle on it;
- Magnetic.
The most convenient and proven option. The good thing is that it always works - regardless of whether the door is skewed or not. Installation can be carried out at any height, and closing is realized by using the attractive force of two magnets. The advantage of such a latch is that the magnetic mechanism does not wear off and is practically eternal.
The latches work well with the previously discussed smoker's handle, which allows you to pull the door before the latch mechanism of any design is triggered.
So, the choice of handles for plastic doors is not great, but they all have their own characteristics. They are easy to install and convenient to use. If problems arise, the fittings can be easily replaced with a similar one.
One of the most significant drawbacks of metal-plastic balcony doors in the "standard" configuration is the lack of a handle on the side of the balcony. Therefore, when ordering the installation of a brand new balcony block, the manufacturer's attention should be focused on the fact that the door must be equipped with handles for plastic balcony doors on both sides. Otherwise, your attempts to close the door from the balcony side may result in pinned fingers or broken nails.
Since the overwhelming majority of owners of metal-plastic doors have to install an additional handle from the side of the balcony, it makes sense to describe their possible designs and the procedure for installing double-sided handles.
Types of metal-plastic handles
The assortment of handles for plastic doors leading to the balcony, if it does not shine with a variety of designs, is very diverse in the choice of materials from which the handles are made: metal, plastic, glass, ceramics. And also in their shape and colors. You can choose according to your taste, in accordance with the design concept of the balcony or room, to match the color of the plastic from which the balcony block is made, or vice versa, contrasting and clearly visible. It all depends on the taste.
The most common handles for plastic doors of the following designs:
- Coupled with a balcony locking mechanism.
- Shell handles (petal).
- Staple handles.
Handle associated with the locking mechanism
The handles associated with the locking mechanism are usually the same shape, color and size as the handle located on the side of the room. It can be equipped with a locking mechanism with a lock and a key to close the balcony door. But such a mechanism is installed only from the side of the apartment. It prevents the possibility of opening the balcony door with the handle from the street side. The option with a lock is relevant for those who have small children in order to avoid them accidentally going out onto the balcony without parental supervision or for residents of the first and upper floors and those whose balcony is connected to neighbors or fire balconies and is not glazed.
The only element that needs to be replaced in the already installed locking mechanism is a square metal rod, on which the handles are actually attached on both sides. Compared to the standard one already installed in the door, the square bar for the double-sided handle must be longer. So that both handles can be fixed on it.
For installation, in addition to the handle itself and the elongated square rod, you will need to drill three holes: one through which an elongated rod for a double-sided handle will come out from the balcony side by 1-2 mm. larger than the diameter of the rod, and two small holes for screwing in the self-tapping screws, with which the handle will be attached to the PVC profile from the street side.
From the tool you will need an electric drill or screwdriver, a pair of metal drills, a Phillips screwdriver.
For installation on a balcony door, you can buy a handle and an elongated square rod separately, or you can also buy a set of two metal-plastic handles with a rod and mounting screws. The only action before buying is to measure the thickness of the balcony profile from which the door is made, so that the length of the rod is sufficient for the normal functioning of both handles.
Shell handle (petal)
It is advisable to install such a handle only if the door is equipped with a normally functioning latch of any design that reliably holds the door in case of gusts of wind (on an unglazed balcony) or in the event of a draft. Otherwise, the opened door may break the glass unit.
The handle is in the form of a sink sash or a curved profile made of either plastic or aluminum. Due to their utility, such petal handles are rarely decorated. On the contrary, they seek to make them inconspicuous.
A handle is installed - a petal in any convenient place in height. To install it, you need to drill two holes for self-tapping screws, with which you attach the handle to the profile and close the caps of the self-tapping screws with decorative caps. Editing takes 5, maximum 10 minutes.
Staple handle
It is a bracket that is attached to the profile in two places on the brackets. Such handles are usually equipped with doors that do not have automatic latches, in shops or offices. But it can be successfully installed on a balcony door. As in the case of the shell handle, its installation only makes sense if there is a reliable latch on the doors.
Installing a double-sided handle on a balcony door significantly increases the comfort of using it. The help of strangers is not required to close the door behind those who came out to the balcony or to enter from the balcony if the door was closed behind you.
The only inconvenience of the installed double-sided handle is the inability to use a standard mosquito net installed in the opening of the balcony door, the choice of which you can read in our article. The handle will move the frame of the mosquito net and may damage it. Therefore, for the summer, when using a mosquito net, the handle will have to be unscrewed.
Modern plastic doors, especially external ones, are made of durable materials and have a rigid structure that can withstand a large number of opening and closing cycles. Such doors are resistant to external factors, do not deform under the influence of seasonal temperature changes and sunlight. The weak point of PVC products has long been recognized as fittings. In this regard, the question of how to install the handle on a plastic door in case of its breakdown or the need to modify the existing structure was and remains relevant.
The need to replace the handle of a plastic door
It is necessary to replace the handle of a plastic door in the following cases:
- breaking;
- installation of a locking mechanism;
- installation of an additional handle from the street side.
Replacing a broken handle
To replace a broken handle, you will need to purchase a new one and arm yourself with a Phillips screwdriver. The first step is to put the broken handle or the remains of it in the "open" position - parallel to the floor. Then, we turn the decorative plug and open access to the fixing screws. We unscrew the fasteners and remove the handle together with a square-shaped metal core. We install a new copy and fix it with self-tapping screws.
Turn the broken handle to the "open" position - parallel to the floor
You can replace a broken plastic door handle with a simple screwdriver. The operation does not require a lot of time and special skills. You only need to purchase a replacement.
Installation of a handle with a locking mechanism
Installing a handle with a locking mechanism is especially recommended if the family has a small child. Parents must be sure that the child cannot open the balcony door on their own. You will need to purchase the appropriate handle and install it in the same sequence as when replacing a conventional broken analogue.
The installed lock will be a guarantee against the accidental exit of a small child on the balcony in case of distraction due to household chores.
Installing the handle from the street side
Most people imagine a plastic door, accustomed to balcony doors, as an analogue of a window, where the handle is needed only from the inside. Almost all door fittings are similar to window fittings. The standard accessories of doors, as well as windows, have a handle on one side only.
Nevertheless, the handle from the outside is extremely necessary, since when you go out onto the balcony, especially in winter, the door must be closed so as not to freeze the household. For information on what to do if the balcony door handle is loose, see this video:
There are situations when someone is locked on the balcony. To eliminate such moments, you can install an additional external handle on the plastic door, i.e. make it double-sided. It is easy to perform such an operation and is within the power of every home craftsman. 
There are situations when someone is locked on the balcony ...
First of all, you need to buy a product, preferably from the same manufacturer as all the accessories for your windows and doors. If the supplier could not be identified or if you liked the pens of another exporter, you can try to replace them with other analogs. In most cases, the sizes of fittings produced by popular manufacturers are the same or slightly differ from each other.
In order to install the double-sided handle, you will need the following tools:
- drill with a set of drills for metal;
- crosshead screwdriver;
- marker.
See this video for installation details:
First, remove the inner product, proceeding as when replacing a broken handle. We remove the square core and drill a through hole with a D = 4 mm drill. The center of the hole should roughly coincide with the center of the core, now we drill the hole with a D = 8 mm drill from the street side. We insert a square core, installed in the lock mechanism, put a handle on it, now it is necessary to check the performance of the street “partner”. 
To do this, we turn the product several times. If the handle rises and falls freely, mark the places for the screws with a marker and drill the holes with a drill D = 2 - 3 mm. We fix the element with self-tapping screws and finally turn the decorative plug.
We put the inner handle back in place and fix it with a plug. Now there is a guarantee that no one will close you on the balcony in the winter cold.
Every owner with the simplest locksmith skills can use the available tool to repair the handle of a plastic door, install a lock or an additional external one.
Considering that mechanisms or small parts on fittings tend to break, a properly selected double-sided handle for a balcony door will help get rid of many problems. It is necessary to install such products if the balcony is glazed and additionally reinforced with special gratings, as well as protective mechanisms against burglary.
Pros of pens
Such a product is most often of the usual shape and is connected with a metal rod. It is very convenient to use such pens, in addition, they have many positive characteristics:
- the mechanism is taken as a basis, which is made of durable metal;
- there is a large selection of pens with different designs and materials of manufacture: plastic, glass, and also ceramics;
- the locking mechanism of the handle functions smoothly, and the sash closes hermetically;
- the material is resistant to temperature extremes;
- installation is carried out on a profile that has different widths.
Cons of pens
The disadvantages of such a system include:
- this option does not ensure the safety of the home, especially if it is located on the lower floors;
- when choosing a handle for a balcony door of this type, it is necessary to equip them with additional anti-burglary mechanisms;
- the handle on the outside prevents the installation of a mosquito net.
Most people install the product only from the outside of the balcony, so you need to know how to install the double-sided handle, as well as what types exist.
Types of double-sided handles
Balcony handles are divided into several types: stationary and movable. The first type has a single function, which is to open and close the door. The second type is associated with the castle system. In addition, they are subdivided into rotary and push. They differ in the installation method, some can be done by the overhead method, and others by the mortise method.
Related article: What are the putties on metal surfaces and their features
There is a separate type of product that has handles on both the front and the back. They are designed to be mounted on balcony doors.
The range of such products is diverse. They differ in shape and color. It is necessary to choose so that they fit the balcony block from a design point of view. The most common door handles are those with a locking mechanism, as well as shell and pull handles.
Features of choice
A key lock on such a handle is only available on the inside
Reversible handle with locking mechanism must be the same color on both the inside and outside. It can also have a lock with a key to lock the balcony. But, such an installed mechanism is available only on the inside, so that it would not be possible to open it from the outside. This is practical when there are small children in the house so that they can go out onto the balcony without being accompanied by an adult.
In this mechanism there is a generally installed element that needs to be replaced - this is the rod with which the handles are connected. To accommodate both handles, the rod has an elongated shape.
For installation, you need to drill several holes, which are necessary for:
- long rod exit;
- placing a self-tapping screw that fixes the handle on the inside;
- fixing the handle from the outside.
In carrying out this process, it is necessary to prepare: a screwdriver, drills for working with metal, as well as a curly screwdriver.
Before installing the double-sided handle on the balcony door, it is necessary to measure the thickness of the door profile in order to correctly select the length of the rod. This is essential to ensure perfect operation of the mechanism.
Reversible handles for increased comfort. There is no need for someone to close the door behind those who went to the balcony or open it if they closed behind you.
Replacing the handle
Almost every owner has a set of construction tools in his arsenal. To install or replace handles, you must have:
- screwdriver;
- hacksaw for metal;
- electric drill.
