New back door?

[villagecorner]

My back door, which is double glazed but probably fairly ancient, has slipped on its hinges and now the door locks but not quite properly. There's a draught now that wasn't there before because there's a small gap where it's not quite flush now.

How do I go about buying a new one? Do I go to B&Q or get a local glazing company in? How do I find a company that won't rip me off? I'm in the Cardiff area. Any ideas how much a replacement would be?

Thanks!

you can get it repaired quite easily.

How old is it?

is it wood or plastic?

I'm not sure how old it is - we bought the house in February and I'm not sure when it was installed. It's white uPVC with glass on top and plastic on the bottom with a cat flap. We'd quite like to replace it but would be interested to know how much it would cost to fix it, as it would be good to wait a few months before we tackled it.

generally, a plastic door can be repaired by adjusting the hinges (sometimes the locking mechanism if worn or broken).

In your nearest town there is sure to be at least one person who specialises in fixing plastic windows and doors, because they are often troublesome. Ask around for personal recommendations from friends and neighbours.

If you are thinking of replacing it, have a look at new hardwood doors and frames, they tend to be more secure, last much longer, go wrong seldom, and are easily maintained by a handy person, yet they do not cost as much. However nobody can fit a new frame and door as well or as quickly as an experienced carpenter or joiner.

I've just had this fitted. Howdens only sell to trade so a carpenter or builder could probably buy it. The actual door only cost £170 - £200, but the carpenter said it was the heaviest door he had ever dealt with. Obviously, you would need to pay to have it fitted.....

I worry about specialist window and door fixers - sometimes a decent builder can do the same work for less.

On UPVC doors with internal hinges can be adjusted with an allen key, to make the door rise you turn towards the floor on the hinge part on the door itself . To close a gap between frame and the door seal you adjust the door frame hinge part. You can also overcome the door lock not locating by either adjusting the receiver plate or filing it . Or you can remove the strip with locator pins(door locking mechanism) and re drill slightly lower if the door has dropped badly. You can buy the hinges online if the pins are bent . The lock barrel comes out by removing a set screw on edge profile of the door and removing handle on the inside of the door, then slide out. A Yale lock costs about 25 quid ( bought one recently at b&q