New Member .... need advice about upvc door fiitting

[proeto]

Hi Everyone !
First post .... I'm Peter - a retired Merchant Navy IT/Electronics/Electrical Engineer.
Finally getting round to jobs on a French house we've had for years, but only got there really for short holidays.
I've done a lot of DIY back home but never fitted a upvc door.... and the more I read the more complex it seems to get !

 

The really old wooden back door has rotted .... and found rot at the bottom of the frame also.

 

The existing door is 930mm, entrance (from garden/patio) is 900mm.
Door-frame is 70x50mm with 15x35mm rebate.

The new upvc door (local - diy store "Leroy Merlin") is 850mm wide - 860mm with 'space'. (900mm would mean cutting into stonework door-frame)

The entrance-way is 350mm deep so not fitting sill.... water came in through a damaged down-pipe and a crack in the porch floor.

 

Questions:

1) As the new door is pre-hung will it still require the heel-and-toe routine ?

 

2) The new frame will need 35mm packing each side.
Do the shims go between the masonry and the packing or between the packing and the upvc ?

 

3) The door is 70mm deep.
An 8mm fixing screw at 35mm would be about 5mm away from the join between the wooden frame and the masonry.
Would it be better to just set the door back a bit to be away from this join ?
What sort of distance from the join ?

 

4 I intend using 120 x 8mm - these have the top section threaded for the plastic and the bottom section standard spiral thread.
The manufacturers recommend using a 5.5mm SDS if going directly into the masonry, or 8mm if using the standard 'Rawlplug' insert piece.
Any thoughts on this ?

 

5) With the door being a single double-glazed panel, could vibration from an SDS drill possibly cause cracking of the glass ?

 

6) What's the recommended sealant for upvc ....I know there is a forum for this, but hope someone who's "been there, seen it, done it" will post here.

Any and all comments will be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Peter

[gaz_moose]

pack the frame out in the hole using your spacers to get it square and level. measure 150mm down/ up from the inside and drill 7mm holes in the frame and then sds drill pilot holes into the brickwork then use torx head concrete screws. put some in the middle also, then using adhesive expanding foam around the gaps.

i would probably use a knock on or add-on instead of packing it that much, or strips of timber then trim over.

compriband is good stuff to use around the edge.

 

i hate those fixings with the built in rawl plug. they get half way in and jam up then your fuuked.

[Russell griffiths]

Go and by a set of four pump up wedges, cannot think what they are called. 

Stick the door and frame in the hole, secure with blow up wedges. 

You can now swing the door and check all locks work and gaps are even, if not pump up one more and let the other down until you are happy. 

Measure gaps and cut some packers or a hardwood sub frame. 

Fit this and re secure with pump up wedges. 

When happy screw and glue. 

[gaz_moose]

wind bags 😆

air hog win bags. i forgot about those (sorry). 

i bought some cheap ones once when i had misplaced my decent ones and they were equally as good.

 

[proeto]

Hi guys.... many thanks for the info 
The blow-up bags sound like a good idea !

 

I intend replacing the door-frame completely - screw 'n glue into the masonry
Then put the required packing the full length of the frame - get it 'true' - screw 'n glue

Screws - will go for the Torx .... how much of the screw should be into the masonry ? .... rough guide ? .... educated guess ?

What's your favourite sealant ?

Thanks again for the help .... 
Peter

[gaz_moose]

150mm masonry screws. 4 per side.

expanding foam the gaps (remembering that it expands so dont go wild with it)

then a low modulus silicone sealant.

if you have a sill to attach to the bottom of the door frame then screw it on from underneath first. put a line of silicone along the back edge and side of the top of the sill first.

bed the door frame bottom on a bed of silicone too once you have done a trial dry fit.

[markc]

No need for packing full length of frame, only needed at the fixing points and full length pack makes foaming difficult and air tightness almost impossible.

[Dave Jones]

fixing straps are much better than muntering the frame!