How to choose and install a magnetic latch on a balcony door?
Locking balconies began a long time ago. But doing it with old-fashioned latch bolts is impractical and inconvenient. There are more convenient and modern solutions that need to be figured out before repairing or replacing an old door.
Peculiarities
A high-quality magnetic latch on the balcony door secures the sash from the outside, while air from the street ceases to enter the house or apartment. If there are no shut-off valves, then it penetrates uncontrollably and unrestrictedly. As a result, the microclimate changes frequently and in unpredictable ways. The correct choice of shut-off valves is especially important for those people who often visit the balcony.
Plastic doors that are not equipped with latches can only be closed from the inside. Inevitably, the door will swing open, and the problem is not only related to noise or popping. If a smoker enters the balcony, the smoke will be drawn into the room. It is extremely difficult to ventilate it constantly, to clean it from foreign odors. If a latch is installed, then it is able to ensure a tight pressing of the door leaf to the frame.
The minimum contact force is carefully selected by the engineers. It should ensure that the leaf is kept closed, even when a very strong wind is blowing, while maintaining an easy opening of the doors from the inside. In other words, the maximum clamping force is carefully calculated. Balcony latches are sold as accessories for plastic structures.
How to install correctly?
Rapid wear is a problem in all mechanical systems. The severity of the structure leads to the sash sagging. In this case, the protruding part cannot fully fall into the groove, as a result of which the door cannot be fixed. Therefore, many experts consider magnetic latches to be a more practical solution.
Such devices make it easy to open and lock the door, even if the structure is slightly skewed. The magnet can be housed in a plastic or metal housing. The canvas will be attracted to the frame due to the steel plate mounted in it in the shape of the letter G. In addition, the magnetic system works without any noise and lasts for a long time. The service life is limited only by the gradual loss of its magnetic properties by the working mechanism.
You can even put a latch on the balcony door with your own hands.
- measurements are made with a ruler;
- marks are made with a pencil or a marker;
- self-tapping screws are screwed in at the designated places using a screwdriver or screwdriver.
But first you should check if the sash is correctly adjusted, if there are any distortions in it. Sometimes you even have to reinstall the door.
Starting the installation of the latch, you need to immediately choose the place where it is best placed. It has no fundamental value - you can choose any point that seems optimal. But still, professionals generally put the latch as close to the handle as possible. Near the handle itself, a screw is removed from the profile. Instead, there will be a part of the magnetic retainer.
It is important to know that when installing the latch, you must use the supplied self-tapping screw. If it is absent, then a screw 3-3.5 cm long is taken for replacement. A mark for placing the part is first made on the sash and only then transferred to the frame. When installing using self-tapping screws, there is no need to drill a hole - plastic allows you to screw in a screw without unnecessary difficulty, and using a drill can destroy a glass unit.
It is necessary to fasten the striker in such a way that the groove is strictly opposite the roller element or the fungus. The advantage when installing a magnetic lock is the minimum required accuracy. The large length of the element and the strip allows you to guarantee a full clamping, even with a rather gross error. To install the handle, which provides a convenient opening of the sash, use small self-tapping screws.
How to choose?
If the magnetic latch is correctly installed, but not chosen correctly, you can face big problems. Ignoring design considerations is a common mistake. The appearance of the latch should be harmoniously combined with the image that the door structure as a whole creates. At the same time, a discrepancy with the design concept that was used in the arrangement of the room is also undesirable.
The next important point is how the latch is attached.
Distinguish between mortise, overhead and partially mortise products. The approach to installing each version differs in a number of peculiarities. More detailed information can always be obtained in the instructions. But with any installation method, it is necessary to select only such a product that will withstand the load created by the door leaf. Please note: if the door is very heavy, sometimes you even have to buy an additional closer.
Having dealt with all these points, you need to decide which coverage is better. Most professionals believe that the best options are zinc or nickel casings. These two metals tolerate mechanical stress and temperature fluctuations better than others.
Another nuance is the trade mark. Almost all qualified repairers prefer Palladium and Mediana Polaris AGB magnetic latches.
Most balcony doors are fitted with recessed locks. In such products, the magnet is triggered by a handle attached to both sides of the canvas. In another, passive version, there is a small steel bar that is attracted to the magnet. The two structures hold together well, but it is also quite easy to separate them.
It makes sense to choose an electromagnetic latch only if there are free funds - the high cost of such a device is justified only by the fact that it replaces a full-fledged lock.
As for the size of the latch, professionals recommend paying attention to parameters such as:
- mechanism length;
- the width of the overlays;
- the size of the magnetic tabs used as a locking mechanism.
How to install a magnetic latch on a balcony door, see the video.
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