Storm door closer speed may be improperly adjusted.
To adjust the closing speed, turn the adjusting screw on the end of the closer ¼ to ½ turn. Turn the screw counter-clockwise to increase speed, clockwise for a slower speed.
Still not closing properly?
If your door has two closers, unhook one closer, adjusting one at a time.
Leaving one closer attached to the door, remove the closer adjusting screw. Hold onto the door and open and close it about a dozen times. (Door will close rapidly). Replace the adjustment screw, turning it one to two times.
Adjust the closer shaft. For optimal performance, only the painted surface should show. Up to a 1/4" of unpainted surface is acceptable. Move the jamb bracket if necessary.
Adjust the closer, turning the adjustment screw 1/4 to 1/2 turn at a time, until you've achieved your desired closing speed. Turn the screw counter-clockwise to increase speed, clockwise for a slower speed.
If your door has two closers, unhook this closer and rehook the other. Repeat steps.
There may be air pressure between the prime and storm door.
If both the prime entry door and storm door seal tightly, they may not be allowing air to escape, creating a pressurized pocket. To create an escape route for the air, you may raise the storm door expander slightly or leave the storm door window open.
The storm door's bottom expander may be dragging on the threshold.
Loosen expander screws and raise the expander so that the rubber sweep only touches the top of the threshold. Retighten screws.
The hinge rail screws may be too tight.
Loosen the hinge rail screws a 1/4 turn to relax the tension.
The hinge rail may be bent or a hinge may be broken.
If the hinge rail is bent or a hinge is broken, the hinge rail should be replaced. Order parts
The storm door closer hits my prime door.
Move the closer jamb bracket closer to the storm door. If they still hit each other, you will need to shim the storm door out from the primary door.
The inside hinge rail screws could be too tight
Loosen the hinge rail screws a 1/4 turn to relax the tension.
If your door is new, the hinges could be tight until they receive some use.
Lubricate the hinges with silicone spray lubricant, 3-in-1 oil, or cooking oil.
The door opening may be out of square.
If the storm door was installed in an opening that is not square or if home settling has caused it to go out of square, you will need to adjust the opening and align it properly for the storm door can perform as designed.
Many Doors have drainage holes, also known as weep holes, that could be blocked.
Inspect and clean the drainage holes, which are located on the outside of door, just below the window area.
If you have a multi-vent door (a full, stationary screen, and both glass panels move), the glass panels are likely reversed.
The narrower of the two inserts needs to be at the top, and the wider one at the bottom. If reversed, remove each glass panel and reinsert in correct position.
Water could be coming in behind the storm door.
Caulk behind the top drip cap. Also verify that there is caulk behind the house brickmould or trim, and recaulk if necessary.
If the door receives direct sunlight most of the day, heat build up between the two can occur due to a lack of ventilation.
To create an escape route for the air, you may raise the storm door expander slightly or leave the storm door window open. If your door is a Full View, use the screen insert during the affected months.
Warm, moist air is being trapped between storm door and primary door.
There may be a leak around the prime door. Check prime door seals and weatherstripping. Replace the weatherstripping if necessary.
You may see condensation form after leaving your primary door open, as the warm, humid air from the interior of your home meets the cooler storm door glass. Keeping the humidity in your home low will help alleviate this situation, as will keeping your prime door closed.
My prime door is closed and seals well. What else can I do?
To create an escape route for the moisture, you may raise the storm door expander slightly or leave the storm door window open.
The storm door and latch side rail are likely misaligned.
To unjam, remove the latch side rail installation screws. This will loosen the door enough to allow you to open it.
If the hardware and lock move freely when the door is open, there is likely an alignment issue. Refer to solutions under "My deadbolt won't work."
Once door is open, test the lock and hardware. If the hardware is not operating or locking properly when the door is open, the hardware needs to be replaced.
The deadbolt may be hitting the edge of latch rail.
Adjust the strike plate to allow the deadbolt to move freely.
The deadbolt could be binding against the brick mold frame.
For doors with mortise hardware, verify the mortise hole is 3/4" deep and adjust strike plate location if needed.
The hardware is installed upside down.
Refer to the hardware installation instructions to reinstall the hardware. During this reinstallation, you may need to reverse the latch nose.
Many handles are held in place by a set screw. The set screw likely came loose.
Reattach the handle, and firmly tighten the set screw.
If the set screw is stripped and cannot be tightened, the handle will need to be replaced.
Solid brass hardware has a clear coat finish to protect the brass. Over time, the clear coat finish can wear through or be compromised by nicks from rings and keys, exposing the solid brass to the elements. Unprotected brass will tarnish under this exposure.
Polish the brass using a brass cleaning product.
There may be too much tension in the handle screws.
Try loosening the handle screws.
The spring may be reversed. If the narrow end is against the door, the spring may slip in the door's hardware hole and not function properly.
Verify the spring behind the push button has the wide end against the door. Reverse if needed.
Installing a D Clip
Some mortise handle kits utilize a D-Clip. Determine which handle is your outside handle.
Then assemble the outside handle through the split T bushing and then the outside trim plate.
Then on the backside of the trim plate, place the flat washer over the end of the outside handle.
Notice the grove in the handle. Slide the D-Clip across this grove.
Once the D-Clip is installed, insert the spindle and tighten the Set Screw on the handle.
You can now finish the handle per the hardware installation instructions.
How to operate the Secure Elegance Handle
To lock the door lift the door handle up. This will extend top and bottom hooks. Then turn the key or deadbolt to lock the door. It will turn more than one revolution.
Push down on the handle. The handle should not move. Your door is now locked.
To unlock the door, turn the key or deadbolt and push the handle down. The hooks will retract into the door and you can now open your door.
If the door does not lock, the hooks may not be aligned with the strike plate. The hooks need to extend fully for the locking operation to work.
A good way to make sure is to open the door and extend the hooks. Add some lip stick to the edge of the hook. Retract the hooks and close the door. Then lift the handle up as far as it will go. Close the door and lift the handle. Then open the door and observe the area in the door jamb. If you see lipstick on the strike plate, adjust the strike plate location. If there is lipstick on the bottom of the hole, then the hole needs to be deepened.
The screen rolling mechanism may need to be reset.
Lower the glass insert approximately half way. Open the door, and place a hand on each side of the screen material (one inside and one outside the door). Pull down on the screen about six inches and then release it. The screen should snap up, resetting the tension of the rolling mechanism.
The screen roll may have come out of its brackets.
Remove the screen assembly cover and make sure screen is seated properly.
The screen is designed to blow out in heavy winds or extreme pressure. This design prevents damage to the screen.
Make sure the screen is inserted into the weather-stripping track along the sides of the window opening. To realign in track, close the window completely and reopen.
The edge of the screen may fray, and a loose strand could wrap around the end of the screen roll.
Remove the screen assembly cover. Do not remove the screen roll, or the spring tension will be lost. Carefully cut the caught thread off of the screen roll. Replace the screen assembly cover.
It is normal for the top glass to drop 1" - 3".
If the sash is consistently dropping more than 3", there may be an issue with the screen tension. Contact the customer service department.
The sash handle is not installed.
For many ScreenAway models, the latching mechanism is built into the sash handle. Verify that the sash handle is installed.
Either the glass or the screen fits in the door at one time, and not both.
Choose the glass or the screen and reinstall the retainers.
The retainers are not installed correctly.
Make sure the glass or screen insert is centered into the door. If it is off to one side that could interfere with the retainer installation.
Try installing them with the door open. Sometimes getting at them from a different angle makes a lot of difference.
Only push or snap the strip in at 2" to 5" intervals.
Spray glass cleaner or something similar on the retainer. The light lubricant in it helps the retainers go in more easily.
When installing the retainer, hold the strip at about a 45 degree angle to the side of the glass, and then start the end of the strip into the track in the middle of the door. Slide the retainer up or down from there and every couple of inches push the retainer in with your fingers. Make sure the edge with the writing on it is facing you. The open side of the retainer should be facing the insert. When you get to the end, you will hear a "snap" as the last portion of the retainer goes in.
The metal trim on the glass insert may be coming off. This can happen when the glass is handled by the metal trim only and the full insert is not.
Gently tap the metal trim on the glass panel with a rubber mallet.
Still not fitting?
The metal trim and rubber boot may have come off too far and will not tap back on. In this case, tap the edge piece off the unit first. There is a rubber boot between the glass and the metal trim. Reset this rubber boot on the glass edge and then tap the trim back on. At each corner of the inserts, there is a "L" shape bracket holding it together.
Condensation is visible evidence of excessive moisture in the air. It may appear as water, frost, or ice on the surface of windows and doors. The warmer the air, the more water the air can hold. This means that the air in the center of any given room will hold more water than the air adjacent to windows, doors, or exterior walls, where the air is always cooler.
When the warm, moisture-laden air moves toward the cooler window or door wall, it becomes cooler and cannot hold the moisture it held at the warmer temperature. The moisture is dropped from the air, and appears as water on the cooler surfaces. This occurs more frequently during the winter months because of the extreme difference between the inside and outside temperatures. If you wish to avoid condensation during the winter months, maintaining a 25 – 35 percent indoor relative humidity is advisable.
Ventilation is a very effective way to remove excessive moisture from the air, which is why old, poorly insulated single-glazed windows often do not have condensation problems. New homes, which are constructed to meet current insulation and energy conservation requirements, as well as older homes which have new attic and basement insulation, are often so air-tight they present a new problem: excess moisture in the home.
All homes will, on occasion, have temporary condensation, which is the result of one of three occurrences:
If you have a high level of moisture in your home resulting in condensation, it will not likely be corrected simply by installing new windows. Remember that storm windows and storm doors do not cause condensation and, therefore, cannot cure condensation.