Securing door frame to opening

metricspaces

I got a PVC door frame replaced as original was faulty and the fitters secured the frame to the opening by drilling right through the frame. Does this sound ok? In terms of air-tightness, this cannot be good?

The original door frame had the metal slips which are normally used to secure door frame to opening - metal slip attached to door frame, then screw the other end of the slip to the opening.

The fitters -snip- said they never use those metal slips for a retrofit and always screw through the frame.

fatty pang

‘Through fixing’ is the best way to fix a door - as long as the frame is not sitting in a cavity. Any airtightness tape (if it was installed) should be inside these fixing holes.

metricspaces

From this site here https://www.isover.ie/products/isover-vario-bond my understanding of airtightness (junction tape) is that it should run from reveal on the inside of the building and join up to door frame to provide continuous unbroken airtighness layer.

The tape wouldn't be where the frame makes contact with the reveal as this is outside of the airtightness layer, and this is where the installers put screws through my door frame. The door frame is part of the airtightness fabric of the building, and by drilling several holes straight through it this is piercing the airtighness layer surely?

See image below that maybe describes my door frame a little better. The red thing is the door frame. The yellow material is the airtightness junciton tape, and the hatched yellow area is where the tape overlaps the door frame.



On the link above there's a video showing how to apply these various airtightness products, and you can see them applying it to a window frame. Where I have marked red is where the installer drilled holes, which is outside of where the tape joins the frame.

listermint

Installation was correct. You will need to provide the tape now as most installers wont do that. They'll limit it to tight gap foam spray and leave it at that.

Gumbo

metricspaces wrote: »

I got a PVC door frame replaced as original was faulty and the fitters secured the frame to the opening by drilling right through the frame. Does this sound ok? In terms of air-tightness, this cannot be good?

The original door frame had the metal slips which are normally used to secure door frame to opening - metal slip attached to door frame, then screw the other end of the slip to the opening.

The fitters -snip- said they never use those metal slips for a retrofit and always screw through the frame.

Door fitters are not responsible for your air tightness.
You have to do the tape now unless you specifically specified an alternative fixing method.

metricspaces

listermint wrote: »

Installation was correct. You will need to provide the tape now as most installers wont do that. They'll limit it to tight gap foam spray and leave it at that.

Yes I have tape to apply as per the picture in previous post so all good there.

One thing I didn't explain is there is a side light glass pane in the door frame. See image below



Drilling holes in the frame where the door leaf meets the frame I am ok with, as when you close the door leaf it is creating the airtighness and the screws\holes are now on the outside of the building.

However, in the sidelight, what the installer did was take off the beading for the glass on the inside of the house, and then drilled several screws through the frame. How can this be correct?

This would be no different to drilling a screw through the airtightness tape\membrane, which you wouldn't do as you'd have just broken the airtightness layer of your building.

metricspaces

kceire wrote: »

Door fitters are not responsible for your air tightness.
You have to do the tape now unless you specifically specified an alternative fixing method.

Ok, so where they installer drilled holes in the frame of the sidelight, just put the airtighness junction tape over the screw heads?

Gumbo

metricspaces wrote: »

Ok, so where they installer drilled holes in the frame of the sidelight, just put the airtighness junction tape over the screw heads?

Would have to see it.
Can they be filled and then taped over.

Lumen

I think you are fussing unnecessarily. This type of minor air leakage is more ventilation than infiltration, since the air is going into the conditioned space rather than the building fabric.

Tape or fill, whatever works best.

Wartburg

metricspaces wrote: »

Yes I have tape to apply as per the picture in previous post so all good there.

One thing I didn't explain is there is a side light glass pane in the door frame. See image below



Drilling holes in the frame where the door leaf meets the frame I am ok with, as when you close the door leaf it is creating the airtighness and the screws\holes are now on the outside of the building.

However, in the sidelight, what the installer did was take off the beading for the glass on the inside of the house, and then drilled several screws through the frame. How can this be correct?

This would be no different to drilling a screw through the airtightness tape\membrane, which you wouldn't do as you'd have just broken the airtightness layer of your building.

There´s no need to be afraid about the way you got your door installed, as long as the fixing screws do end in your block instead of the cavity. Fixing through the frame is not that popular here in Ireland but is definitely the better method instead of using straps.
https://www.window.de/fileadmin/redaktion_window/vff/Shop_pdfs/Guideline_for_Installation_windows_main_doors_Content_EN.pd
If you need more details, please send a pm. I have the printed version of the complete installation guideline.