"VivienB" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 11 May 2005 15:26:00 GMT, "BigWallop"
wrote:

snipped
3. The door is opened from the outside by the wheelchair being
reversed against it. Obviously we will need to fix the protector to
the door without projections which will catch against the wheelchair.
The thinking at the moment is to just screw it on - any pros or cons?

Thanks for the ideas so far,

Regards, VivienB


If it's the clear rigid Poly' stuff, then you can cut and drill it just the
same. The only thing I think you will find is that it will be soft and will
melt easy with if handled roughly. Try not to use a jigsaw to cut it as it
will probably just bond itself back together at the back of the blade. A
fine toothed handsaw, or a copying saw, are the ideal tool for this job.

It shouldn't discolour quickly, but like anything else of this nature, it
will become dull and scratched over time. The surface of polystyrene is
also not as robust as true laminate acrylic, so it might get scratched a bit
easier. It'll still do the job you want though.

Fixing to the door is one thing I need more info' on to make sure comments.
What is the door made of, and is it a hollow egg-box structure. Most
internal doors in modern flats are made of a frame covered with on both
sides with a thin sheet of plywood. They have a cardboard web of honeycomb
shapes in between to make the surfaces of the door a bit more rigid to the
touch. They aren't as solid as an old oak door. :-)

To fix anything properly to this type of door, you need to take self-tapping
screws with counter-sunk heads. Quite large heads to give a good secure
fixing. Drill the holes through the poly' sheet slightly smaller than the
screw. So a 5 mm screw nail would need a 3 mm hole in the sheet. You then
counter-sink the hole on one side, with a proper counter-sink drill bit, to
a depth that is just enough to hide the screw nail head below the surface of
the poly' sheet. And I mean "just below the surface of the sheet". Feel
your way with a little counter-sinking and keep checking with the head of
the screw nail. Once you do one, you should then get an idea of how deep
the others need to be.

Present the poly' sheet to the door, and with a good screwdriver, start
turning the first screw in. This is where self tapping screws come into
play. A self tapper screw will make its own hole, and this is the ideal
solution for a hollow door. Make sure you get the sheet level, not in line
with the edges of the door, but level with a bubble level. If the door has
been shaped to fit the hole, then the kick plate will also look skew wiff if
you fallow the edges of the door.

Once you get the first screw to bite in to the door surface, stop screwing.
Don't tighten it in fully until you get the sheet level enough. The loose
screw will allow the sheet to move around a bit for the placing procedure.
Try to fix the next screw nail diagonally opposite the first one. This is a
great way of making the sheet firm enough to put the other two screw nails
in. Don't fully tighten any of the screws in until all are placed exactly
where you want them to be. When you're happy with the level and the look,
then tighten the screw nails in until they grip tightly, but not over
tightened.

The same method can also be used on other type of door structure without any
changes.

You should now have a polystyrene sheet fixed to the door. The screw nail
heads should be quite well hidden so they don't catch on things, and it
should all look pretty. If that's the way it looks and feels, then go put
the kettle on and make a nice cuppa' tea.

Good luck with it.