Removing panel from PVC-U door
 

Hi there,

I'm trying to install a cat-flap in my front door, which is a
two-panel PVC-U type. The lower panel has a raised pattern on it, so I
can't fit it on that panel. The advice I have received is to remove
the lower panel and buy a replacement panel, and then fit the cat-flap
to that.

My problem is with actually removing the panel. I assumed that what I
needed to do was remove the black rubbery seal from the indoor side of
the panel and then unclip the plastic mounting and lift out the panel.
However, the black seal is pretty certain it wants to stay where it
is... I've managed to lever out a few inches with a pair of pliers and
a lot of effort, but this is making me wonder whether I'm doing
something wrong. The bit of the seal that goes under the panel is flat
with ridges on it, but even in the section I've managed to pull out,
it seems to continue around the edge of the panel. My questions are
these:

(i) Am I trying to remove a seal that should not be removed? If so,
how am I supposed to get the panel out? Is there some other technique
I should be using?

(ii) When I replace the panel, do I also replace the seal? If I still
have to remove the seal I think I may leave it in a bit of a state...

Peter

Peter Saffrey wrote:

snip

My problem is with actually removing the panel. I assumed that what I
needed to do was remove the black rubbery seal from the indoor side of
the panel and then unclip the plastic mounting and lift out the panel.
However, the black seal is pretty certain it wants to stay where it
is... I've managed to lever out a few inches with a pair of pliers and
a lot of effort, but this is making me wonder whether I'm doing
something wrong. The bit of the seal that goes under the panel is flat
with ridges on it, but even in the section I've managed to pull out,
it seems to continue around the edge of the panel. My questions are
these:

(i) Am I trying to remove a seal that should not be removed? If so,
how am I supposed to get the panel out? Is there some other technique
I should be using?

(ii) When I replace the panel, do I also replace the seal? If I still
have to remove the seal I think I may leave it in a bit of a state...

The seal comes out complete with the 4 pieces of beading holding the bottom
panel in place. With a nice big chisel you should be able to pry the beading
out (carefully) without marking it.

You'll have to remove either left+right or top+bottom beading first as one
pair holds the other pair in.

The seal comes out complete with the 4 pieces of beading holding the
bottom
panel in place. With a nice big chisel you should be able to pry the
beading
out (carefully) without marking it.

You'll have to remove either left+right or top+bottom beading first as
one
pair holds the other pair in.


I got the beads out but buggered if I could get them back. Those plastic
panels aren't cheap either, and the earlier, thinner type isn't easy to
get
hold of . I ended up getting a man in. £100 including the flap.

Thanks for your replies. My bead is one long piece. I'm not sure what
you mean about using a big chisel - it's wedged under the seal and I
don't think I could use a chisel without cutting off the thin ridged
strip that's trapped under there..

I can also see that once I get it out, it's going to be a huge pain
getting it back in again.

My local PVC-U shop quoted me 40 quid for the panel, or 140 quid with
the panel fitted with a cat-flap and into my door, although I'd have
to buy the cat-flap. This seems pretty steep. It would also be nice to
be able to do it myself, because if I ever come to sell the house I
may want to put the plain panel back in.

Peter

Peter Saffrey wrote:
Thanks for your replies. My bead is one long piece. I'm not sure what
you mean about using a big chisel - it's wedged under the seal and I
don't think I could use a chisel without cutting off the thin ridged
strip that's trapped under there..

I can also see that once I get it out, it's going to be a huge pain
getting it back in again.


I recently had to remove a pane of glass from a window and suspect the
fitting is similar. From the middle of one side of the rectangle which
is the panel, use the big chisel or similar to knock the beading in
toward the middle of the panel. You should then be able to pull/bend
the beading out of it's channel, complete with the rubber seal.
Refitting is easy enough if you can bend the beading enough to get the
two corners of the last piece in before tapping the middle part in
(i.e. the opposite of removal) I suspect the removable beading may
only be on one side.

"Peter Saffrey" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for your replies. My bead is one long piece. I'm not sure what
you mean about using a big chisel - it's wedged under the seal and I
don't think I could use a chisel without cutting off the thin ridged
strip that's trapped under there..
Not sure what you mean by the bead being one piece. It's 4 pieces, mitred
at
the corners, and you remove it from the inside. There is a fine crack
between the bead (the 45 deg piece) aand the flat part of the door that
you
can usually get a thin blade, like a paint scraper, into, but you can get
more leverage with a chisel. It's a snap fit and takes quite a lot of
force
to get the first bit out. You may need to push the panel quite hard at the
same time.


I can also see that once I get it out, it's going to be a huge pain
getting it back in again.
I think it gets more difficult as the plastic ages and becomes more
brittle.

"Stuart Noble" wrote in message ...

I think it gets more difficult as the plastic ages and becomes more
brittle.

I think we're suffering from a mismatch in terminology. My panel does
not have a plastic bead other than the flat surrounding sections. The
panel is held in by a black rubber seal, rather like silicon sealant
but more solid. This is what I'm having difficulty removing without
destroying.

Peter