Aluminium door installation is where a good door becomes a door that seals, locks and swings properly for years. Coetz™ supplies aluminium doors only, so this guide is for the builder or installer fitting them, and for homeowners who want to know what a good job looks like. It covers hinged, pivot, swing, stable and folding doors; for sliding doors, see our separate guide to aluminium sliding door installation.
In this guide
Before the door arrives
Check the opening
The opening must be square, plumb and level. Measure the width at the top, middle and bottom, the height at both sides and the middle, and both diagonals. See how to measure aluminium doors.
Allow for the frame size
The frame is 10 mm smaller than the catalogue size each way, leaving room for packing and sealing. Never force a frame into a tight opening.
Check the floor
For a good aluminium door installation, the finished floor level must be known before the door goes in. Pivot and swing doors have no cill and a standard 7 mm clearance under the leaf, so the floor must be level across the whole swing. See aluminium door seals.
The supplier’s installation rules
The manufacturer’s notes set out rules that every aluminium door installation must follow:
- Products are viewed from the outside (VFO) when handing and opening direction are specified.
- Fixing lugs must be positioned to AAAMSA specifications.
- Setting blocks for the glass go in as SANS 10137 requires.
- Laminated glass must not stand in water, so drainage must work.
- Mechanical joints are sealed with an approved joint sealer.
- Open-in doors are not recommended for weather-facing positions.
- External glazing more than 10 m above ground must be signed off by a competent person (glazing).
Door-specific points
Each door type adds its own checks to an aluminium door installation.
Hinged doors
Check the opening direction ordered matches the plan, viewed from outside. On double doors, the active leaf is on the right, viewed from outside. See aluminium hinged doors.
Pivot and swing doors
The floor must be level and solid where the bottom pivot sits, and the leaf needs clear space on both sides. These doors are not weatherproof, so they belong under cover. See aluminium pivot door designs and aluminium swing doors.
Stable doors
The split is fixed at 1 050 mm from the bottom; check both leaves close evenly onto the double woolpile frame. See aluminium stable doors.
Folding doors
The track must be dead level along its length, and the configuration ordered (which side the panels stack) must match the site. See aluminium bifold door configurations.
Aluminium door installation, step by step
- Place the frame on packers, centred in the opening.
- Plumb, level and square it, checking the diagonals.
- Fix through the lugs, packing behind every fixing so the frame does not bow.
- Hang or fit the leaves and adjust so they close evenly.
- Seal the perimeter, leaving drainage paths open.
- Check the lock engages cleanly and the door closes without force.
Common mistakes
- Fitting a weather-facing door to open in.
- Leaving out packers behind fixings, so the frame bows and the door sticks.
- Sealing over drainage slots.
- Installing a pivot door on a floor that is not level.
- Not protecting the glass and threshold from building work after fitting.
Handover
At the end of an aluminium door installation, clean the threshold and track, check every leaf opens and closes without force, check the lock and cylinder, and show the owner how to keep drainage slots clear. Leave the door protected until the building work around it is finished, because plaster and paint on a new frame are hard to remove without damaging the finish.
Who installs the door?
Coetz™ supplies aluminium doors nationwide and does not fit them; your own builder or installer does the aluminium door installation. We deliver across South Africa, or you can collect free from Laser Park. Glazed doors must meet SANS 10400-N, published by the South African Bureau of Standards.
Aluminium door installation: frequently asked questions
Do you install aluminium doors?
No. Coetz™ supplies only; your builder or installer fits the door.
Which way is a door’s handing measured?
Viewed from the outside.
Should a weather-facing door open in?
No. The manufacturer does not recommend open-in doors in weather-facing positions.
Do pivot doors need a level floor?
Yes. They have no cill and a 7 mm clearance, so the floor must be level across the swing.
How much gap should there be around the frame?
The frame is 10 mm smaller than the catalogue size each way, for packing and sealing.
Coetz™, Unit 2, 84 Ridge Road, Laser Park, Johannesburg. Call 010 412 0062, WhatsApp 076 613 4418 or use our contact page.
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