Routine Care & Maintenance Tips: Swinging Doors

Operation and Maintenance

To operate the door from the interior, grasp the active panel’s handle lever and rotate it downwards. Pull the door panel towards you for an Inswing door, or push the door outwards for a Outswing door.

Doors require very little maintenance to keep functioning efficiently. Most problems can be eliminated by keeping the sill clean, ensuring smooth door operation. Chemicals, solvents, paints, and other harsh substances should never come in contact with the sill. Remove any paint, grease or sealant with 50% isopropyl alcohol. Finished wood doors need to adjust to humidity levels in a home and may warp slightly as seasons change (allow one full year for your door to go through this process). Door handles can be wiped down with a damp cloth to remove fingerprints and smudges.

Marvin doors have a special weep drainage system incorporated into the sill design. Periodically check the sill to be sure the weep system is free from debris. To maintain sill appearance, wash only with mild soap and water solution.

Handle Operation for the Multi-Point Lock

Always close and lock your passive panel first and the operating panel (with thumb turn) second. Marvin’s multi-point hardware has locking bolts at the head and base of the door. Lifting the handle 45 degrees upward will set the head and foot bolts in place for a secure
seal. A 90 degree turn of the key from the outside or the thumb turn on the inside will lock the deadbolt in the handle assembly. When the deadbolt is unlocked, downward pressure on the handle will release the bolts and latch, and the door will open. Engaging only the deadbolt will offer some security. However, to obtain full security and full performance against air and water infiltration, engage the head and foot bolt along with the dead bolt.

NOTE: An operating passive panel will have either manual head and foot bolts or multi-point hardware.

Adjustable Hinges

Some Swinging Doors are equipped with adjustable hinges which allow horizontal and vertical adjustment after the door has been permanently installed. To adjust panel(s) horizontally away from the hinge jamb, open the panel slightly to access the hinges, turn horizontal adjustment screw counter-clockwise using a 5/32” (4mm) Allen wrench. To move the panel toward the hinge jamb, turn the Allen screw clockwise. To raise the panel vertically, first adjust one hinge and remaining hinges equally by turning the vertical adjustment screw clockwise using a 5/32” (4mm) Allen wrench. To lower the panel, adjust all hinges equally by turning the screws counter-clockwise. Be sure to make horizontal adjustments first. Make any vertical adjustments ONLY after the horizontal adjustments are complete.

Turn counter-clockwise to lower the panel vertically

Turn clockwise to raise the panel vertically

Turn clockwise to move toward the hinge jamb

Turn counter-clockwise to move horizontally away from the hinge jamb

NOTE: When raising or lowering panel vertically, it will be necessary to loosen or tighten all vertical adjustment screws so the weight of the panel will not be on just one hinge. Compare alignment marks on each hinge to ensure even weight distribution of the panel.

Butt Hinge Adjustment

On doors equipped with butt hinges, there are 1/32” (1mm) shim behind each leaf on all hinges. Horizontal panel adjustment is possible by removing or redistributing these shims.

Door Shim