DIY Double Glazing: Toeing and Heeling
Toeing and heeling is a term used in the double glazing industry to describe the procedure fitters use to prevent double glazed windows and doors dropping on the handle side. Predominantly a skill used in installing double glazed doors, it prevents the weight of the door dragging on the hinges.
If tackling your own DIY double glazing project, it is very important to get toeing and heeling exactly right. A door dropping is one of the most common complaints from otherwise completely satisfied customers and even trained fitters have been known to get it wrong.
The process involves bracing the door on the diagonal, from corner to corner using plastic packers positioned between the glass and frame and underneath the beading.
Always place the packers in the bottom corner on the hinge side and the top corner on the handle side, never the other way around.
An important tip is never be tempted to use cheaper packers, always use those specified by the supplier; more expensive packers are only about 10p so it?s really not worth the risk.
Measure up very, very carefully; there is a fine art to getting toeing and heeling right and being out by so much as a quarter of an inch can make all the difference.
It may take a while to realise if you?ve got it wrong. The first signs are usually the lock not turning easily as it becomes unaligned and the bottom of the door catching on the frame.
For more information on toeing and healing you can download our DIY double glazing guide PDF and you may also find the following pages useful:
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