So, your Solidor sticks when it opens and closes!

You’ve had a Solidor installed and it was a delight to walk through every day…until it started to stick and became hard to close and open.  After living in smooth operator bliss, you’re now worrying that the door you were so happy about is faulty or broken…

Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s most probably not broken or faulty!

When we install your brand new Solidor, it’s (obviously) nice and clean and well lubricated.  Over time, that changes, which can make it hard to close and open… makes sense, doesn\’t it?!

1. The lubrication gets used, moved about and mixed with dirt. 
2. Extra dirt builds up on the inside of the frame.  
3. The lubrication that was inside the lock becomes no more, and the key feels a bit trickier to insert and turn.

Look…your door is most likely absolutely fine and it\’s not a Solidor issue! It just needs a little TLC (don’t we all!)

(However, if a door that we’ve installed is still not right after you’ve followed all of these steps, get in touch and we can arrange a service call out.)

Here are 3 super simple and quick solutions to try when your Solidor sticks… before you start worrying that you’ll need to replace your already new front door!

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1. Clean your Solidor… it will thank you for it!

No matter how clean and tidy you are, debris and dirt collects inside a door frame really easily.  

If your Solidor sticks when it opens and closes, this is for sure the no1 step to take in resolving the issue.

You’ve got muddy shoes, boots and paws traipsing in and out.  Rain that finds its way in when you open the door to the delivery driver.  Spiders that make their home there.  Twigs… you have no idea how they get in there!

First things first… give your sticky Solidor a good vacuum.  Find your favourite hoover attachment, you know, the one that can reach all the nooks and crannies.  Get in there and make sure inside the door frame and the inside edge of the door are free from any loose debris.

Next, grab yourself a bucket of warm soapy water.  Ring the cloth or sponge out so that it’s slightly damp and then run it around the inside of the frame and the edge of the door.  Once both areas are good and clean, dry them off well.  If it’s a warm and breezy day, leave your Solidor open and let the weather do the work for you!

This is just step one – it’s a satisfying one at that!  After you’ve cleaned the door, you’ll need to…

2. You need to lubricate your Solidor.

It’s a common misconception that once a Solidor is installed, it can be left alone without any maintenance.  When it inevitably becomes a bit sticky a while after being installed, we can guarantee we’ll get calls from one or two customers who haven\’t read the aftercare brochure!  They usually go a little something like this…

“My new Solidor sticks when it opens and closes and I think it\’s broken/needs to be looked at!”

Things that hinge, open and close need lubricating…it’s just a fact of life!

There are two main areas of your Solidor that need to be kept lubricated.  

For the side of the door, you’ll want to use a silicone spray all along the lock especially, paying particular attention to the hook bolts and latch and to the keeps on the frame. There isn\’t a specific Solidor lubricant, but we recommend one like this (affiliate link).  Don’t overdo it… in fact, here’s a video that shows you exactly how much to use, and which areas to concentrate on.  It’s for windows, but the same-ish technique applies.

Yes, that was just one area, we know!  Here’s number 2…

3. Rub some graphite on your door key.

We mentioned the key lock and key earlier and here’s what you need to do!

Did you know that graphite – that’s the stuff you find at the core of a pencil – is a great lubricator!  All you need to do is rub a bit of graphite from a pencil onto the key.  When the key is then placed in the lock, it will glide and transfer a bit of lubrication to the inside of the lock.  Magic!

Just avoid putting your keys in the pockets of any white trousers or jackets for a while after you do this… you have been warned!

There you have it! 

Following these steps will fix your sticky issues keep your Solidor opening and closing smoothly for years to come.  It’s probably quite sensible to do this once winter and the infamous April showers have passed – pop it in your calendar now!