Installation Instructions

How to correct installation errors or repair minor damage*
*The Bilco basement door is carefully and adequately packed to
withstand all normal shipping abuse. This information is provided to
show how easily minor repairs can be made, thus saving the builder
or homeowner much unnecessary inconvenience.
Door not shedding water. If your Bilco basement door does not
shed water, look for and correct these installation errors.
1.
Header end plates not caulked. Loosen header bolts and pry
plate down from below with a screwdriver. Push caulking in on
top of header end plate and retighten bolts. Fill pockets provided
by protrusion of metal at each corner (see 2 on page 2).
2.
Doors do not fully close. Stand on steps and slowly close each
door to see if the bottom flange of one or both is binding on the
concrete. Chip away or rub down excess concrete with mason's
stone so flange is not obstructed. Refer to instructions at right for
adjustments if required.
3.
Masonry not high enough. The masonry under the Bilco base-
ment door should be 4" higher than the surrounding grade and
concrete should be level so water cannot accumulate in front of
the sill.
4.
Water seeping between steel and masonry. The unit should be
caulked all around the exterior where the steel and masonry
meet, as well as where the unit joins the building wall. If sidepieces
have been buried in concrete, the unit should be removed and
stairwell recapped so assembly rests on top.
5.
Blocked header channel. Make certain channel is clear. Any
blockage in this channel will cause water to overflow the header.
NOTE: To check your door, set garden hose on medium spray and
direct it upward so water falls on the door to simulate rain.
Page 8
Doors Out of Alignment. This is caused by failure to align the doors
and square the frame as instructed. With doors closed, sight across
bottom. Remove door that is higher than the other. Hold vertically
with top edge on the ground as shown. Strike each hinge three or
four solid blows with a hammer. This bends hinges in the direction of
top of door, thus lowering it to line up with other door (see Figure 1).
If additional adjustment is necessary, remove lower door, place lower
end on ground and strike each hinge with a hammer. This bends the
hinges in the direction of the bottom of the door, thus raising it to line
up with other door.
Doors Not Seated Properly. If doors do not seat themselves
properly or bounce slightly when in closed position, and bottom
flanges of doors are not obstructed by concrete in front of sill, apply
lubricant such as WD-40 to hinges and cams, then refer to 3 on page
2 and: (a) check for plumb, and (b) from below with door open three-
quarters of the way, insert a screwdriver along side of hinge and pull
door down on it to a point where you feel pressure of the screw driver
relieving binding condition (see Figure 2).
Hinge Damaged. A hinge can be bent downward by mishandling
during shipment or by someone trying to force the door closed
without releasing the hold-open safety latch, and as a result the door
does not fit properly on the frame. Such damage to a hinge can be
identified by a bump on the top of the door. To correct, remove the
door from the frame, place it on the ground with the hinge side up and
step downward on the hinge to bend the pivot point back to its correct
location. The other hinge on that door, which has not been damaged,
can be used as a guide in bending the hinge back to the proper place
(See Figure 3).
Door Warped or Bent. Place the end of the door on a block or
bottom step of a nearby stairway, and step down on it with your foot.
Door can be bent back to the original shape very easily this way, but
when it's installed on the frame and supported all around it's ex-
tremely strong and will not bend during everyday use (see Figure 4).
Figure 1 Figure 2
Figure 3 Figure 4