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Fixing an ill-fitting door
Posted on 5/22/19 at 8:36 am
Posted on 5/22/19 at 8:36 am
One of my exterior doors is very difficult to open/close. I can see that it's not square in the opening, and is tilted such that the top on the knob side catches. The hinges are tight. It looks almost as if the middle and top hinges have bent somewhat. The flaps on those two do not meet as closely as the bottom one.
What do?
Replace the middle and top? Simply reverse the placement, or would that just trade one problem for another?
What do?
Replace the middle and top? Simply reverse the placement, or would that just trade one problem for another?
7
Posted on 5/22/19 at 8:38 am to AlxTgr
Is the door metal or wood?
Posted on 5/22/19 at 8:45 am to AlxTgr
Sometimes you can swap one of the screws in the top hinge with about a 2" screw (on the frame side). When you drive it in, it will grab the frame and hopefully suck the top of the door over a little.
Posted on 5/22/19 at 8:56 am to wickowick
quote:Wood, and I don't want to plane off any of the top.
Is the door metal or wood?
Posted on 5/22/19 at 8:57 am to Da Joker
quote:I was thinking of just removing that hinge and beating the shite out of it with a hammer.
Sometimes you can swap one of the screws in the top hinge with about a 2" screw (on the frame side). When you drive it in, it will grab the frame and hopefully suck the top of the door over a little.
Posted on 5/22/19 at 9:11 am to AlxTgr
Usually a shim behind the middle and bottom hinge wil fix that. Sometimes need 2 shims behind the bottom hinge depending on how far the door is out of square. Hardware stores sell plastic shims for that specific purpose. Had to do 2 doors at my house several months ago. You can watch videos on YouTube to help decide where the shims should be placed depending on where the door is out of square, b/c sometimes it’s better to put the shims behind the hinge attached to the door as opposed to behind the hinge attached to the door frame.
Posted on 5/22/19 at 9:12 am to CrawDude
This. Just shimmed a door in my house that was dragging arse. Worked well and took me about 5min
Posted on 5/22/19 at 9:19 am to CrawDude
Seems like shims would rearrange the door over all, but would not move the top part closer to the frame. Or, would it? There's a good little gap there, and it bothers me.
Posted on 5/22/19 at 9:37 am to AlxTgr
anxious to hear how this turns out. wife picked up a beautiful wood/glass door and we installed it in the existing door jam and the top corner doesn't seal properly and lets in air and you can actually see daylight. extra weatherseal looks like shite so i'm trying to figure out how to 'twist' the top of the door inward slightly (does that make sense?) so its tight/flush against the jam. seems like some kind of shim/hinge magic should do the trick but this (like most things) is clearly beyond cad's expertise.
This post was edited on 5/22/19 at 9:38 am
Posted on 5/22/19 at 9:52 am to CrawDude
Posted on 5/22/19 at 10:07 am to AlxTgr
quote:
Seems like shims would rearrange the door over all, but would not move the top part closer to the frame. Or, would it? There's a good little gap there, and it bothers me.
OK, this is video I watched prior to shimming my doors, and it should indicate whether or not shimming can work for you. It’s going to be your easiest solution to try first. I used plastic shims and not the product in the video b/c they weren’t available and seems like you had to order a minimum of 300 for a online purchase.
Basic Door Shimming
As another poster stated sometimes a long screw or 2 in the correct hinge can shift a door enough to fix it. Had a pair of metal French Doors that had sagged over time and couldn’t get them line up correctly to lock even with shimming, had 2 guys at the house replacing a bathtub last Sept and they noticed that and said they would fix it for me, put 2 long wood screws in the upper hinge and lined it up perfectly.
This post was edited on 5/22/19 at 10:19 am
Posted on 5/22/19 at 10:17 am to AlxTgr
You can bed the hinges to get the door where it needs to be by removing the pin and then bending the hinge attached to the frame with a crescent wrench.
Or you can just get one of these Hinge Dr. tools.
ETA: Just saw you posted a video describing the adjustment I recommend that, it's worked well for me.
Or you can just get one of these Hinge Dr. tools.
ETA: Just saw you posted a video describing the adjustment
I recommend that, it's worked well for me. This post was edited on 5/22/19 at 10:18 am
Posted on 5/22/19 at 10:18 am to CAD703X
quote:
it in the existing door jam and the top corner doesn't seal properly and lets in air and you can actually see daylight. extra weathersea
That was exactly the problem with my 2 doors that I fixed (both metal doors) by shimming, after watching the video, I just posted, several times. Honestly, it took a little time, trying different numbers of shims and placement to line it, remove the air gap, so that it sealed properly with “normal” weatherstripping. Would have likely taken an experienced handyman 5 minutes.
Posted on 5/22/19 at 10:18 am to AlxTgr
(no message)
This post was edited on 2/8/25 at 7:56 am
Posted on 5/22/19 at 10:23 am to lnomm34
Hammer didn’t fix my dog
Posted on 5/22/19 at 10:32 am to LNCHBOX
quote:Wait, you don't have to remove the pin?
ETA: Just saw you posted a video describing the adjustment I recommend that, it's worked well for me.
Posted on 5/22/19 at 10:39 am to AlxTgr
quote:
This guy bends the hinge.
Obviously more than one way to skin a cat. Never seen that, but easy enough. Give it a try.
Posted on 5/22/19 at 11:02 am to CrawDude
I'd rather that than shim, so will try it first.
Posted on 5/22/19 at 11:08 am to AlxTgr
quote:
Wait, you don't have to remove the pin?
If you get that tool I linked, it appears you don't. I removed it to bend the hinges on my doors because I just used a crescent wrench.
Posted on 5/23/19 at 6:23 am to LNCHBOX
Attempted last night. Two major problems. First, I can't get the pin out. Banged on it pretty hard. Second, if I do get the door adjusted away from the knob side, it's going to contact on top pretty bad. This might be a job for a pro. May try buying a couple new hinges.
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