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When a door slams shut with a bang, you can almost hear the echoes as the door reverberates, the glass rattles, the space between the trim and the wall opens up, and the hinges continue their downward trend. Fortunately, you don't need a carpenter to fix a problem door. If you don't have a handy friend or family member, why not do it yourself? The following sections show you how to make the most common repairs to various types of door problems.
Unsticking sagging doors
When a door sticks or sags, you can usually blame the hinges or the weather. There are a few quick fixes that won't involve much effort:
- Before you try anything else, check the hinge plates to see if the pin is all the way down or if any screws are loose. If the problem is with the pins, tap them into place with a hammer.
- Hot, humid weather causes wooden doors to expand, but don't try to "fix" sticky doors during the summer. Wait until the temperature drops and the moisture abates. Then, if the door still sticks, sand it.
 | - If a wooden door sticks only slightly, you can sand it at that spot only. (You need to sand more of the edge than is necessary to give clearance for the paint you'll be adding to that edge.)
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- If the door binds at the doorknob and lock edge, then look at the hinges; 99 percent time it's the hinges that are at fault.
If a door is sagging because of worn hinges, replace them before doing anything else.
If the screws are loose, follow the directions in the next section.
Tightening screws and filling stripped holes
If the screws in the hinges are loose, tighten them as explained in the following steps. You need a wedge, a screwdriver, a hammer, toothpicks, white glue and a lubricant such as WD-40. Now here's what to do:
1. Look at the door to find out where it gaps and where it sticks.
If the door binds at the top (leaning against the knob-side frame and touching the floor below it), you need to work on tightening the top screws. (If the door rubs on carpeting, however, it needs to be cut off on the bottom.)
If you have trouble finding where the door binds, chalk the edges, then slowly open and close the door. You can then see where the door binds because the chalk will rub off in those spots.
2. Open the door and stick a wedge under it on the side that opens. You have to prop up the door so you can work on the screws in the hinge plates.
3. Unscrew the screws and lift up the top or bottom hinge plate. If the screws simply need to be tightened, go to Step 8.
4. If the holes are stripped, fill them with white glue (Elmer's will do).
5. Fill those holes with toothpicks; tap them in one at a time, until no more will go in.
6. Let the glue dry, then cut the toothpicks off flush.
7. Punch a hole in the wall where the center of the screw hole in the hinge falls, so you can put in new screws.
8. Tighten the screws in the holes.
Taking a door off its hinges
If the preceding procedure doesn't work, you can take the door off to work on the screws. Here's how to remove the door:
1. Remove the pins on the bottom hinge.
Place the tip of the screwdriver under the head of the pin and tap the screwdriver gently with the hammer until you raise the pin. If it doesn't budge, use a large nail in the hole directly under the pin to raise the pin enough to get a screwdriver under the head. Take it out.
2. Repeat Step 1 on the top hinge. Hold the door so it doesn't fall back on you.
3. Lift off the door and lay it down.
4. Take out each screw in the hinge plates, lift the plates, and check the wood behind them. If a screw won't tighten, repair the wood it fastens into.
5. Repeat Steps 3 through 7 in the "Tightening screws and filling stripped holes" instructions.
6. Using new screws, refasten the plates, but don't tighten them yet.
7. Hang the door by hooking it onto the hinge plate.
8. Clean and lubricate the pins with petroleum jelly so they'll be ready to put back in place.
9. Reinsert the pins and tap them all the way down.
10. Now tighten all the screws.
Adjusting a striker plate
The striker plate is the metal plate that the door lock or latch slides into when you close the door. When a striker plate is out of alignment and the latch or lock won't secure properly, first look at the top hinge to make sure it's tight or not too worn. Tighten the screws or replace the hinge if necessary. If the bolt still won't go into the hole on the striker plate — usually caused by settlement, worn hinges, or too many coats of paint — you have to adjust the plate up or down, or in or out. Most often, striker plates have to be moved up or down, but the process is the same for moving it in or out. Here's what to do:
1. Remove the screws and take off the plate.
2. Fill existing screw holes with toothpicks and glue.
3. Use a utility knife to change the recess so that the plate can be moved up or down.
4. Put the plate back on.
5. Punch a hole where the screws will go, using a nail or ice pick.
 | Don't drill a pilot hole, because jambs are usually made of soft wood such as pine. A drill will remove too much wood and you'll have to fill the new hole with toothpicks and glue and start all over again. |
6. Reinsert the screws.
Trimming wooden door bottoms
Carpets have high, low, or no nap. When you install a new carpet, it may be necessary to trim a wooden door so that it clears the carpet. If you don't take this step, the door can damage the carpet by wearing it down unevenly. If a throw rug is causing the problem, it might be better to remove it. Here's what to do when you have to trim the door:
1. Figure out how much has to be trimmed off the door.
2. Place painter's tape all the way around the door so that your cut is in the center of the tape.
3. Carefully mark the door along the trim line.
If the surface is veneer, run a utility knife along the cutting line. Keep a straight edge on the door until you've scored all of it. The straight edge will keep the knife from slipping off on a tangent. Scoring the veneer helps reduce the risk of splintering it.
4. Cut through the door with your handsaw or power saw.
| Place a board on top of the door and use it to guide the saw along the scored line. Don't let the piece you cut off drop prematurely. Prop it up until you know you've sawed through the whole width of the door. |
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