Otherwise, it’s a matter of readjusting the strike plate. If you see that it appears to be leaning down at the upper corner, try installing longer screws as described above. If the settling is worsening, consult with a contractor or structural engineer.ĭoor won’t stay latched: If the door won’t stay latched, or if it needs to be pushed hard to get it to latch into the strike plate, first look at the way the door is fitting in the jamb. If the settling doesn’t continue and the binding doesn’t worsen, you can relieve the bound area by tapping against the frame with a hammer and a block of wood, or by removing the door from its hinges and planing it a little. This can indicate settling issues, which may be caused by shifts in the home’s foundation, or simple drying of the wood framing, especially in newer homes. If the binding isn’t seasonal, look for stress cracks in the drywall or moldings around the door. If you can identify the cause of the seasonal moisture, correct it.īe careful about planing a door during the winter: When it dries out again, it’ll be undersized for the opening. Is it only in the winter? If so, it’s probably due to seasonal swelling, which happens when the wood absorbs moisture from the air.Ĭheck to see if the door is being directly exposed to moisture, such as a drip from a leaky gutter, or perhaps it’s constantly shaded by overhanging trees and rarely dries. The door binds against other parts of the jamb: First of all, ask yourself when this started happening. These new, longer screws will pull the jamb back up against the stud and take the angle out of the door frame, relieving that pinch point in the corner. Replace these screws with new ones that are long enough to reach all the way through the jamb and into the stud behind the jamb predrill new pilot holes through the existing holes in the jamb to make it easier to drive the screws. To fix it, remove one or two of the screws that hold the hinge to the jamb. This causes the door to bind against the jamb in that corner. The door binds in the upper corner of the jamb: This is a common complaint, since the weight of the door wants to pull it down at an angle from the top corner, opposite the upper hinge. There are a number of quick and easy fixes that will take care of whatever’s sticking, squeaking, swinging or otherwise ailing your doors. If you have some doors around your house that aren’t working quite right, don’t despair.
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