Encyclopedia

of Home Improvements

*Interior Door Repairs*

Hinged Doors

If you have an idea of how a door is constructed it will help you to make repairs when needed.

All hinged doors have the same basic framework, sometimes hidden under a solid veneer. The framework consists of two stiles that run vertically, and two or more rails that run horizontally. The hinges are on one side and the latch and lock are on the other.

The two types of wood doors are paneled and flush. A paneled door has a visible frame of stiles and rails that supports two or more panels. If multi-paneled, the door has mullions and extra rails.

Binding Doors

The most common door repair problem that I here about is that the door is binding. This usually happens in the warmer summer months when heat and humidity cause the door to expand and thus bind with the door frame. Bathroom doors are especially prone to this problem. A binding door should be repaired as soon as possible. Constant binding can cause additional damage to the door and a more expensive repair or even replacement.

The first thing that I check is to make sure that the hinges are tight and not bent out of shape. If the hinges are loose try tightening the screws. If you're lucky this may do the trick. If someone has tried this before the odds are that the screws have been stripped.Try a longer screw (with the same size that will sit flat in the hinge) that will reach through the doorjamb and into the framing for the door. Drive the screw in snugly, and tighten the other screws that secure the hinge. If they can't be tightened, repair the screw holes by plugging the screw holes with glue coated golf tees and drive new screws into each plug.

If the hinges are tight your next step is to sanding or plane the door edges. Mark the areas where the door is binding with a pencil. Remove the door, and sand or plane off the high spots. If you use a hand or power plane, cut in line with the wood grain to avoid gouging the wood. If a power plane is not available a hand plane or belt sander should do the job.

If the door needs to be trimmed at the bottom for the installation of new carpeting use a circular saw with a rip guide to get a nice straight edge.

If the door has settled and is sitting crooked in the frame I would first make sure that the hinges are tight and that the lockset is working correctly. For minor adjustments I mark on the door any areas that may be binding and either sand or plane them to fit. If the bottom of the door is on an angle to the floor I like to cut the door even to floor for a better look.
When cutting or planning doors remember not to take off too much. You can always take a little more off. You can't put it back on!

Strike Problems

When the latch does not engage the strike plate you should be able to see a scratch mark that has been worn into it by the door latch. You can increase the size of the opening to accommodate the latch with a small file or as I prefer, a spiral saw.

Quieting Squeaky Hinges

Coat with silicone spray or light penetrating oil. If squeaking persists, remove the pin and clean the pin, barrel and hinge leaves with steel wool. Coat them lightly with silicone spray or light penetrating oil and replace the pin.

Removing a Door

Remove the hinge pins by closing the door securely (place a wedge under it or have a helper hold the door.)



Gently tap on the bottom of the lowest pin or on the underside of its head using a hammer and a nail or nailset. This drives the pin up and out of the hinge barrel.




Remove the middle pin and then remove the top pin. Lift the door off its hinges.
To reinstall the door, replace the top pin first, then the middle and then the bottom.

Slider and Bi-fold doors

When I come upon slider and bi-fold door problems I 've found that 95% of the time they can be solved by simply replacing the hardware. The wheels and guides often wear out. It doesn't make sense to put a new wheel into a worn out track.



The other 5% of the time you can make an adjustment to the wheels on the top of your slider doors.

On a set of Bi-fold doors there is a screw adjustment in the top corner of the mounting side of the door and an adjusting pin at the bottom of the same side of the door.

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