The mechanics of a door are simple and as such, are not often a source of concern in your home because they don’t have many parts to fail or break down. However, there are a few common issues that can happen with doors that are fairly simple to fix when you spot the problem.

Some fixes are as simple as opening and closing the door a few times to loosen a lodged piece of debris while others may require the use of tools. If you are going to be using any tools, ensure that you are competent in their use or have someone with you that can use them safely.

Sticking Doors

This may be the most common problem with any door… it won’t close properly! To fix a door that sticks, check to see if the edge of the door is rubbing against the side of the frame and where it is rubbing. It may be as simple as some debris in the frame or in the hinges.

Frankie from door experts Doors Galore said “If not, you may need to create more space between the door and the frame. You can do this by either using longer screws on the latch side into the doors frame, creating more space on the top or bottom (depending on whether you do it to the top hinge or bottom hinge). You can also create some space by installing small cardboard shims behind the hinges on the latch side.”

Door Hinges Squeak

Door hinges fail over time and can squeak for any number of reasons. You can try greasing the hinges to remove the squeaking noise. If that doesn’t work, try tightening the screws on both the door side and the wall side. That should get rid of the squeak.

Door Hits Wall When Opened

If a door hits the wall when it is opened, install a door stop. When installing a door stop on the floor, install it as close as possible to the wall while still stopping the handle from hitting the wall.

Door Rattles When It Closes

Doors that rattle when they are closed typically need the door latch/ strike plate adjusted. If the latch and strike plate don’t align, mark the area where the plate should sit for it to align properly, remove the plate, then chisel the frame so that you can set the strike plate to ensure alignment.

If the latch and strike align, the plate may be recessed. To fix this, remove the strike plate and use cardboard shims to ensure that the plate is flush.

Draughty Doors

If a door is draughty, likely the weather stripping needs to be changed. To replace the weather stripping, remove the old weather stripping from both sides and the top of the door. Some doors will also have weather stripping on the bottom. Install new weather stripping, ensuring that you get the proper size for the door.

Door Scrapes the Floor

When a door scrapes the floor, whether it be an interior or exterior door, it may be tempting to consider simply replacing the door. Before you do anything drastic, there are options to fix this issue!

Adjusting the door can be as simple as hammering down on the top hinge pin and creating more resistance, stopping it from swinging in. If that doesn’t work, you can always shave down the bottom of the door so that the distance between the floor and the door is even across the bottom. This will ensure that the door can shut without scraping the floor.