@Fix This House Thanks for the #1 fix, when bending the hinges! As a carpenter, I've been using this technique for a long time. One more minor tweak to that process is to overhead the hinge just a tiny bit more, to compensate for the weight of the door, when you take the shims out! Then it will be perfect! Thank you for your efforts, in trying to make everyone have a satisfying experience! 😊
Was doing a some drywall repairs for a client yesterday and was making a lot of trips out the door leading into their garage. It was badly sagging and very annoying so I tightened the screws on the top hinge and had to put a bit of shim in one screw hole. Took me all of 30 seconds. Didn't mention it to the customer because I mostly did it for my own convenience so wouldn't charge her for it. Later in the day she came and gave me a big hug saying "omg! You fixed that door! It's been like that for years and I hated it!" It's amazing to me that a problem with such a simple solution could just be accepted and lived with for years like that lol One of my favorite parts of my job (handyman) is that reaction some clients have when a simple fix can make a small but significant difference in someone's life. Also sometimes I feel like a magician when people are so amazed by something that seems so simple and straight forward to me. Anyway, after the lady was so happy and thankful for me fixing her door to her garage, she wanted me to fix a bunch of other doors in her house. I told I her I generally charge $10-$20 per door. Without hesitation she said she would pay $20 per door no matter how simple the fix was. So I fixed nine other doors in her house. $200 for an hour of work isn't too shabby at all. Just goes to show that sometimes going a little out of your way to do a small thing for someone can sometimes pay off big. I had no intention of charging her for that first door but she was so happy that it was fixed that she insisted on paying me. And I also was given several other small repair jobs around her house. That's how you get long time repeat customers and word of mouth new customers. God I love my job!
Yesssss business done right creates additional requests for services and.. shared information about your business and ethics with others.. win win thank you for your integrity.. sadly it's missing in most these days
I have several sagging and rubbing doors in our old house and have been nearly to the point of completely re-hanging the door frames out of frustration. I never even thought of the idea of simply bending the hinge back into the right position. That worked great on almost all of our door problems. Thank you very much!
Thank you for putting this out. I’ve been dealing with an outside entrance door that was out of wack for at least 15 years. I opened the door today and saw it was the top hinge out of wack. I opened the door and took an auto floor hydraulic jack and put it under the outside edge while open(the ground was sloping at that point thus needing the jack) till it was level and tried to tighten the screws but they were not tightening. Did your trick with the tooth picks in all three screws one at a time and like magic everything tightened right up and the door now opens and closes like butter. VICTORY 😅 I wish I saw this years ago. I owe you a cold brew 🍻 thank you!!!
The first option was the best. I've been dealing with hung doors for 7 years. It cost me .40 for shim sticks and it took me only 30 min to fix four doors. Thank you!!!!
Before bending hinges, first check the screw tightness of the hinges. Second, use the longer screws to snug the jamb/hinge to the stud. If there is still a problem closing the door, do the hinge bending trick. As far as sanding, never try to sand the jamb since you cannot get a belt sander into that space especially all the way to the corner. If sanding is the method, sand the door "only". Another more invasive method is to take off the door casing (trim) at the hinge side of the door frame. That way you can take out any existing shim that might be keeping the jamb from moving enough to pull the door in to open the gap needed to get the door to close.
That's exactly what I was thinking before I read your comment. Some new hinge packs give you a 2" screw. That's for new construction but older houses from the 20's and 30's; the 2x 4 is farther away from the jamb. If it is the latter; then I remove the hinge from both the jamb and the door and drop it 3/8 of an inch and start over.
Wow, I learned a lot. Going to adjust some 1964 bedroom doors. As a retired spine rn, I loved the toothpicks filling holes. In back surgery, we'd harvest a bone off the hip. Well done!
Just fixed my bedroom door utilizing the toothpick and it worked out beautifully. Appreciate the video immensely and will definitely follow for more content when it comes to minor repairs of this castle, 🙏🏽👍🏾
This is a GREAT video. I especially loved the toothpick trick. The only suggestion I would make is that I had a door that was rubbing years ago. It turned out that all I had to do was to tighten the screws that had become loose over 30 years of living in the house. I would suggest that as a first step instead of making any changes. But otherwise, THANKS for making the video!!!!!!!!
I owe a poorly hung door a debt of gratitude for saving my life. My partner and I were sound asleep on a cold winter night when a slight tapping sound became nonstop banging. I got up to investigate. To my horror I discovered flames racing up the stairwell to our bedroom. With the only egress a 2nd story window, we threw our mattress out and jumped to safety. 40 good years and counting…
Wow…I came across this right while I was having this problem with the door in my bathroom. Thank you so much for your video, and the calm step by step you presented these fixes!!! God bless you and your efforts to help others especially those of us on a fixed income, who are not able to afford to call and pay a handyman.
Great video. Ran into this problem today, and while making sure the hinge screws were tight (they all were), I noticed some dust/dirt around the hinges. So just took a damp paper towel with a little soap to clean all the hinges and all around the door. In my case, that's all it was to fix it. Crazy. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for your very useful video. The door to our garage hadn't been closing properly since we had our garage concrete floor replaced. I was going to do the "re-align the hinge teeth" method when I noticed two of the door hinges had come loose. Using toothpicks to make the screws hold tighter, the door re-aligned itself and can now close properly. Again thanks for your tips.
I just fixed my door! 😊 it’s been 3 years since we moved into our new home and my kid’s room door didn’t close, it bothered me so much, but now I feel like I can fix anything around the house 😅 thank you so much 😊 by the way, I used the first method that you showed ☺️
I was just finally able to fix my baby’s loud, awkward, scraping door that would wake him up when we try to sneak out after putting him down to sleep! I’ve tried toothpicks and tightening, even super long screws, but it needed the hinge realigned. I feel so triumphant to have finally gotten it! THANK YOU!
Thank you! That did it. I had an air bag in case I was locked out of my car. I would have never thought to use it to fix a door. I'm now a follower. Thank you!
Good tips, thank you! One of the other issues I’ve had is when previous trim repaints covered the hinges with gobs of paint and kept them from closing correctly. Scrape the paint off the hinges and realign like he shows here.
Certainly some helpful information. I have always been curious why come winter, our back door always seems 'harder' to close. So, knowing what to look for, to adjust it, helps...
Thanks! All I will say is DON’T BE AFRAID TO MOVE YOUR HINGES! Some issues are so severe that this is the only method that will work, especially for older homes (mines built 1976.) And I suspect the doors were misaligned at installation. Anyways, I spent an entire day adjusting 7 doors, most which was taken up by 3 doors that would not close. I had need dissuaded from moving hinges by the comments I was reading. I decided to just pick up a chisel anyway as I was determined not to go through another day. Got home, took a look at the doors which were seriously misaligned. I decided right then to move the hinges. 1/2 hour later book doors are closing, no shims, no nothing… MOVE THOSE HINGES!
Very short and simple and effective. A request : Please clarify: When bending the hinge to align, is it the door hinge or the jamb hinge that you are bending.
Brilliant,i just fix now after this video,i have problem for years,i replaced new screws and new holes but only help temporarily and back again,i just doing now for 2 min.and fix.Thank you so much.
Very good video, with excellent sugestions. I would however point out that some door issues, especially in older home can be indicative of a sag in the foundation or other supports. One should inspect the floor and determine if a sag exist. If so the door issue will be resolved when the floor is jacked up and leveled. This would probably be a job for a professional, unless you are experience with this.
When I need to add tooth picks or a piece of dowel rod to the hole, I will normally add some carpenter glue as a little insurance. Good content there, Brother.
They sell longer screws. Normal size is about 7/8ths and if you buy 1-1/8th inch or bigger you’re fine. Toothpick trick is played out. And guaranteed a interior door that’s sagging is using the shorter screws.
Used the hinge pin trick with a door that kept swinging open by itself but didn't realise it could be used to pull doors back into position. Going to use that in future. Also, have been using dowling for enlarged screw holes, like a schmuck! Going to use toothpicks instead. Much quicker and cheaper. Thanks for the tips.
Very interesting video, and I would agree with tips 1-3. I would personally suggest that method 2 should always be your first go to, sometimes it really is as easy as tightening the screws on the top hinge, they may not even be stripped! Method 1 is also very viable and they actually make tools such as the "Hinge Doctor" to perform this function but you are correct, even a simple crescent wrench will get the job done. Method 3 is something I haven't really tried, I can only assume by attaching to the stud you are pulling the frame itself closer to the stud which is in turn pulling the top hinge in. I only assume this because I more often than not work on commercial doors which are similar in practice but come with their own complexities and restrictions not found in residential. Methods 4-5 are generally frowned upon and honestly 5 would be my go to over 4 as dropping the door can create other issues such as a gap at the top or rubbing on the bottom especially if you are opening on or onto a carpeted area. Commercially these are unviable solutions due to codes and regulations that have to be met in a commercial environment. But lets say we are sticking to only residential doors, this method "may" work to resolve the issue and lets pretend dropping the door doesn't rub at the bottom, using this method your are still potentially reducing the effectiveness of the door being able to prevent fire from spreading from or into the room where the repair is being made. While interior or even residential doors aren't subject to the same fire ratings as commercial doors they do still provide some amount of protection in preventing fire from spreading quickly and allowing people valuable time to escape should they need to. Because of this I would HIGHLY recommend AGAINST method #4. There are other methods that work as well and it would be up to you if you want to try them. One of them is removing the top hinge from the jam side and installing two screws close to the jamb under the hinge and screwing them down almost all the way. What this does is effectively provide you with an adjustable method to cant the top hinge back towards the frame; however, this will only work so long as the top hinge does not swing all the way closed before the door can close. If the top hinge closes all the way before the door closes it will create a bind and prevent the door from closing on it's own essentially springing it back away from the jamb. Another method is to chisel out the foot print of the top hinge on the jamb side ever so slightly recessing the top hinge into the frame further and pulling the top of the door back away from the strike side of the frame.
Tightening hinges with longer screws or routing out the top hinge a hair deeper is almost ALWAYS the fix. Otherwise the door is too wide to begin with. Been doing doors and fixing fine units for over a decade. Literally a door pro. But yes, you are right.
Great options and they work. I'd use the door lowering or raising as a last resort, as this can result in patching and repainting. Also, I have found that it's not as accurate, and allows for more error due to three separate cuts. However, these are great tips and the toothpick hack is over-the-top simple and functional. Thank you. Excellent video.
Using toothpicks is a great idea that works for fixing stripped-out screws. But never try to bend a hinge. Next time, loosen the screws on the top hinge going into the jamb. Placing a shim behind the hinge on one side or the other will move that door right or left. A shim behind the hinge beside the door stop will move the door towards the hinges. A shim behind the hinge on the other side will move the door towards the strike side. A piece of cardboard will usually do the trick. If you need more, fold the cardboard making two thicknesses. If you use tho thicknesses on top, put one thickness behind the middle hinge. I hope this will help.
Great tip for bending the hinge. One suggestion - those rubber jar lid grippers (a thin, round piece of rubber) will protect the finish on the hinge so it won't start to rust in more humid climates (I live in FL). It also helps the wrench grip better.
Yo had to come back and give a shout out, these tricks worked and I love you got straight to the video…I didn’t have to fast forward!!! This video is legit and fixed my hanging door problem.
Wow thanks for this video. I just bought a house that needs some cosmetic work and repairs. I’m able to do a lot of it after watching a video just like this one. I learned a lot of stuff with my beloved husband RIP 🙏🏻 Do you have a video on how to paint bedrooms/bathroom doors? The doors in my new home are custom, ugly and old. They’re taller than the average door, therefore more expensive to replace, so I was thinking that a nice paint job might do the job. Thanks for sharing these nice video.
These are quite good tips. i live in Germany where they use 'overlay' doors , so there is no visible gap. also most houses are cement / building blocks etc so there is no movement in the structure that the door is attached to . however wood being wood the doors will expand and contract and the solution for this is the hinges are adjustable .
Thank you for your video, Regarding 5:02 the screw hole is too wide, rather than inserting in a couple of toothpicks, a substitute would be to insert the narrow tip of a disposable wooden chopstick. You can even apply a small amount of glue for adhesion. Then simply snipped off the excess portion of the chopstick.
@@EckyBoy007 Disposable Wooden Chopsticks are free if requested when ordering meals from Asian Restaurants. In addition for use as eating utensils, they are also useful for various other projects such as for mixing epoxy or paint or as long matchsticks or for poking into small crevices, etc.
I am not a handywoman around the house but my husband is. I showed him this video. He is going to try this. In addition, I just subscribed and hit the like button on your channel. take care
I loosen all the hinge plates on the door jam and on the opposite side of where the door is rubbing (usually the top because the door has begun to sag) I slide a piece or two of thin cardboard (from a cereal box or macncheese box) behind the hinge with biggest gap and then tighen all the hinge plates again. This pushes the bottom of the door closer to the door jamb amd opens up the top where it was rubbing. So if the door is rubbing at the top I slide thin piece(s) of card board behind the bottom hinge plate.
Thank you So Much for the AWESOME tips here! We’re having this problem right now, with a bathroom door. Gonna use your tips here to finally fix this problem. I love your videos, they’re always very informative & helpful👍
Bathrooms can have the additional problem with high humidity from showers causing the door or jam to swell. If adjusting the hinges still doesn’t fix the door, check to see that your bathroom vents the airflow to outside the building.
It's called a reveal.... The gap, the space in between the Door and the frame, Door Jam...etc etc I realize you are making these for the commoners. Good work, thanks for the tips.
This helped me solve my issue after a broom handle slipped between the hinged side and the door frame and I closed it. Top began sticking. Thanks friend. Comment and a thumbs up
Wanted to also add to #5: sometimes if the door is scraping the head jamb (the top part of the jamb) you can take a couple 3½ or 4" screws and drive them into the head jamb if it has sagged. It isn't always the solution but it's faster and easier than lowering the hinge mortise and has the added benefit of not leaving the unsightly top part of the hinge mortise exposed while the door is open. If I do have to move the hinges I will typicality use Bondo to make the mortise tight around the hinge plate. But again, that is a lot of extra work for something that could be fixed with two screws and a little caulk for interior doors or you can hide the screws under the weather stripping for exterior doors.
I am trying to use 2.5-3” wood deck screws but if that doesn’t work, ima try the caulk. Didn’t even think about caulk over golf tees, toothpicks, etc. Thanks!
just moved into my new apartment I've been trying to fix the closet door for months ,it would stick at the top corner just as you showed. did what you said now the door works fine, Thanks.
I’ve used trick #5 a few times because the top of the door was hitting the jamb. It worked for a while but now I have the same problem again. Lowering the hinges would fix it. Sometimes the the hinges are worn out and there is excessive play which could cause binding and misalignment. Replacing the hinges is easy and fairly cheap. Just get the same size and screw pattern to avoid unnecessary chiseling or drilling. If the door is not square with jam, get some thin veneer wood, cut it to size. Remove the hinges and slip the veneer between the hinge plate and the jamb, then screw in the hinges. Worked good on a very old door that was pretty far out-of-square. Anyway, thanks for the tips!
@@my_RS4 no just 1 hinge. My door has 2 hinges and it was scraping on the bottom part of the door so I removed the bottom hinge and adjusted it using tip #1.
Before you go re-mortising your hinges to repair the screw holes just take some golf tees or better yet dowel rods and apply wood glue to the hole and tee/dowel rod and then tap them into the holes and cut flush. This will give you better than new performance as the golf tees are made of stronger wood than the soft scrap they use on modern interior door jambs. If you are a tradesman or just want to do it in a hurry C/A glue and accelerator will speed the process. You can use a hinge hole jig to ensure perfect alignment so the door screws heads are flush. PS if your door is rubbing because some idiot used a hinge mounted door stop (which spreads the hinge) then bending the hinge "tangs" one at a time as shown in the video will usually work although you may find you need to repair the holes in the jamb as they may fail from the pressure needed to bend the hinge tangs......however if the hinge was not spread and the door is rubbing do to shifting of the jamb or swelling of the door itself, then bending the hinge tangs will usually cause the hinge to no longer be able to close completely as the gap between the hinge halves will have been reduced by bending the "tangs" on the hinge.
@@wmslawinski Try using golf tee's, they're thicker and will grab much better. You more than likely didn't use enough toothpicks to close the diameter of the hole enough. Best of luck.
The easiest fix is to loosen screws of the hinge opposite where the door is rubbing, then put thin washers behind the hinge, more washers, more adjustment, then tighten the screws.... that changes the door position. I fixed all the doors (10) in my daughters flip house in under an hour. Easy Peasy! She couldn't believe it when I showed her how I did it. Second tip, if the screws stripped the wood, stick round toothpicks into the screw hole, break them off, I usually use 2. The added wood allows the screws to reseat into the new wood. Round toothpicks are made of a harder wood than the flat toothpicks. As noted below, wood chopsticks work well as they are usually made of bamboo and are pretty tough! Third tip...how do you stop a door from ghosting (closing or opening by itself)? Simple, take out the top hinge pin, hammer a slight bend into it, reinsert. If it still ghosts, do the same to the middle hinge. Also suggest a slight bit of white grease on the pin, that keeps it from clicking when the door is opened/closed.
All outside door hinges should have 4" screws in the hinges, door lock plates and door lock hole. Harder to kick open the door.off the hinges. Those short screws stop nothing.
I've been a house painter for decades and have had to fix hundreds if not thousands of doors. This video is right on but I'll add two more tricks to it...first, if using toothpicks or golf tees to "refill" the hole, put a glob of glue in the hole first, break off the wood and give it at least a half hour before rescrewing it. Also, if you have to sand the jamb, use an angle grinder with a 4" 80 grid sanding disc. It'll create a lot of dust but is much more manageable than a belt sander.
This is very common in old house with old door frame. When door sags and the hinges were good, tight, and strong, you might want to plane down the high side of the door for proper fit.
Its very common in new houses too, especially brand new ones on big sites, where the standard of work is shocking...still, it keeps brown envelope manufacturers in business eh....😏
@Jessica T Sadly I agree...but bad tradespeople have always blighted the industry, cowboys, bodgers, toshers, jerry built, etc the terms have always been around,I think its just easier to spread and get information nowadays...the answer?, no idea, but I do think regulating the industry would be a start. Crap prices and tight deadlines are often an excuse, the trouble is if you paid someone double what they get now, they would still bodge things up to get the work done quick...greed is human nature.
Jeff G is right you should never bend hinges or sand /plane the door or the jamb. The door is made to fit in that jamb. Every door that's rubbing can be fixed at the hinge (interior door) And Jeff G is correct you should shim the hinge with a cardboard shim ( like Cheerios box cardboard) usually shim the jamb side of the hinge. It's called throwing the door. A good carpenter can throw a door with a pocket knife a screwdriver and a piece of cardboard. Local #106
Not everyone has a planner or sander as per your last tip. Use a block of wood and a hammer and tap the top door jamb up. Fill any gaps with a water based sealant. Job done. A 5 minute job. No power tools. No mess. No painting.
This was a really great video, thank you! I do have one question. So, the side of my door is pretty even from top to bottom, but AT THE TOP, mainly in the top corner of the door side without the hinges, is where my door is too tight. So, placing shims or credit cards from the bottom of the door all the way to the top, is perfectly fine, it’s along THE TOP OF MY DOOR THATS TIGHT, especially the top opening sided (not hinge side) of the door is extremely tight! What should I do to elevate that? Probably tip #4, yes? I probably need to drop chisel the door jam (or the door) and drop the door down a bit, huh? If I do that, not needing to drop the door too low, that will mean that the other holes might be elongated when needing to reposition the holes so, will I need to get some wood Puddy, fill, let dry then reposition everything?
Besides pulling out a belt sander, some really good tips on common door jamb issues. Don't use a belt sander to adjust the door fit - way too many things that can go wrong.
Thanks! You helped me fix my door!
Thank you so much for the love and support Jose! 🙏🏽😊
@Fix This House Thanks for the #1 fix, when bending the hinges! As a carpenter, I've been using this technique for a long time. One more minor tweak to that process is to overhead the hinge just a tiny bit more, to compensate for the weight of the door, when you take the shims out! Then it will be perfect! Thank you for your efforts, in trying to make everyone have a satisfying experience! 😊
th-cam.com/users/shortsYkywaUfNPNs?si=b8QssKQS_yOYL-l8
Good deal.
@@FixThisHouseu
Was doing a some drywall repairs for a client yesterday and was making a lot of trips out the door leading into their garage. It was badly sagging and very annoying so I tightened the screws on the top hinge and had to put a bit of shim in one screw hole. Took me all of 30 seconds. Didn't mention it to the customer because I mostly did it for my own convenience so wouldn't charge her for it. Later in the day she came and gave me a big hug saying "omg! You fixed that door! It's been like that for years and I hated it!"
It's amazing to me that a problem with such a simple solution could just be accepted and lived with for years like that lol
One of my favorite parts of my job (handyman) is that reaction some clients have when a simple fix can make a small but significant difference in someone's life. Also sometimes I feel like a magician when people are so amazed by something that seems so simple and straight forward to me.
Anyway, after the lady was so happy and thankful for me fixing her door to her garage, she wanted me to fix a bunch of other doors in her house. I told I her I generally charge $10-$20 per door. Without hesitation she said she would pay $20 per door no matter how simple the fix was. So I fixed nine other doors in her house. $200 for an hour of work isn't too shabby at all.
Just goes to show that sometimes going a little out of your way to do a small thing for someone can sometimes pay off big.
I had no intention of charging her for that first door but she was so happy that it was fixed that she insisted on paying me. And I also was given several other small repair jobs around her house. That's how you get long time repeat customers and word of mouth new customers.
God I love my job!
I have built a customer base on integrity. You can make decent money AND be a good person.
Two of my lady clients bonked me!
@@Longtack55 what?😂
Widely known advertising technique sometimes you give ppl a free sample and it pays off! big corporations do it all The time cause it works!
Yesssss business done right creates additional requests for services and.. shared information about your business and ethics with others.. win win thank you for your integrity.. sadly it's missing in most these days
God bless you. All these years, our door scraped the floor . My son and I just fixed it properly . I think I'm going to cry. I feel so grateful.
I’m glad I could be of help! Thank you for your feedback, love and support 🙏🏽👍🏽😊
Thank you
I have several sagging and rubbing doors in our old house and have been nearly to the point of completely re-hanging the door frames out of frustration. I never even thought of the idea of simply bending the hinge back into the right position. That worked great on almost all of our door problems. Thank you very much!
Ok, all of a sudden I can't wait to get home from work tonight and try this on my bedroom door!
Thank you for putting this out. I’ve been dealing with an outside entrance door that was out of wack for at least 15 years. I opened the door today and saw it was the top hinge out of wack. I opened the door and took an auto floor hydraulic jack and put it under the outside edge while open(the ground was sloping at that point thus needing the jack) till it was level and tried to tighten the screws but they were not tightening. Did your trick with the tooth picks in all three screws one at a time and like magic everything tightened right up and the door now opens and closes like butter. VICTORY 😅 I wish I saw this years ago. I owe you a cold brew 🍻 thank you!!!
The first option was the best. I've been dealing with hung doors for 7 years. It cost me .40 for shim sticks and it took me only 30 min to fix four doors. Thank you!!!!
Toothpicks worked like a charm. Thank you!
No need to use two when one is plenty. Snap off the first tip and there is plenty remaining to insert a second and even third time! Save our forest!
Before bending hinges, first check the screw tightness of the hinges. Second, use the longer screws to snug the jamb/hinge to the stud. If there is still a problem closing the door, do the hinge bending trick. As far as sanding, never try to sand the jamb since you cannot get a belt sander into that space especially all the way to the corner. If sanding is the method, sand the door "only". Another more invasive method is to take off the door casing (trim) at the hinge side of the door frame. That way you can take out any existing shim that might be keeping the jamb from moving enough to pull the door in to open the gap needed to get the door to close.
That's exactly what I was thinking before I read your comment. Some new hinge packs give you a 2" screw. That's for new construction but older houses from the 20's and 30's; the 2x 4 is farther away from the jamb. If it is the latter; then I remove the hinge from both the jamb and the door and drop it 3/8 of an inch and start over.
A hand plane on the door will work faster than sanding...
Had to learn the hard way huh
@@flexiblestrategist9922 So I have to chisel out on both the door and the jam . I tried the tooth picks didn't work.
maybe its my hinges but the crescent wrench just slides off and doesn't bend because it doesn't grab
I LOVE that technique of bending the hinge after shimming the door! I never thought of that nor have seen that done. Thanks!
Wow, I learned a lot. Going to adjust some 1964 bedroom doors.
As a retired spine rn, I loved the toothpicks filling holes. In back surgery, we'd harvest a bone off the hip. Well done!
Just fixed my bedroom door utilizing the toothpick and it worked out beautifully. Appreciate the video immensely and will definitely follow for more content when it comes to minor repairs of this castle, 🙏🏽👍🏾
A matchstick works better
That first trick bending the hinges after shimming. Chefs kiss! 😚
😳 SO satisfying watching this. I have a bedroom door I literally have to "hip check" to enter when it's closed. 🙄 You made all of this look so easy!
Thank you so much for the love and support! I hope you are able to fix your problem! 🙏🏽😊
Amazing video! Very clear instructions. Fixed my pantry door in minutes! I used the toothpick method and it worked perfectly. Thank you!!
Thanks. I was considering planing the door but your video made me focus on the hinges. A slight variation of 1 worked a treat.
YAY!!!! It worked!! Did the first method...didn't have schims but had paint stirrers they worked great! Thank you!
I’m glad I could be of help Sandra! I wish you the best for the rest of your projects around your home! 🙏🏽😊
Glad you mentioned the paint mixing sticks. I got several that I got from HomeDepot for free. Thanks!
This is a GREAT video. I especially loved the toothpick trick. The only suggestion I would make is that I had a door that was rubbing years ago. It turned out that all I had to do was to tighten the screws that had become loose over 30 years of living in the house. I would suggest that as a first step instead of making any changes. But otherwise, THANKS for making the video!!!!!!!!
I owe a poorly hung door a debt of gratitude for saving my life. My partner and I were sound asleep on a cold winter night when a slight tapping sound became nonstop banging. I got up to investigate. To my horror I discovered flames racing up the stairwell to our bedroom. With the only egress a 2nd story window, we threw our mattress out and jumped to safety. 40 good years and counting…
Glad you’re both safe
👃💩
Wow…I came across this right while I was having this problem with the door in my bathroom. Thank you so much for your video, and the calm step by step you presented these fixes!!! God bless you and your efforts to help others especially those of us on a fixed income, who are not able to afford to call and pay a handyman.
Great video. Ran into this problem today, and while making sure the hinge screws were tight (they all were), I noticed some dust/dirt around the hinges. So just took a damp paper towel with a little soap to clean all the hinges and all around the door. In my case, that's all it was to fix it. Crazy. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for your very useful video. The door to our garage hadn't been closing properly since we had our garage concrete floor replaced. I was going to do the "re-align the hinge teeth" method when I noticed two of the door hinges had come loose. Using toothpicks to make the screws hold tighter, the door re-aligned itself and can now close properly. Again thanks for your tips.
Wow... very impressive .... best solution to misaligned doors I've seen.. very easy fixes. Thanks!
Just bought my first house and some of the doors are scraping, I will definitely be trying this! Thank you!!
You will save an incredible amount of money doing things yourself. Many fixes are actually quite simple. TH-cam is an incredible resource.
I just fixed my door! 😊 it’s been 3 years since we moved into our new home and my kid’s room door didn’t close, it bothered me so much, but now I feel like I can fix anything around the house 😅 thank you so much 😊 by the way, I used the first method that you showed ☺️
I was just finally able to fix my baby’s loud, awkward, scraping door that would wake him up when we try to sneak out after putting him down to sleep! I’ve tried toothpicks and tightening, even super long screws, but it needed the hinge realigned. I feel so triumphant to have finally gotten it! THANK YOU!
SoI'm guessing you used method 1?
Thank you! That did it. I had an air bag in case I was locked out of my car. I would have never thought to use it to fix a door. I'm now a follower. Thank you!
Good tips, thank you! One of the other issues I’ve had is when previous trim repaints covered the hinges with gobs of paint and kept them from closing correctly. Scrape the paint off the hinges and realign like he shows here.
Thank you brother I have same problem. I fixed 👍
Certainly some helpful information. I have always been curious why come winter, our back door always seems 'harder' to close. So, knowing what to look for, to adjust it, helps...
Thank you my friend! 🙏🏽😊
Just wanted to say thank you. This the pin alignment fixed my door. Hardest part was removing the pin that was on for 27 years and painted over.
Tighten the screws before aligning the hinges. That might be the reason your door catches. Then you can realign them if needed.
Totally agreed!
Always do the simple things first
And if needed, use slightly longer screws.
Totally agree! 35 years of carpentry and I have never had to bend a hinge to get a doo to align properly
CORRECT! Check the screws first! A piece of wire works to tighten the screws well.
Not sure why YT recommended this video, but man it's a video I never knew I needed. Excellent tips. Cheers buddy. ✌️
Thanks! All I will say is DON’T BE AFRAID TO MOVE YOUR HINGES! Some issues are so severe that this is the only method that will work, especially for older homes (mines built 1976.) And I suspect the doors were misaligned at installation. Anyways, I spent an entire day adjusting 7 doors, most which was taken up by 3 doors that would not close. I had need dissuaded from moving hinges by the comments I was reading. I decided to just pick up a chisel anyway as I was determined not to go through another day. Got home, took a look at the doors which were seriously misaligned. I decided right then to move the hinges. 1/2 hour later book doors are closing, no shims, no nothing… MOVE THOSE HINGES!
Thank you so much for the love and support! 😭 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽😊. Thank you also for sharing your advice with us! 🙏🏽😊👍🏽
I’m pretty sure this is what mine need! I’ve tried everything already except moving the hinge.
Very short and simple and effective. A request : Please clarify: When bending the hinge to align, is it the door hinge or the jamb hinge that you are bending.
Fixed two stubborn doors with shims, and fixed a slipping drawer screw using the toothpick trick. Very nice video 👍🏿
Brilliant,i just fix now after this video,i have problem for years,i replaced new screws and new holes but only help temporarily and back again,i just doing now for 2 min.and fix.Thank you so much.
Very good video, with excellent sugestions. I would however point out that some door issues, especially in older home can be indicative of a sag in the foundation or other supports. One should inspect the floor and determine if a sag exist. If so the door issue will be resolved when the floor is jacked up and leveled. This would probably be a job for a professional, unless you are experience with this.
Thank you! And I appreciate the feedback and advice!
I've always just sanded the door, I never considered that you could bend the hinges like that. Today I learnt!
Bending the hinges a little worked perfect. Thanks for the tips!
Very nicely explained. My pin isn't coming out more than 1cm, now ill check hinges first. Having more than one problem. Thank you very much
When I need to add tooth picks or a piece of dowel rod to the hole, I will normally add some carpenter glue as a little insurance. Good content there, Brother.
Thank you brother for the advice! 🙏🏽😊
Chopsticks work great too
@@farnummbehaeen8419 so do fork and knife !
They sell longer screws. Normal size is about 7/8ths and if you buy 1-1/8th inch or bigger you’re fine. Toothpick trick is played out. And guaranteed a interior door that’s sagging is using the shorter screws.
@@samueldavis5895 what if your jams are 5/8 mdf… longer screws into what ?
Used the hinge pin trick with a door that kept swinging open by itself but didn't realise it could be used to pull doors back into position. Going to use that in future. Also, have been using dowling for enlarged screw holes, like a schmuck! Going to use toothpicks instead. Much quicker and cheaper. Thanks for the tips.
Use wooden golf tees
Very interesting video, and I would agree with tips 1-3.
I would personally suggest that method 2 should always be your first go to, sometimes it really is as easy as tightening the screws on the top hinge, they may not even be stripped!
Method 1 is also very viable and they actually make tools such as the "Hinge Doctor" to perform this function but you are correct, even a simple crescent wrench will get the job done.
Method 3 is something I haven't really tried, I can only assume by attaching to the stud you are pulling the frame itself closer to the stud which is in turn pulling the top hinge in. I only assume this because I more often than not work on commercial doors which are similar in practice but come with their own complexities and restrictions not found in residential.
Methods 4-5 are generally frowned upon and honestly 5 would be my go to over 4 as dropping the door can create other issues such as a gap at the top or rubbing on the bottom especially if you are opening on or onto a carpeted area. Commercially these are unviable solutions due to codes and regulations that have to be met in a commercial environment. But lets say we are sticking to only residential doors, this method "may" work to resolve the issue and lets pretend dropping the door doesn't rub at the bottom, using this method your are still potentially reducing the effectiveness of the door being able to prevent fire from spreading from or into the room where the repair is being made. While interior or even residential doors aren't subject to the same fire ratings as commercial doors they do still provide some amount of protection in preventing fire from spreading quickly and allowing people valuable time to escape should they need to. Because of this I would HIGHLY recommend AGAINST method #4.
There are other methods that work as well and it would be up to you if you want to try them. One of them is removing the top hinge from the jam side and installing two screws close to the jamb under the hinge and screwing them down almost all the way. What this does is effectively provide you with an adjustable method to cant the top hinge back towards the frame; however, this will only work so long as the top hinge does not swing all the way closed before the door can close. If the top hinge closes all the way before the door closes it will create a bind and prevent the door from closing on it's own essentially springing it back away from the jamb. Another method is to chisel out the foot print of the top hinge on the jamb side ever so slightly recessing the top hinge into the frame further and pulling the top of the door back away from the strike side of the frame.
Thank you so much for the meaningful comment! 🙏🏽
Tightening hinges with longer screws or routing out the top hinge a hair deeper is almost ALWAYS the fix. Otherwise the door is too wide to begin with. Been doing doors and fixing fine units for over a decade. Literally a door pro. But yes, you are right.
Great options and they work. I'd use the door lowering or raising as a last resort, as this can result in patching and repainting. Also, I have found that it's not as accurate, and allows for more error due to three separate cuts. However, these are great tips and the toothpick hack is over-the-top simple and functional. Thank you. Excellent video.
Using toothpicks is a great idea that works for fixing stripped-out screws. But never try to bend a hinge. Next time, loosen the screws on the top hinge going into the jamb. Placing a shim behind the hinge on one side or the other will move that door right or left. A shim behind the hinge beside the door stop will move the door towards the hinges. A shim behind the hinge on the other side will move the door towards the strike side. A piece of cardboard will usually do the trick. If you need more, fold the cardboard making two thicknesses. If you use tho thicknesses on top, put one thickness behind the middle hinge. I hope this will help.
I hope I understand this properly because I'm going to give this a try.
I sure as shit didn't.
Great tip for bending the hinge. One suggestion - those rubber jar lid grippers (a thin, round piece of rubber) will protect the finish on the hinge so it won't start to rust in more humid climates (I live in FL). It also helps the wrench grip better.
Yo had to come back and give a shout out, these tricks worked and I love you got straight to the video…I didn’t have to fast forward!!! This video is legit and fixed my hanging door problem.
Thank you so much for the all the love and support! 🙏🏽😊 I’m glad I could be of help!
Wow thanks for this video. I just bought a house that needs some cosmetic work and repairs. I’m able to do a lot of it after watching a video just like this one. I learned a lot of stuff with my beloved husband RIP 🙏🏻 Do you have a video on how to paint bedrooms/bathroom doors? The doors in my new home are custom, ugly and old. They’re taller than the average door, therefore more expensive to replace, so I was thinking that a nice paint job might do the job. Thanks for sharing these nice video.
Adding a comment to help the algorithm. Great tips!
Thank you so much!! 🙏🏽😊
I bought an old house and half the doors would stick. Tried the first and 3rd tip and it fixed all the doors :) Great video, thanks!
These are quite good tips.
i live in Germany where they use 'overlay' doors , so there is no visible gap. also most houses are cement / building blocks etc so there is no movement in the structure that the door is attached to . however wood being wood the doors will expand and contract and the solution for this is the hinges are adjustable .
The toothpick hack worked like
a charm-Thank you!
Thank you for your video, Regarding 5:02 the screw hole is too wide, rather than inserting in a couple of toothpicks, a substitute would be to insert the narrow tip of a disposable wooden chopstick. You can even apply a small amount of glue for adhesion. Then simply snipped off the excess portion of the chopstick.
This is a good idea. I have also used matches one time....a bit 'last resort' but it worked a treat :)
@@EckyBoy007 Disposable Wooden Chopsticks are free if requested when ordering meals from Asian Restaurants. In addition for use as eating utensils, they are also useful for various other projects such as for mixing epoxy or paint or as long matchsticks or for poking into small crevices, etc.
@@jadenephrite Plus you will always get a yummy meal at any Asian restaurant. Win win 👍
I am not a handywoman around the house but my husband is. I showed him this video. He is going to try this. In addition, I just subscribed and hit the like button on your channel. take care
I loosen all the hinge plates on the door jam and on the opposite side of where the door is rubbing (usually the top because the door has begun to sag) I slide a piece or two of thin cardboard (from a cereal box or macncheese box) behind the hinge with biggest gap and then tighen all the hinge plates again. This pushes the bottom of the door closer to the door jamb amd opens up the top where it was rubbing. So if the door is rubbing at the top I slide thin piece(s) of card board behind the bottom hinge plate.
Thank you for sharing! 🙏🏽😊
I have used this fix myself... glad you mentioned it!
[7.12.2022]
I will try this!
I have a problem with my bathroom door as it don't shut so I saw this come up on my screen. I'll definitely try this out. Thank you!!!
I hope you fix your door issue! Thank you for watching! 🙏🏽😊
Awesome !!!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🙏
Greetings from South Africa 💫
Thank you so much! I’m glad o was able to help you! 🙏🏽😊
Thanks! Your very helpful video solved my problem with loose screws in the door hinges!
I love the Double Shim Technique in the Crack !
What a great method! worked easily on a newly installed interior door. Thanks!!!!
Thank you So Much for the AWESOME tips here! We’re having this problem right now, with a bathroom door. Gonna use your tips here to finally fix this problem.
I love your videos, they’re always very informative & helpful👍
Bathrooms can have the additional problem with high humidity from showers causing the door or jam to swell. If adjusting the hinges still doesn’t fix the door, check to see that your bathroom vents the airflow to outside the building.
@@rmcguire-pg6io Thank you! I’ll check that.👍
It's called a reveal.... The gap, the space in between the Door and the frame, Door Jam...etc etc I realize you are making these for the commoners. Good work, thanks for the tips.
I am so thankful to God that I found your channel! Thank you so much for everything you are showing us and teaching us. :)
God bless you always. 🥰✝
your instructions are so clear im eleven years old and i could do it
This helped me solve my issue after a broom handle slipped between the hinged side and the door frame and I closed it. Top began sticking. Thanks friend. Comment and a thumbs up
You have just solved a big problem for me thks bro greets from Ireland
I’m glad I could be of help! Thank you so much for the love and support! 🙏🏽😊
I was having trouble fixing my door. This helped. I didn't have shims or the other thing so I used old hinges as my spacers.
Love your tips! Your mastery of instruction is fantastic. Keep up the good work, it's appreciated!
Thank you so much! Means a lot! 🙏🏽😊
Thanks! That first trick is going to be a game changer for me. I mess with doors all the time and have never seen or thought of that. I feel stupid.
This video is just what I m looking for! You gave me a good solution to my door, thanks again👍
Thank you for watching! Glad I could be of help! 🙏🏽😊
Just did this on my back door and it worked! Thanks man!
Your first tip with the hinges is so great! I was already thinking of shaving, but this saved me (and the door)
Thank you! I could not remember exactly how this went from years and years ago. I appreciate the refresh!
Wanted to also add to #5: sometimes if the door is scraping the head jamb (the top part of the jamb) you can take a couple 3½ or 4" screws and drive them into the head jamb if it has sagged. It isn't always the solution but it's faster and easier than lowering the hinge mortise and has the added benefit of not leaving the unsightly top part of the hinge mortise exposed while the door is open. If I do have to move the hinges I will typicality use Bondo to make the mortise tight around the hinge plate. But again, that is a lot of extra work for something that could be fixed with two screws and a little caulk for interior doors or you can hide the screws under the weather stripping for exterior doors.
I am trying to use 2.5-3” wood deck screws but if that doesn’t work, ima try the caulk. Didn’t even think about caulk over golf tees, toothpicks, etc. Thanks!
just moved into my new apartment I've been trying to fix the closet door for months ,it would stick at the top corner just as you showed.
did what you said now the door works fine, Thanks.
Wow Never saw that easy minor but annoying repair before Thank you very very much for taking time to help this old guy out:) God Bless
I’m glad I could be of help! 🙏🏽😊
thanks so much! just fixed our patio door that has never been right since it was installed 3 years ago.
The first tip was awesome thanks buddy 👍
I’ve used trick #5 a few times because the top of the door was hitting the jamb. It worked for a while but now I have the same problem again. Lowering the hinges would fix it. Sometimes the the hinges are worn out and there is excessive play which could cause binding and misalignment. Replacing the hinges is easy and fairly cheap. Just get the same size and screw pattern to avoid unnecessary chiseling or drilling. If the door is not square with jam, get some thin veneer wood, cut it to size. Remove the hinges and slip the veneer between the hinge plate and the jamb, then screw in the hinges. Worked good on a very old door that was pretty far out-of-square. Anyway, thanks for the tips!
Thanks for your videos doing a good job of helping folks.
Thank you so much! 🙏🏽😊 I love to help!
I just went and did this... took me about 2 minutes. Thank you
I’m glad I could be of help! 👍🏽😊🙏🏽
"You know you've gotten old when you suddenly realize you like this stuff."😂
I just fixed all the doors in my house in about an hour… I’m feeling pretty young and spry. Fake news 😂
I read this and realised it at the same time 10/10 comment
WOW! Thanks - Liked and Subscribed.
I just shaved, sanded down the door trims and called it a day.
I used tip #1 and 5 minutes later my bedroom door shuts perfectly. Thank you I appreciate the tip.
Did you have to remove both hinges?
@@my_RS4 no just 1 hinge. My door has 2 hinges and it was scraping on the bottom part of the door so I removed the bottom hinge and adjusted it using tip #1.
@@dinosparky1109 awesome thanks!!
The toothpick idea was cute, never tried that before.. always just went to a wider or bigger screw..
Thanks
Thanks Kevin! And thank you for sharing your advice 👍🏽😊
Before you go re-mortising your hinges to repair the screw holes just take some golf tees or better yet dowel rods and apply wood glue to the hole and tee/dowel rod and then tap them into the holes and cut flush. This will give you better than new performance as the golf tees are made of stronger wood than the soft scrap they use on modern interior door jambs.
If you are a tradesman or just want to do it in a hurry C/A glue and accelerator will speed the process. You can use a hinge hole jig to ensure perfect alignment so the door screws heads are flush.
PS if your door is rubbing because some idiot used a hinge mounted door stop (which spreads the hinge) then bending the hinge "tangs" one at a time as shown in the video will usually work although you may find you need to repair the holes in the jamb as they may fail from the pressure needed to bend the hinge tangs......however if the hinge was not spread and the door is rubbing do to shifting of the jamb or swelling of the door itself, then bending the hinge tangs will usually cause the hinge to no longer be able to close completely as the gap between the hinge halves will have been reduced by bending the "tangs" on the hinge.
Lots of mortises are cut wrong. I've recut a bunch of them over the years..
Help.. Used the Longest Screws available and Long Toothpicks. Srews still spin... Help...
@@wmslawinski Try using golf tee's, they're thicker and will grab much better. You more than likely didn't use enough toothpicks to close the diameter of the hole enough. Best of luck.
The easiest fix is to loosen screws of the hinge opposite where the door is rubbing, then put thin washers behind the hinge, more washers, more adjustment, then tighten the screws.... that changes the door position. I fixed all the doors (10) in my daughters flip house in under an hour. Easy Peasy! She couldn't believe it when I showed her how I did it. Second tip, if the screws stripped the wood, stick round toothpicks into the screw hole, break them off, I usually use 2. The added wood allows the screws to reseat into the new wood. Round toothpicks are made of a harder wood than the flat toothpicks. As noted below, wood chopsticks work well as they are usually made of bamboo and are pretty tough! Third tip...how do you stop a door from ghosting (closing or opening by itself)?
Simple, take out the top hinge pin, hammer a slight bend into it, reinsert. If it still ghosts, do the same to the middle hinge. Also suggest a slight bit of white grease on the pin, that keeps it from clicking when the door is opened/closed.
All outside door hinges should have 4" screws in the hinges, door lock plates and door lock hole. Harder to kick open the door.off the hinges. Those short screws stop nothing.
I've been a house painter for decades and have had to fix hundreds if not thousands of doors. This video is right on but I'll add two more tricks to it...first, if using toothpicks or golf tees to "refill" the hole, put a glob of glue in the hole first, break off the wood and give it at least a half hour before rescrewing it. Also, if you have to sand the jamb, use an angle grinder with a 4" 80 grid sanding disc. It'll create a lot of dust but is much more manageable than a belt sander.
This is very common in old house with old door frame.
When door sags and the hinges were good, tight, and strong, you might want to plane down the high side of the door for proper fit.
Thank you for the advice! 😊
Its very common in new houses too, especially brand new ones on big sites, where the standard of work is shocking...still, it keeps brown envelope manufacturers in business eh....😏
@Jessica T Sadly I agree...but bad tradespeople have always blighted the industry, cowboys, bodgers, toshers, jerry built, etc the terms have always been around,I think its just easier to spread and get information nowadays...the answer?, no idea, but I do think regulating the industry would be a start. Crap prices and tight deadlines are often an excuse, the trouble is if you paid someone double what they get now, they would still bodge things up to get the work done quick...greed is human nature.
Really appreciate your tips! Your delivery is calm and confident
I can't believe how long I've been living with a closet door that wouldn't close. After watching this, I fixed it in less than 2 minutes!
What was the solution?
Thank u so much for all these helpful hints. For someone like me that has to fix everything this has been so helpful. Thanks again.
Jeff G is right you should never bend hinges or sand /plane the door or the jamb. The door is made to fit in that jamb. Every door that's rubbing can be fixed at the hinge (interior door) And Jeff G is correct you should shim the hinge with a cardboard shim ( like Cheerios box cardboard) usually shim the jamb side of the hinge. It's called throwing the door. A good carpenter can throw a door with a pocket knife a screwdriver and a piece of cardboard. Local #106
Thank you for the advice! 🙏🏽😊
Jim Anderson shimming behind the hinge only works if you have a gap not if it's already rubbing on the frame.
Your advise worked like a charm! my door is fixed! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing the feedback! I’m glad I could be of help! 🙏🏽😊
Not everyone has a planner or sander as per your last tip.
Use a block of wood and a hammer and tap the top door jamb up.
Fill any gaps with a water based sealant. Job done.
A 5 minute job. No power tools. No mess. No painting.
Thank you for the feedback and advice! 👍🏽😊
Here in Illinois there’s tool libraries where you can borrow tools for free.
This was a really great video, thank you!
I do have one question. So, the side of my door is pretty even from top to bottom, but AT THE TOP, mainly in the top corner of the door side without the hinges, is where my door is too tight. So, placing shims or credit cards from the bottom of the door all the way to the top, is perfectly fine, it’s along THE TOP OF MY DOOR THATS TIGHT, especially the top opening sided (not hinge side) of the door is extremely tight! What should I do to elevate that? Probably tip #4, yes? I probably need to drop chisel the door jam (or the door) and drop the door down a bit, huh? If I do that, not needing to drop the door too low, that will mean that the other holes might be elongated when needing to reposition the holes so, will I need to get some wood Puddy, fill, let dry then reposition everything?
Good tutorial video, easy to follow and well explained + great tips. Thanks! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Besides pulling out a belt sander, some really good tips on common door jamb issues. Don't use a belt sander to adjust the door fit - way too many things that can go wrong.