Hanging Doors

[PikeTipper]

Seems like a couple of bedroom doors in my house are a bit off with the top hanging down enough to make opening and closing them difficult.

Any tricks to straightening them?

Thanks

[jerk bait]

You need to put a long screw through the hinge. Remove one of the short screws out of the bottem hinge[use the screw nearest to the door stop]. Drive in a 3" screw in its place. This will pull the top corner of the door on the knob side down and clear the head jamb. You can do the same thing if there is too much gap in the head jamb by driving a screw in the top hinge.

[Neighbor_guy]

Thin cardboard, like shoeboxes, can be used to shim out the hinges on the door as well. Try the longer screws first, if that doesn't work try shimming the hinges (frame side). Small steps make big changes, so go slow.

[fishandshroom]

Like they said shim or screw it this will make it level. If it is off just a bit you can just use a hand planer on the tight spots.

[sparcebag]

I always took a visegrip and bent the top hinge pin receivers on the jamb side back away from the door,Just a bit remove mid hinge pin if there is one and install top pin,then adjust center hinge on jamb side.Most doors with time sag those little hinges dont hold the weight forever.

[reddog]

Depends on where it is dragging, on the head jamb, or the side jamb. It sounds to me like it is a head jamb by your explanation.

If the door has shifted slightly, so the door is dragging on the side jamb, then it is either an adjustment of the hinges with more secure screws, like stated above, or tap a little more sidespace out of the jamb. (this will change the reveal on the casing slightly).

If its just a headspace problem, before I would do anything with the hinges, I would simply but a wonderbar under the end of the jamb that has sagged and see if it is receptive to some slight adjustment. (Enough to allow the headspace to be corrected.) If it is, I'd raise it and shim it there, between the bottom of the jamb and the floor. At that time, then I would look at refastening it tighter to the side jambs.

If it is the hinge side that has sagged, then you will have excessive headspace at the top of the door, If the jamb side has sagged,(which typically doesn't happen, but floor systems ((joists in particular)) can change enought to affect the spacing here) then the door will drag at the top on the jamb.

[PikeTipper]

The door is sagging so that there is a gap at the top opposite the hinges if that makes sense.

[reddog]

So, its a gap in the headspace, between the head jamb and the door, and its wider at the latch side, than the hinge side. If this is the case, it shouldnt be rubbing anywhere, because there is excessive headspace. If its sagging at the hinge, that can also change the headspace tolerance, but not nearly as visual and it will drag at the top, on the latch side. It sounds to me like the top hinge needs to be refastened to the jamb, with a longer screw or screws. All the way thru the jamb, into the framing jamb stud. Not alot of torque is needed to pull it back into position. Sometimes, you can close the door, and lift on the handle and see if the door moves back into position temporarily. If you can move it, then simply adding a longer jamb screw will alleviate the problem.