How to Repair Old Doors that Stick or Bind

There are several things you can do if you have a door that sticks or binds. Many people think they will have to run out to the local home improvement store and buy a new door. However, you can fix your door and save your money in the process. Most of the problems with doors can be linked to the hinge screws. They are either too loose or not properly installed. Another problem is that a hinge leaf can be recessed either too deep into the wood or not deep enough. These conditions can cause a door to stick and bind.

To check your door, swing it wide open and test each screw with a large screwdriver. If your screw slots are plugged with paint, use the point of a knife or putty knife to clean the slots out. Sometimes no matter how hard you turn the screw it may not tighten. That's because sometimes the wood is so worn that the screw can no longer hold. In this case, you will need to remove the screw and then fill the hole with slivers of wood. You can use a wooden toothpick which works great. Keep packing the toothpick into the area until no more pieces can fit. If the toothpicks fall through to the back use wood plugs or small pieces of dowel. You can also whittle a piece to fit in the area if necessary. Make sure to dip the plug into the glue and tap it in the area. Allow the glue to dry before trimming off any unwanted pieces. Be sure the plug is flush at the surface. Then, once it is dry you can reinsert the screw tightly. You may want to use a new screw if the old one is chewed up.

Another culprit for sticking or rubbing doors are improperly mounted hinges. Find out exactly where the rubbing or sticking occurs. There will be signs of abrasion along the edges. This happens when the hinges are either too deep or not deep enough. If a hinge is set too deep you can place a piece of cardboard behind it. This will help bring the hinge out slightly to straighten the doors vertical alignment. If the hinge is not deep enough you will need to shim out the area. To determine which method to use swing the door open and examine the two hinges. If the hinges are not set deep enough they will be flush against the surface. Some of these cases may be this problem.

Most of the cases will be that one or both hinge leaves will be set too deep. To repair this problem prop a door open by placing a magazine under the outside corner. Then, remove the screws that hold the hinge leaf against the door frame. Cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the hinge and slip it behind the hinge. Replace the screws and tighten them securely. Hopefully one of these solutions will get your door to work properly again.

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DIY Network