This door is no longer sitting properly in the frame. Looks like I need to do something with the bottom hinge in order to re-align it. House is 26 years old.
Looks like it's pulled loose at the screws. Try removing one at a time....slightly plug the hole with wood putty that you tamp down into the hole. Let it dry out and then tighten the original screw back into the same hole. Repeat this gradually with each screw on the upper hinges and that should solve your problem. You can also break off a golf tee in the same hole or use a couple of tooth picks withe some wood glue. You just want to give the screw something to bite into. Luck!
Sometimes you need a screw with a wider diameter so it can get a good bite. Take one of the existing screws with you and get some that have a similar head but fatter body. Then screw this into the dried wood putty described above.
Well my first thought when I looked at your photo was that your house has settled and caused the gaposis. Another thought- sometimes a hinge is "sprung" a bit from little kids hanging on the door and riding it open and closed etc. The hinge can sometimes look "okay" to the untrained eye- when in reality the hinge is damaged?
If you look at the barrels of the hinge you can see some gaps between the "door" side and the "jamb" side of the hinge. a hinge that is not worn will have no gaps.
Just a quick note for those with loose screw holes.....try filling the hole with wooden toothpicks, then replace the screw.....Its a quick fix to a very common problem.......
What is happening is that the weight of the door is pulling the jamb away from the framing over time.all you need to do is get a 3" matching color screw and replace one of the screws on the very top hing. You will see is suck the door back into place.This will fix the problem if you dont have tools to do it (Screw Gun,1/8 Drill bit) Then call a handyman and they can fix it easy.
Superior- :) I still think some 3-4 year old kid was swinging on the door- hanging onto the door knob- feet out across the door.. can't you just see him? LOL
You can certainly try the longer screw in the hinge trick to pull the frame over, as it works frequently. It looks like you have some settling going on, which is not uncommon as long as it's not due to water/ rot.
To take the repair a step further, the next course of action would be to either mortise the top hinge slightly deeper (would require sanding/ planing of the top hinge side), or shim behind the
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bottom hinge with thin cardboard layers (like a cereal box). If you do either of those, the top gap will correct, but you would need to sand or plane the door edges to get the correct placement. Not always the easiest DIY project, but maybe with help..?
Believe it or not, I have a handyman (husband of 39 years) who can do all these things, has proper tools, but needs someone to tell him what to do it and how. You guys are great and perfect first responders. Thank you all. I love you all.
Just happen to think, is the gap between the door and hinged side even? If it is the door frame may be pulling away, if it is uneven, the hinges may be bad or the door itself may be coming apart. Some simple measurements may lead you in the right direction.......
Latching issues often have to due with "rack" in the door and its effects along the door stops. This is going under the assumption that the strike and latch are still in vertical alignment. I have done some minor door stop alignment to help with some doors closing more easily.
Believe me, guys, I am printing all this information for my husband. I love your responses and I am sure that of the suggestions for repair, something has to work! The door appears still solid, but this door needs to come down and all things mentioned checked, leveled, hinges replaced, etc...it is 26 years old and has gone through 2 children and 2 grandchildren. I know that when my parents were at work our door was a swing at times!
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Douglas, Hinge-to-door side looks even to me, but I will have my husband do the thing with the level and ruler after the dragstrip on Saturday. See, I have competition for all my honey-do-lists.
Thank you all for the time and assistance you have leant to my problems!
One other thing, make sure the door is square......measure corner to corner diagonally, the measurements should be within 1/8" of each other........Hope the response help.....
Guess what? My husband replaced the top hinge of the door and now the gap on the hinge side is all the way down now and the gap at the top of the door is evenly gapped all the way across instead of starting halfway across. What on earth is going on here? BTW: There are three hinges.
Okay. He just happened to have one left over from a new set of doors on another project. Guess he was just curious. It is weird to me tho that the gap is now a level gap instead of catty-corner. Hmmm...physics I guess.
KMS, hinges need to match? Okay, will replace all three next week and see if we can settle this ( no pun). I am going to get him to see if the jamb is level on the three sides also.
To take the repair a step further, the next course of action would be to either mortise the top hinge slightly deeper (would require sanding/ planing of the top hinge side), or shim behind the ...»
Douglas, Hinge-to-door side looks even to me, but I will have my husband do the thing with the level and ruler after the dragstrip on Saturday. See, I have competition for all my honey-do-lists.
Thank you all for the time and assistance you have leant to my problems!