Door won't close without additional pressure

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Door won't close without additional pressure - top touches before bottom

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reven

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#2846015 10-Jan-2022 11:10

chevrolux:

Goosey:

you might need to tighten the bottom hinge.....or losen the top hinge. Just a couple turns or less.... maybe even half a turn (screws).

This!! At wooorst, maybe a very thin shim behind the top hinge if tightening the bottom hinge screws don't help.

This is what I would try, shim out the top/bottom hinge, start with the top. just use paper/cardboard. I wouldn't loosen the screws though, just shim it out.

Clima

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#2846041 10-Jan-2022 12:06

Looking at your photo I would say the builder had a bad day. The door frame on the left is closer to the corner at the top and the gap widens going down. Maybe he had lost his spirit level!

Bung

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#2846043 10-Jan-2022 12:11

Shimming the hinges alters the gap on the sides of the door. In this case the uneven gap is on the face of the door. It won't correct for a door that is warped or a jamb that should be moved in the direction the door moves at top or bottom. String lines from a top corner of the frame to the opposite bottom corner should both be same length = rectangle and lines should just touch each other as they cross to show no twist.

geekIT

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#2869645 16-Feb-2022 14:13

Shimming and\or adjusting hinges aren't solutions for this problem. In any case, 'flush' door (standard interior door) hinges (more correctly 'butt hinges' or just 'butts') aren't adjustable like kitchen cupboard doors hinges.

This problem is quite common, especially in regions of higher humidity - the door has developed a slight 'wind', so that the closing edge isn't parallel to the hinged edge. This is more easily seen when standing edge-on to door, ie, facing the latch. The edge closest to you will be out of parallel with the hinge side.

The best solution is to pull off the latch side 'door stop' - this is the wooden molding, usually 40mm x 10mm, that is nailed to the sides and top of the door frame with 25mm panel pins (very small nails).(See FOOTNOTE)

Best way to remove the molding is to 'de-nail' it. If you can see, however faintly, where the nails are, you can 'punch' them further in, even the entire 10ml, with a fine-tipped nail punch. (or a 50\75mm nail withe point cut off). The molding will almost fall off if the nails are punched in far enough.

Once the door stop is off, pull out any protruding pins from the jamb\frame (or hammer them all the way in) and replace the door stop. First close the door then nail the stop back on, taking care to follow the shape of the door's edge.

Rattling at door latch: Many latch plates have a flange that protrudes 90 degrees inwards. To stop a rattle, sometimes it's only necessary to remove the latch plate and bend the flange to somewhere less than 90 degrees. A simpler way is to drive a small nail into the latch tongue hole, against the bent flange. The harder, but most professional method, would be to remove the latch plate and re-site it. However, it'll be necessary to plug the old screw holes because you'll be adding new screws in almost the same place as the old ones, and they won't go in straight. Best to hammer some toothpicks and PVA glue into the old holes to prevent the new screws sliding off into the old holes.

FOOTNOTE: In older houses the 'door stop' won't be removable - it will be part of the door frame\jamb, much the same as with many window frames. The elegant solution in this case is far more complicated, but a quick fix would be to add a new molding to the top, bottom and sides.

Good luck, geekIT:

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networkn

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#2869648 16-Feb-2022 14:17

geekIT:

Shimming and\or adjusting hinges aren't solutions for this problem. In any case, 'flush' door (standard interior door) hinges (more correctly 'butt hinges' or just 'butts') aren't adjustable like kitchen cupboard doors hinges.

This problem is quite common, especially in regions of higher humidity - the door has developed a slight 'wind', so that the closing edge isn't parallel to the hinged edge. This is more easily seen when standing edge-on to door, ie, facing the latch. The edge closest to you will be out of parallel with the hinge side.

The best solution is to pull off the latch side 'door stop' - this is the wooden molding, usually 40mm x 10mm, that is nailed to the sides and top of the door frame with 25mm panel pins (very small nails).(See FOOTNOTE)

Best way to remove the molding is to 'de-nail' it. If you can see, however faintly, where the nails are, you can 'punch' them further in, even the entire 10ml, with a fine-tipped nail punch. (or a 50\75mm nail withe point cut off). The molding will almost fall off if the nails are punched in far enough.

Once the door stop is off, pull out any protruding pins from the jamb\frame (or hammer them all the way in) and replace the door stop. First close the door then nail the stop back on, taking care to follow the shape of the door's edge.

Rattling at door latch: Many latch plates have a flange that protrudes 90 degrees inwards. To stop a rattle, sometimes it's only necessary to remove the latch plate and bend the flange to somewhere less than 90 degrees. A simpler way is to drive a small nail into the latch tongue hole, against the bent flange. The harder, but most professional method, would be to remove the latch plate and re-site it. However, it'll be necessary to plug the old screw holes because you'll be adding new screws in almost the same place as the old ones, and they won't go in straight. Best to hammer some toothpicks and PVA glue into the old holes to prevent the new screws sliding off into the old holes.

FOOTNOTE: In older houses the 'door stop' won't be removable - it will be part of the door frame\jamb, much the same as with many window frames. The elegant solution in this case is far more complicated, but a quick fix would be to add a new molding to the top, bottom and sides.

Good luck, geekIT:

Long-past member Auckland Master Builders Assn.

Thanks! That sounds more like what we are seeing with the fault. I appreciate the detailed response. In the coming months we are considering an interior re-paint and plaster (gulp) and will probably get some of these issues raised with them and a builder to try and get them resolved by professionals.

When we recarpeted, I really wanted to add lights to the stairs that had a sensor, so we will probably do that since we will be repainting and plastering but that's another story.

geekIT

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#2869673 16-Feb-2022 14:48

"networkn:Thanks! That sounds more like what we are seeing with the fault. I appreciate the detailed response. In the coming months we are considering an interior re-paint and plaster (gulp) and will probably get some of these issues raised with them and a builder to try and get them resolved by professionals. When we recarpeted, I really wanted to add lights to the stairs that had a sensor, so we will probably do that since we will be repainting and plastering but that's another story."

Wow, sensor lights to stairs! High tech! Nothing like that around in my heyday. But the basics remain the same, as well as the need for builders to be professional.

It's just occurred to me that a great many modern 'door stops' have probably been air-stapled or T-nailed on. Another way to remove a door stop molding is, starting at the bottom, drive a chisel edge between the molding and the jamb and lever it away. Using a chisel is a bit of a cowboy method that might damage both frame and stop. A good quality putty knife or spatula would be kinder to the surrounds. Once a gap is formed it should be a fairly easy to remove the entire door stop.

TIP1: If using a hammer claw for this, place the spatula or putty knife under the hammer head to avoid denting the jamb.

TIP2:When there are small nails protruding from a removed piece of wood, don't hammer them back out. Use pliers or edge-cutters to pull them all the way through and the face of the wood won't be damaged.

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Behodar

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#2869685 16-Feb-2022 15:28

Gordy7:

At least the door won't rattle when closed!

I have a door that fits the jamb properly but there is a 1mm gap between the striker plate and the latch... the door rattles when other doors are opened or closed.... must adjust the striker plate sometime.... but been like it for years 😀

I have one that jams in summer and rattles in winter!

geekIT

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#2869879 16-Feb-2022 20:34

Do you have air conditioning that you only use in winter?

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