Common Door Problems

An introduction for do-it-yourselfers to reading a balky door and taking steps to fix it

PROBLEM 1: Door binds evenly along latch side and head.

PAINT BUILDUP Remove excess paint with heat or chemical removers. If the paint flakes off, simply pull a sharp paint scraper along the length of the mating surfaces. Be careful not to gouge or otherwise damage the door or jamb, especially if you intend to strip and refinish.

SEASONAL EXPANSION This causes the door to swell during humid periods, making it difficult or impossible to close. Plane the door during the peak of the humid season.

PROBLEM 2: Door binds on latch side of head with a gap at floor.

The top rail of a door is usually narrower than the bottom and more a focal point. Planing it to follow the slope of the head may leave it unsightly and distorted.

If you have to remove a lot of material, you could even expose the tenon, weaking the door. Instead, follow the procedure for a door with a gap at the top (3). You may have to reframe the door.

PROBLEM 3: Door drags on floor with gap on latch side of head.

BUILDING SETTLEMENT is most often the cause of a dragging door. A gap between the door and the head differentiates this problem from a simple loose hinge as the cause. Check the squareness of the door opening by putting a level on the head and along both sides of the jamb. An old building usually settles downward with only secondary lateral movement (leaning); usually the head is furthest out of alignment.