If your front door, bathroom door, bedroom door, storm door, screen door, or garage entry door isn’t shutting properly, something is likely loose, settled, or out of alignment. If the door hits the top or bottom of the frame when you try to close it, it’s sagging and needs to be repaired. Below, we’ll walk you through some simple ways to fix this issue yourself.
Parts You’ll Need:
- Replacement door hinges, if your current hinges are worn or damaged.
- 2-inch or longer wood screws for better support compared to shorter screws.
- Wood glue for repairing cracks in the door frame or jamb.
- Wood or cardboard shims to realign the door.
- Wood clamps to hold the door frame together while the glue dries. Use cloth pads with the clamps to prevent damage.
- Sandpaper (medium and fine grit) for smoothing rough areas after repairs.
- Touch-up paint to blend the repair with the existing finish.
- Mr. Grip Screw Hole Repair Kit (optional) for reinforcing damaged screw holes.
Tools You’ll Need:
- Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers for tightening and removing screws.
- A cordless drill to speed up the process, especially for replacing screws or drilling new holes.
- Assorted drill bits for pre-drilling holes.
- A utility knife or box cutter for cutting cardboard shims to size.
- A wood chisel (optional) for making adjustments to the door or frame.
- Rags to wipe away excess glue and clean up during the process.
- A measuring tape for checking shim thickness and screw length.
- A level (optional) to ensure the door is properly aligned.
- A pencil for marking any necessary adjustments.
Lifting a Sagging Door – Door Maintenance
1. Tighten the Hinges and Screws
Start by checking the hinges to ensure they aren’t damaged and that the screws holding the hinges to the door frame are tight. Most doors have three hinges with three wood screws in each. Use a screwdriver to tighten any loose screws. If the screws are already tight and the hinges are undamaged, the issue might be with the door frame (jamb), or you may need to shim the door to make it level and stop sagging.
2. Check the Screw Length
Before proceeding, remove at least one screw from the door hinge to see if it’s too short. If the screw is too short, it could be causing the problem. Replace short screws with 2-inch or longer wood screws. Replace one screw at a time to prevent the door from falling off.
3. Fix Cracked Door Frames
If you find that your door frame or jamb is cracked, you can fix it yourself. Start by removing the door and hinges from the frame. Fill the cracks with wood glue, ensuring it gets deep into the cracks. Wipe off any excess glue, then clamp the frame together using wood clamps. Make sure to use cloth on the clamps to avoid damaging the frame. After a few hours, remove the clamps, sand down any bumpy areas, and touch up with paint if necessary.
4. Shim the Door Hinges
If your door has no cracks and the hinges are in good condition, but the door still sags, you can try shimming the door. This is a simple and effective method to realign the door.
How to Shim the Hinges:
- Cut a piece of cardboard to the shape of the door hinge, slightly smaller, so it doesn’t protrude.
- Punch holes in the cardboard to match the hinge holes.
- Carefully remove the screws from the hinge, pull the door slightly away from the frame, and slide the cardboard shim underneath the hinge.
- Screw the hinge back into place with the shim underneath.
If the top of the door rubs, add the shim to the bottom hinge. If the bottom rubs, shim the middle or lower hinge as needed.
Door Will Not Close – How To Adjust
5. Replace Worn Hinges
If your door continues to sag despite these fixes, it might be time to replace the hinges. Worn hinges can cause door alignment and locking issues. Replacing them is a simple process and can be done without removing the door from the frame.
Bonus Tip: Fixing Sagging Drawers
Since we’re on the topic of sagging, here’s a quick tip for fixing sagging drawers. If you have a chest of drawers that’s not sliding smoothly, you can apply similar techniques to fix them.
Fix Sagging Dresser Drawer
If you’re dealing with a sagging door or have any questions about fixing doors, cabinets, or other home improvement projects, we’re here to help! Feel free to leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to assist you. Whether you need advice on materials, tools, or specific techniques, don’t hesitate to reach out. Your experiences and tips might also help others facing similar issues, so join the conversation and share your thoughts!
Most door problems are a result of the top hinge bending and the door sagging such that the top of the door hits the side of the frame. Replacing the top hinge or chiseling out the hinge recess will fix this.
Christopher,
A little more info would be helpful, but here is basic help:
To repair a broken door jamb at the upper mount bolt, first remove the security door and any related hardware.
Clean away splintered wood around the damaged area using a chisel.
If the break is clean, apply wood glue and clamp the pieces together until dry; for more severe damage, you might need to cut out the damaged section and replace it with a new piece of wood.
Secure the area with long screws that penetrate into the wall stud for added stability.
Finish by filling any gaps with wood filler or epoxy, then sand, paint, or stain to match the existing jamb.
Reattach the door and hardware once the repair is complete and the paint or stain has dried.
-RR
My security door has broken the door jam at the upper mount bolt. Looking for guidance on how to fix it. Any advice?
our spare bedroom door won’t close and is not hitting anywhere. When we first moved in we just had to lift up by the doorknob a little to make it catch. About a year ago, I went to close it, it didn’t shut as usual but when I lifted up, it still wouldn’t shut. When I looked as I was trying to lift, the bottom of the latch is about an inch lower than the strike plate. How do I fix this?
I have a 19th century baltic pine(?) where the actual door appears to have sagged, giving it a dropped on the no hinge side look.
Tightening the hinges won’t cut it and is just a temp fix.
How do you repair the joints of an antique door?
Another possibility is that the timber or wood of the door has swollen from absorbed moisture.
Remove door – Plane the bottom of it – Seal it with paint and replace.
If carpet has been replaced with a thicker pile or underlay, then this could also be a cause for lack of clearance. Planing the bottom of the door will also help here.
Using a cardboard shim would be incredibly simple. I will have to try this technique on my dad’s door at his house. It hangs down low on one side, and so it’s really hard to close. I think I have a box in my storeroom I could use for the job.
I thought that repairing a sagging door would be kind of tough, so it’s good to know that it’s actually easier than I thought. Making a cardboard shim to prevent my door from sagging seems really easy. The bottom of my door hits the bottom of the door frame, so now I know that I’ll need to install a shim not just to the bottom of the door, but also to the middle hinge. I’ll be sure to try that to see if it will push my door outward enough to stop it from sagging.
Even after replacing the hinges (which made an obvious improvement on the door sagging) we still had problems with the lock aligning properly. I’m starting to wonder if it is possible that the very door frame has changed shape, but it became clear that fixing the sagging wasn’t going to be enough. We’re probably going to need to replace the whole frame and install a new lock.
This is really helpful advice for some basic door repair! I’ve been struggling with a sagging bathroom door lately, and this seems like it might help. It would be great if I could fix it this weekend! Unfortunately, my front door is also having issues. Given that it’s a real security risk, I’m thinking I should call a professional for those sorts of problems.