The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
When a dooropens and closes smoothly, it’s what we expect to happen.
Fortunately, there are plenty of easy ways to fix misaligneddoors.
You won’t have to rebuild orrehang the door, either.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Remove any hinge screws that keep turning when you turn them clockwise.
This means that they are stripped in their holes.
Replace each one with a 2-inch screw.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Tip
Hinge screws are usually 1-inch long or even shorter.
Longer screws would protrude through the jamb ofpre-hung doorsduring shipment.
But after the door has been installed, it’s possible to replace those short screws with longer screws.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Identify the points on the door jamb that conflict with the door.
Mark each with a pencil.
Drill a pilot hole.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Then switch to a fluted countersink bit.
Be careful with this step to avoid tearing out the hole.
Drive the screw into the pilot hole and draw it in as tight as possible.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
With either the manual Phillips screwdriver or thecordless drill, tighten the screws on the strike plate.
If the screws are so loose that they do not hold in the door jamb, they are stripped.
Replace them with 2-inch screws.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Loosen but do not remove the screws on the strike plate.
Place the blade of the screwdriver into the hole of the strike plate.
Tighten the screws again.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Existing screw holes will interfere with the new screw holes.
The remedy is to fill in the old holes with dowels.
Remove the strike plate.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
With a sharp wood chisel, chip away wood from the jamb inset.
Do not chip out too much wood.
Replace the strike plate and test out the door.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Assess the pop in of material.
Soft finger-jointed fine found on interior hollow core doors can be sanded down.
MDF sands poorly and develops a velvety texture.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
