Door Repair

Life is full of minor daily irritations and one on many lists is a door that doesn't operate properly. If you have a door in your home that requires brute strength to open or close, you may find yourself taking the long way around to avoid the aggravation. A door that doesn't close correctly can even become a safety issue if you think it's latched, but it really isn't. Luckily many door repairs are fairly simple and if you take the time to figure out what's causing the problem, you may have the door repair complete in a matter of minutes.

DIY Door Repairs

There are a number of reasons why doors stop working correctly; if the change is gradual, then it's probably due to the slight settlement that most homes experience over time. Sudden changes in door operation may be caused by factors such as the door slab expanding or warping from excess moisture inside your home from a leak or excessive humidity. A few DIY door repairs for common problems:

• Rubbing on jamb. This door repair is due to the jamb no longer being square or the slab expanding. If you can see where the door is sticking, try using a long wood screw to pull that area of the jamb back into the framing. If that doesn't work, you may have to sand the edge of the door slab in the problem area.
• Door drags when opening. A change in floor covering can cause this problem; remove the door slab and use a circular saw to trim the bottom of the door. Many exterior doors have adjustable thresholds that can be lowered to eliminate dragging or raised to reduce air infiltration.
• Latch doesn't catch. This door repair can often be accomplished by shifting the keeper on the door jamb slightly. If you watch the door latch as the door is closing, you can usually tell where it is hitting the keeper and what direction the keeper should move. The recess in the jamb under the keeper may need to be adjusted slightly with a wood chisel to allow the latch to set properly after the keeper is moved.

It may seem complicated, but a door repair usually doesn't take long at all and you'll soon have one less irritation in your life.