Why is my door scraping the frame?

Doors bind and scrape for several reasons, but it’s frequently due to loose hinges or slight movement in the building, which throws door openings slightly off square. The result is a door that scrapes, is noisy to open and can even end up damaging your floor.

How do you adjust the top of a rubbing interior door?

If the jamb rubs on the top then you will need to tighten the top hinge. If, on the other hand, it rubs against the lower side, you must adjust the lower hinge. The door may rub against the entire side frame; in these cases, you must adjust all the hinges.

What should I do if my front door is still rubbing?

The door above still shows a tight spot near the top right hinge. To shim it slightly, add a piece of chipboard (cereal box cardboard) behind the hinge. If you need a thicker shim, you can use the end of a wood shim. Replace the screws in the hinge and test your door. Is it still rubbing?

What causes a door frame to be out of square?

If the door frame is out of square or the door has swollen, you can try some simple tricks before resigning yourself to the last resort: heavily sanding or cutting down the door. Sagging hinges are a common cause of door problems. Loose hinges are the primary causes of sagging doors.

What to do if your front door is out of square?

Allow to dry, then polish with very fine sandpaper. Apply lubricant and reassemble. An older home may have a doorway that is out of square or out of plumb so that the door opens or closes by itself. Purchase a spring hinge, which can be adjusted to correct the problem.

Why does the bottom of my door keep sagging?

Almost all sagging doors are due to loose hinges. Ususally this is the top hinge, but it’s not unheard of for a bottom hinge to bend under weight (such as from kids using the door like playground equipment). So it makes sense to check hinges for both problems.

What should I do if my door scrapes the bottom corner?

Set the hinge on top of the shim and screw it back in. Try reinstalling your door and checking if it opens and closes smoothly. When it scrapes the bottom corner on the latch side, then shim the top hinge. If your door scrapes the top corner, add a shim behind the bottom hinge.

How do you fix a door that rubs against the bottom of the frame?

For a door that rubs against the bottom of the frame on the latch side, then screw in the bottom hinge more. Make sure you use a screwdriver that properly fits into the screws.

What should I do if my front door is out of square?

Use a sanding block to smooth the cut edge and slightly round the corners. In an older home with an out-of-square door frame, the top of a door may be out of parallel with the top of the frame. Measure the distance between the top of the door and the frame; subtract 1/8 inch.

What should I do if my door is rubbing on the floor?

Swing the door back and forth to see if it is rubbing against the carpet or making marks on the floor. Mark the door with a pencil at the spot that it rubs. Remove the door from its hinges with a narrow screwdriver or awl and hammer to tap out the hinges.