The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Care And Repair Of The House
To do this, loosen the screws of the top hinge in the leaf, which is fastened to the jamb, and insert a strip of cardboard under the inner edge, as shown in sketch A (fig. 5). Then tighten up the screws and try closing the door. This will usually correct the trouble, since it will tend to pull the upper part of the door closer to the jamb.
If this corrects the trouble as far as the striking is concerned but leaves considerable space above the door and along the outside edge (lock edge), loosen the screws in the leaf of the bottom hinge, which is attached to the jamb, and insert cardboard under the outer edge, as shown in sketch B (nV 5).
If, after tightening the screws and again trying the door, it is found that there is an even crack, or margin on all sides, and that the hinge pins do not move when the door is closed, the repair is permanent. If, however, the hinge pins move when the door is being closed, it will probably be necessary to use thinner shims under the hinge leaves.
On the other hand, if the door strikes all along the outer edge, remove the pins, take down the door, and remove the hinge leaves from the jamb. Then with a sharp chisel cut away some wood from the outer edge of the mortises in the jamb, being careful to taper the cut so that no wood is removed from the back edge. When the hinges are replaced, this beveled deepening of the mortise will tend to pull the door away from the lock jamb and toward the hinge jamb. If, upon closing the door, the hinge pins move it is a sign of binding against the hinge jamb, as a result of excessive beveling of the mortises. This binding can be remedied by slight shimming under the outer edge of the jamb leaves.
Planing a Door.
It will seldom be necessary to plane the door if the trouble has been caused by loose or improperly mortised hinges. However, if it is necessary to plane, as in the case where the side margins are uneven and the door strikes at top or bottom due to settlement of the frame or similar causes, points of contact can generally be located by noting where paint is worn. If this is not possible, open and close the door several times and mark with chalk or pencil those places where the door seems to stick.
Then plane the edges of the door slightly where marked. Care should be taken not to plane too much off the door, for, when dry weather comes the wood may shrink, and, if it is an outside door and has been planed too much, it may require weather stripping or filling in. After planning a little it is well to try the door by opening and closing it, to see whether additional planning is needed.
