/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Go to the top hinge and remove two screws that hold hinge to jam. Replace them with long 3" or 4" drywall screws, screw them in real tight. Should pull jam back enough to get door to latch again.

>>1210776
the hinges look absolutely fine. it's as if the lock side has just slid downwards

if you look at it when closed, there is a triangle shaped gap at the top, but the hinge side is perfectly plumb, as is the lock side

>>1210783
I realize that. The problem is settling. Often doing what I said is an easy fix it pull the top of the door back slightly. Otherwise remove striker plate re-mortise the jam and re-install striker plate. Been remodeling 30+ yrs...seen it all

Otherwise remove casing on both sides of jam on lock side and sawzall trim nails that hold lock side of jam in place. move up and re-nail then re-install casing. Be careful when removing side casing as they are trim nailed horizontally into top piece of casing.. You will destroy the casing if not careful, then trying to install new and matching existing can be a pain

>>1210785
I have pretty much no experience with this type of thing, but what I'm thinking is trying to jack up or wedge the lock side. does this have any chance of succeeding or will it just break the door? could I do anything to make the joints in the door malleable for a while?

>>1210786
The right way
>>1210776
Second choice
>>1210785
Shitty easy fix

>>1210789
Not really....Often we use the long screws in the top hinge unless its settled too much. If thats the case the other two methods are all you can do

>>1210789
I take that back. If you have access to the floor joists below the door jam it is possible to jack up the floor to make up for settling. Your talking about alot of work for an otherwise easy fix by re-positioning the jam and re-installing the casing / trim

>>1210796
heh, sounds like a lot of work, but I don't think it's the jam(is that the surrounding of the door?), I think it's the door itself has mysteriously slid downwards on it's lock side

>>1210799
I told you how I fix this kind of shit every day...Good luck

>>1210800
appreciated man

>>1210799
It's sagging you retard, we're trying to help you. The hinge looks fine, but the weight of the door and gravity is preventing the top screws on the top hinge grabbing and holding like they used to.

>>1210776
Told you to put longer screws in it. He's right, if you don't want to then fuck it. Your house is totalled.

>>1210817
actually the door opening is racking due to settlement. Re align the jam, try pulling the top of the door in by longer screws that will bite into the trimmer stud or re position the striker plate....If it isnt bad Ive fixed dozens by simply running a long screw in the hinge screw hole whick pulls the jam on that side back just enough to realign the bolt...I'm outa here wasted enough time already

>>1210817
I acknowledge my retardation

if it is sagging however, why is there no bigger gap at the top of the hinge side than the bottom? Why does it not move when I try to life it back into position using the handle?

>>1210884
Because only the top hinge got pulled out of place a little. And you are not strong enough, the levers are in your disadvantage this time. Also, there coulde be dirt behind the top hinge, although highly unlikely. Hell, I used to "fix" that shit by whacking on the top or bottom hinge to make it a bit tighter (top) or wider (bottom). Not pretty, but it works.

>>1210776
>>1210785
>>1210817
These anons are right. If you still don't believe them you deserve the fuckup you are about to make.

>>1210886
>Because only the top hinge got pulled out of place a little
there is no more gap at the top of the hinge side than the bottom, but there is an increasing gap from the top of the frame at the hinge side(virtually none) to the lock side (5mm)

to my untrained eye this means that the lock side of the door has somehow dropped 5mm. both sides still look parralel and plumb, but the 2 cross peices(top middle and bottom) are slightly off level

I'll probably have to get a pro in. just wondering wtf would cause what I described. I assume she'll need a new door

>>1210886
to be clear, the door is no longer rectangular but a parralelogram

>>1210898
And you decide to only mention this now because? But yeah, that door must be a serious piece of shit. Get us a pic related? If that is really the case, I bet you the deadbolt doesn't do much, because you could just walk through the door even when it's closed.

>>1210907
I thought I'd been clear in the OP

and here >>1210799 >>1210783


I'm not there now so I can't get a pic. It's a fairly reasonable solid framed door, with a window panel in the top 2/3rdish

the only thing I can think of is a combination of lots of rain making the door heavier, and lots of sun melting the glue a bit. we've had an unusual amount of both. I can't remember seeing any nails, and I think the construction is mortice and tenon

>>1210915
>rain making the door heavier, and lots of sun melting the glue a bit.

jesus christ you are fucking retarded. how the hell is the rain going to make it heavier? unless that door is made of MDF its not going to hold water. also.. melting glue... wood glue doesnt work like that, it cant melt. once wood glue dries its actually harder than the surrounding wood.

just do the suggestions the others suggested that will most likely fix your issue and stop fucking around with making up all sorts of "problems" that are causing it.

LOL.. wood glue melting due to the sun..

>>1210925
>jesus christ you are fucking retarded
of coursh

I'm just explaining what happened to the door and attempting to work out why

all the other suggestions were for a door that is still rectangular, but the top hinge has loosened

this door has become a parallelogram but all the hinge shit is fine

do you have an opinion on what has caused the problem? or are you just going to be a faggot and insult me(not even very amusingly, jesus)

Check the door to make sure it is square. You do this by measuring from corner to opposite corner then repeating the measurement on the two remaining corners. If the measurements match, it is square. if they don't, then it isn't. Let us know the result. If it isn't you need to find out why the door is changing shape and correct it. A simple fix is to move the strike plate for the deadbolt or adjust the hinges, as has been mentioned.

If the door is square then the issue is either the hinges or the frame. Adjusting the hinges might fix the former problem but there might be other issues also. Like your screws pulling out or the hinge pins warping. Problems with the frame can be much harder to fix. Again, check for square and let us know the result.

>>1210935
will do, good tip for the measuring

thanks, probably won't be able to check till wednesday

>>1210930

im going to insult you stupid ass, you have been told like 20 times what to do to correct the problem, but you keep insisting on telling us what the door is doing when you have done that many times. if you dont want to take the advice which almost every anon has given the same, then fuckoff and stick your door up your ass. we tried to help you but you arent LISTENING to the suggestions, but still trying to figure out why its doing it, when you were told its most likely settling. door s can do this out of nowhere. now go fix the door as suggested THEN IF THAT DOESNT WORK come back and ask for more advice. but none of this "well maybe this caused it or this caused it" bullshit

>>1210940
Well said..this is why after 30 +yrs of working on houses I'm sick and tired of dealing with home owners that have no common sense. My first comment concering long screws in the upper hinge have nothing to with the hinge. It pulls the door frame in at the top since there is a gap between the jam the the stud opening which should be shimmed. The log screws 3-4" will grab the stud instead of the door fram and pull the whole door frame back enough for the bolt to line up. You can even take a block of 2x4 and hit the door fram back enough combines with screws....such an easy fix. I'll refrain from name calling, that being said they wonder why I drink. Funny thing I've found is the people with the most money, huge houses are stupid as a sack of door knobs...pun intended.

One more time...Run 2 or 3 long srews in the hinge if not open the door and slam it on your head. Trying to help strangers is my down fall

Take the striker plate off since the door doesnt lock anyway. If lock still doesnt line up beat a fucking hole in the wood with butter knife until the lock engages. Sleep better knowing your house on wheels has a locking door

>>1210773
>porch door

Screen door or wood door?

Screen door frames can sag. Check corners for being square. Install diagonal brace if not.

If it's a wood door, or if the door is square and the hinges haven't pulled out (as others have suggested), check door frame for being square. Old houses settle.