Tighten Hinge Screws

A sagging door is most often caused by loose screws in the top hinge. Tightening or replacing these screws is the fastest and most effective first step.

Steps

Open the door and inspect all hinge screws on both the door leaf and the jamb leaf. Tighten any that are loose. If a screw spins freely, the wood is stripped—remove the screw, insert glue-coated toothpicks or wooden matchsticks into the hole, let them dry, then re-drive the screw. For the best result, replace one of the top-hinge jamb screws with a 3-inch screw that reaches the wall stud; this single fix corrects most sagging doors.

Why It Works

A longer screw anchors the hinge to the structural framing rather than just the thin door jamb, pulling the top of the door back toward the hinge side and realigning the latch with the strike plate.