Re-hang or Adjust Doors

When a door no longer sits square in its frame, gaps appear around the edges that weather stripping and caulk cannot adequately seal. Seasonal wood expansion, settling foundations, and loose hinge screws are the most common causes of misaligned doors. Adjusting or re-hanging the door restores a tight fit across the entire perimeter, allowing weather stripping and sweeps to function as intended.

Diagnosing the Problem

1. Close the door and inspect the gap between the door and the frame on all four sides. The gap should be uniform at about 1/8 inch. Uneven gaps indicate misalignment.
2. Check if the door rubs or sticks at any point, which signals that one corner has shifted.
3. Look at the hinges for loose screws. A sagging door almost always starts with the top hinge pulling away from the frame.

How to Adjust

1. Tighten hinge screws: Remove one screw at a time from the top hinge and replace with a 3-inch screw that reaches into the wall stud behind the jamb. This single fix resolves most sagging doors.
2. Shim the hinges: If the door still does not sit flat, remove a hinge and place a thin cardboard shim behind it to push the door in the needed direction.
3. Plane or sand the edge: If the door itself has swollen from humidity, mark the rubbing area, remove the door, and plane or sand the high spot. Seal the exposed wood with primer to prevent future swelling.
4. Re-hang on new hinges: If hinge holes are stripped, fill them with wooden dowels and wood glue, let dry, then redrill and rehang.

Tips

• A 3-inch hinge screw into the stud is the most common professional fix for a sagging exterior door
• Check door alignment seasonally as wood expands in humid months and contracts in dry months
• If the frame itself is significantly out of square due to foundation settling, consult a professional before attempting to re-hang the door