Instead, support the door by opening it wide and inserting a wedge under the latch edge. Then, remove the loose hinge-leaf screws and determine whether or not the leaf will accept larger-diameter screws. If so, install them and re tighten the hinge. Otherwise, you can reuse the original screws by widening the screw holes with a quarter-inch drill bit and then hammering lengths of quarter-inch dowel (coated with glue) into the holes. Work on one hinge leaf at a time. Finally, reposition the hinge leaf and secure it by driving the screws into the dowels.

Is your door binding? If so, this is a fast fix that will dramatically improve your quality of life (no more banging doors). And we’ve got everything you need, from leaf-hinge screws and shims to dowels and glue. And our knowledgeable staff members will be happy to make sure you understand the procedure so you only need to do the repair once!

HINT: If loose hinge leaves are not the cause of a door binding on the latch edge, try shimming out the top hinge to cure a bind near the bottom, or shim the bottom hinge for binds near the top.

On April 28, 2013   /   Sneade’s Helpful Hints