Fix a door that sticks

Diagnose why your door sticks, fix loose hinges or a shifted frame, then plane and finish the edge.

DR-01Diagnose the problemOpen and close the door slowly and watch exactly where it touches the frame or floor - top, bottom, or one side. Check each hinge for looseness, look for shiny worn patches on the door edge, and hold a spirit level against the frame to see if it's still square. Note if the sticking is worse after rain, since damp weather swells timber doors.

1 each · Spirit level

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DR-02Tighten or repack the hinge screwsLoosen each hinge screw slightly to check if it's spinning in worn wood. Remove any that are stripped and replace with slightly longer screws of the same type. If a hole is too worn to grip, pack it with a few cocktail sticks or wood filler mixed with sawdust, let it dry, then redrive the original screw into the packed hole.

1 pack · Long hinge screws (38-45mm)

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1 tube · Wood filler

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1 pack · Cocktail sticks

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DR-03Test the door after the hinge fixClose and open the door several times across its full swing to see if it now moves freely. If it still catches, the hinges weren't the problem - move on to check the frame itself.

DR-04Check whether the frame has movedHold a spirit level against both sides of the frame and across the head to check it's still square and plumb. A frame that's dropped, twisted, or been knocked can cause sticking that no amount of hinge tightening will fix. If it's out, you'll need to loosen the fixing screws hidden under the architrave and reposition it, which means drilling into the wall.

1 each · Filler knife (to ease off architrave)

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DR-05Identify your wall type before you drillBefore touching the frame's fixing screws, work out what's behind the plasterboard or masonry. Run a magnet or stud detector along the wall near the frame - a line of screw heads roughly every 400-600mm marks a stud, and a hollow sound between them confirms a stud wall rather than solid masonry. Drill a small 3mm pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot: fine pale dust means a timber stud, grey metallic swarf means a metal stud, and a hollow feel for 20-50mm before hitting something solid usually means dot-and-dab over brick or block.

1 each · Stud detector

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1 each · 3mm drill bit

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DR-06Check for cables and pipes, then isolate if in doubtCables and pipes can run almost anywhere behind a wall, not just in the usual safe zones - a detector helps but misses cables that are deep, in metal conduit, or behind metal-backed plasterboard, and a metal stud frame confuses cheap detectors further. Find your stopcock, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely before you start, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt at all, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn the water off at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.

DR-07Reposition and refix the frame with the right fixing for your wallLoosen the frame's fixing screws, adjust timber packers behind the jamb until it sits square and plumb, then refix using the correct fixing for what's behind the plasterboard. Into solid brick or block, drill a 6mm hole to 40mm depth and use a red wall plug with a 60mm screw. Into a timber stud, drive a 60mm wood screw straight into the centre of the stud. Into a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud screw or a toggle-type hollow-wall fixing rated for the load - never a plain plastic plug or ordinary wood screw, which will strip straight through 0.5mm steel. Behind dot-and-dab plasterboard, use a fixing long enough (typically 75-100mm) to pass through the board and adhesive dabs into the masonry behind, and for lath and plaster, aim the screw into the masonry or timber behind the laths, since the laths alone won't hold a fixing.

1 pack · Red wall plugs

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1 pack · 60mm wood screws

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1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud fixings

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1 pack · Hollow-wall toggle fixings

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1 pack · Timber packers (offcuts)

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DR-08Mark the high spot and plane the sticking edgeRub chalk or a carpenter's pencil along the frame where the door rubs, then open and close it gently so the mark transfers onto the door edge. Take the door off its hinges and support it on its side to plane the marked area, working in the direction of the grain in light passes. Check against the frame regularly rather than removing too much in one go, and take extra care with hollow-core doors, which can be damaged if you plane too deep.

1 each · Carpenter's pencil or chalk

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1 each · Hand plane

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DR-09Sand and seal the planed edgeSand the planed edge smooth with fine-grit sandpaper, removing any rough patches or splinters. Bare wood left exposed will absorb moisture and swell again, so prime and paint or varnish the edge to match the rest of the door before rehanging it.

1 pack · Fine-grit sandpaper

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1 tin · Wood primer/undercoat

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1 tin · Paint or varnish (matching)

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1 each · Paintbrush

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DR-10Rehang, test and tidy upRefit the hinges into their original or packed screw holes and check the door sits square in the frame. Open and close it across its full swing to confirm it moves freely without rubbing. Sweep up shavings and dust, wipe down the frame and floor, and store any leftover fixings for next time.

1 each · Dust sheet

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PART OF A BIGGER PROJECT

Fix sticking, squeaking and rattling doors through the house · Get a house ready to sell: the snagging list

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