Fix sticking, squeaking and rattling doors through the house

A weekend-by-weekend plan to fix every sticking, rattling or squeaking door in your home, room by room.

Guides in this project

01Stop a door rattling in its frame 02Fix a door that sticks 03Fix a squeaky door hinge 04Fix a door that won't latch 05Adjust a uPVC door that has dropped or catches 06Replace a lever door handle on a rose 07Fit a floor or skirting door stop

AB-01Survey every door and plan the workWalk the house and test each door: does it rattle, stick, squeak, fail to latch, or (for uPVC) drag and catch? Note which guide each door needs and whether you need a new handle or door stop. Budget £40-£150 for a whole house depending on how many doors need parts, and plan one full weekend for 6-10 doors, two weekends if several need planing. Before fixing anything into a floor, skirting or wall during later phases, check for cables and pipes with a detector and still expect something to be there.

RULES

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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1 each · Notebook and pencil

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2 each · Dust sheet

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KNOW THE RULES

If any door is a fire door (common on flat entrances and in HMOs), it must still close fully onto its stop and seal properly after any adjustment. Don't remove or disable its closer or plane off the fire and smoke seals - if it needs more than a light adjustment, get a fire door specialist.

AB-02Stop any rattling doorsFollow 'Stop a door rattling in its frame' for every door that moves in the gap when pushed. Do this early, since a rattling door is often also sticking slightly, and fixing one can change what the other needs. If the fix means moving a strike plate close to a light switch or socket, stop - relocating a switch or socket is a job for a registered electrician.

RULES

1 pack · Self-adhesive rubber door buffers

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1 pack · Wood screws 4x25mm

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KNOW THE RULES

Moving or adding a socket or switch is a job for a registered electrician; this guide only covers door hardware, not rewiring.

AB-03Deal with sticking doorsFollow 'Fix a door that sticks' next, once rattling is sorted so you're not planing more than you need. Do one door at a time and re-test the latch and swing before moving on. This is the step most likely to overrun, since humidity and old paint build-up on the edge can mean several light passes rather than one big one.

1 pack · Sandpaper, assorted grit

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1 tin · Quick-dry primer or varnish

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AB-04Quiet any squeaking hingesFollow 'Fix a squeaky door hinge' on any door that creaks when opened. Do this after planing work, since a freshly eased door often needs its hinges re-checked anyway. Worn hinge pins or loose screws here are the usual reason a 'fixed' squeak comes back within a few weeks.

1 can · Silicone or light machine oil spray

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1 pair · Replacement hinges

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AB-05Fix doors that won't latchFollow 'Fix a door that won't latch' for any door left over after sorting rattling and sticking - most latch problems turn out to be a frame that's shifted slightly, which earlier phases often correct on their own. Check the strike plate alignment carefully before cutting anything deeper into the frame. Remember to check for cables and pipes before drilling new screw holes, since door frames sit close to wall wiring runs.

1 each · Replacement strike plate

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1 tube · Wood filler

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1 pack · Wood screws 4x40mm

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AB-06Adjust dropped or catching uPVC doorsFollow 'Adjust a uPVC door that has dropped or catches' for front and back doors, since these use hinge adjustment screws rather than planing. Do this on a separate day if the door also needs a new handle, so you can check the fit properly before buying parts. If the frame itself is warped or the door has dropped badly and adjustment doesn't hold, that's a job for a uPVC door fitter, not a DIY fix.

1 each · Allen key set

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1 can · Silicone spray for seals

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AB-07Replace worn or loose handlesFollow 'Replace a lever door handle on a rose' on any door with a loose, stiff or broken handle, now that the door itself swings and latches properly. Replacing a handle before fixing a sticking door often hides the real problem, so this phase deliberately comes near the end. Check the new handle's spindle length matches your door thickness before fitting.

1 each · Lever door handle on rose set

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1 each · Replacement spindle

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AB-08Fit door stops to protect walls and furnitureFinish with 'Fit a floor or skirting door stop' on any door that now swings freely enough to hit a wall, handle or piece of furniture. Check for cables and pipes with a detector before drilling into the floor or skirting, and still expect something to be there even in a spot that looks clear. This is the last phase because you need the door's final, corrected swing to know where the stop should actually go.

RULES

1 each · Floor or skirting door stop

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1 pack · Rawlplugs and screws

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KNOW THE RULES

Drilling into a floor or skirting can hit wiring or pipework hidden in the wall or under the floor; always check with a detector first, even though this is routine woodwork.

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