How to Trim a Door With a Portable Planer

Open and shut the door and observe where the door is actually sticking -- the top or the side of the door frame.

Inspect the hinge on the door to make sure the hinges are screwed down tightly. If they are not, screw them in with a screwdriver, and then open and shut the door to make sure it is still sticking.

Place the tip of the screwdriver underneath the door's hinge pin and tap it upwards until the pin comes out. Repeat this to remove all the hinge pins. Remove the door from its hinges once all the pins are out, transport the door to a garage or work area.

Set the depth adjustment knob on the planer by turning it to the desired setting. The depth of the planing cut will depend on how badly the door is sticking. Most planers have settings that run from 0.1 mm to 1.6 mm. Start at the lowest setting, 0.1 mm, as a slight shave is all that is usually needed for door repair.

Check to make sure the locking switch is not locked to the "on" position and then plug the planer into a wall or extension cord.

Turn on the planer power switch and then set the locking switch.

Grasp the main handle and the front handle of the planer and evenly move the flat section of the planer across the door side or top. Turn the planer off once the planing cut is completed.

Set the door back on its hinges and slip the hinge pins through, tapping them down with the hammer if necessary. Open and close the door to make sure it does not stick anymore.