How to Adjust a Swinging Dining Room Door

Examine the fit of the door in the jamb. The hinge side of the door should be equally spaced from the jamb with nothing between the door and the jamb to catch or stop the movement of the door. The end sides of the door should be rounded to allow the corners of the door to move past the jamb easily. Move the door slowly and observe if it is touching the jamb. Mark any points where the door touches the jamb with a pencil mark on the jamb and door.

Check the spacing of the door along the top, bottom and non-hinge side. The door should be well-spaced away from the jamb on all sides. Move the door during your check to see if the door is binding at any point on the jamb. If the door is binding, check the jambs for level. Over time a house or building may settle and cause the doorway to shift out of plumb.

Place a long level against the inside face of the jamb. If the bubble in the level is not centered, then that jamb board is not plumb. Check each jamb. Some failures will twist the entire jamb.

Remove the trim around the door if the jambs are not plumb. Sometimes the brisk swing of a door will loosen the original shims, allowing movement of the jamb. Remove your existing wood shims by unscrewing screws holding them in place or tapping finish nails all the way into the stud. Move the jambs back into square, holding or taping your level to the jamb.

Insert shims 1 foot from the top and bottom and near the middle of the jamb. Work with the shims, pushing the tapered side of one through one side between the jamb and the rough-in stud. Push a second shim from the other side so that the shims overlap between the two pieces of wood. Work your way around the jamb, bringing each of the jamb boards back into plumb. Often if you test the door it will swing easily as you correct the fit.

Nail or screw through the shims in the center of the jamb once the jambs are once again plumb. Typically, you will want stronger screws on the jamb on the hinge side of the door as they will endure more force. You can use finish nails for a cleaner finished appearance. Use at least two nails per shimmed spot. Trim off the excess shims with a utility knife.

Lubricate your pivot hinges with grease and tighten all fasteners. If you have missing fasteners or the wood is wallowed out and the screws will not hold, then remove the door and unscrew the hinge. Insert small wood wedges mixed with carpenter's glue into the distorted screw hole and allow the plug to dry for four hours.

Trim off the top of the wood wedges with a utility knife. Screw the hinge back to the door. The wood plugs should help the hinge screws hold more securely. Put your door back in place on the pivots. The door should swing easily and have good clearance on all sides. Reattach your trim with finish nails.