How to Fix a Door That Won't Close Evenly

Tighten Hinge Screws

• 1

  Open the door for access to the hinges.

• 2

  Look for looseness in any of the hinge screws that could allow the door to sag from the jamb.

• 3

  Tighten loose screws firmly with a screwdriver, typically a Phillips head. Tighten the screws on the door side of the hinge as well as the jamb side.

Replace the Center Hinge Screw

• 4

  Locate the center hinge screw on the jamb-side leaf of the top hinge.

• 5

  Remove the center screw from the hinge leaf.

• 6

  Replace this screw with a longer screw of about 2 or 3 inches and tighten it securely. This supports the door more firmly in the jamb.

Deepen the Top Hinge Mortise

• 7

  Prop the door at the bottom with a wedge shim to give the door stability while deepening the hinge mortise. Using the wedge shim takes pressure off the hinges below the top hinge.

• 8

  Remove the jamb-side top hinge leaf from the mortise in which it sits. Leave the door side of the hinge intact.

• 9

  Work away a thin layer of wood within the mortise area where the hinge leaf was seated using a sharp chisel or flat-head screwdriver. Remove only enough so that the hinge seats slightly deeper than it did before.

• 10

  Screw the hinge leaf back on, making sure the jamb-side of the hinge seats smoothly in the deepened mortise area. Remove the shim at the bottom of the door.