Trying to Replumb an Old Door Jamb

Determine where the door is out of alignment by attempting to open and close the door to see where it won’t fit through the doorframe or where it sticks. Look for gaps around the doorframe between the frame and the wall. Remove the door from the hinges if you see gaps around the frame, or leave the door in place if the door merely sticks.

Tighten the top hinges of the door if the upper side of the door doesn’t fit into the doorframe or sticks. If the top hinge is as tight as it can be, remove the top door hinge from the frame, fill the screw holes with wood filler, wait until the filler dries and realign the door so that it sits straight on the hinge. Reattach the door to the frame in that spot with the screws.

Tighten or move the bottom hinge from the door in the same way described for the top hinge if the lower side of the door won’t fit past the door frame or sticks. If the door sticks at the top edge of the doorway, remove the door from the frame, fill in the screw holes, and move the door down on the frame. If the door sticks against the floor, remove the door, fill in the holes, and move the door up on the frame. Reset hinges as needed.

Build up the frame under the top or bottom hinge if the tilt of the door is too great to fix by moving the hinges alone. Do this by cutting a shim just large enough to make the door hang plumb in the doorway, removing the door from the frame, screwing the shim to the wall at the top or bottom hinge and then connecting the hinge on top of the shim. Paint the shim if you want it to blend into the frame.

Take the door down from the frame and nail the frame back against the wall if the frame has pulled away from the wall and makes the door unable to close. Use nails every 5 to 6 inches down the doorframe to secure it to the wall stud behind it.

Remove the door if the door swings past the opposite side of the frame without catching it. Build up the wall beneath both hinges with shims to move the door inward on the frame until the latch on the door catches the door frame on the other side. Secure the shims and hinges to the door frame with screws.