Fixing a door that ...
 

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[Closed] Fixing a door that doesn't shut

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We have a bathroom door that will shut, but not freely, it needs to be locked shut. Its a new door.

The door is flush with the frame on the hinge edge, but is proud of the frame on the latch side by a good 5mm.
The spacing around the door is very tight on the hinge side, maybe 1 - 2mm and more like 8mm on the latch side.
I have removed wood from the jamb at the outside, bottom of the frame where the door was rubbing once closed.
The hinges are pretty much flush with the frame and door in the mortises.

I guess the problem lies with the depth of the hinge fittings and that they are too deep, even though they sit flush with the bits that they're fitted in.

As I don't want to be spending all night trying different things, where should I pack out my hinges with cardboard, on the frame or on the door, or both.

Thanks in advance.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 4:42 pm
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If you pack the hinges won't you just make the problem with it catching on the latch side frame worse?

Sounds like you need to get the door out the frame and take a few mm off one edge? Hinge side is easier to hide but you'd need to add some depth to the hinge rebates.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 4:44 pm
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The door doesn't catch on the latch side. It doesn't want to close if that makes sense, it needs a good push / pull and turn of the lock to keep it shut.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 4:51 pm
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If there isn't enough space on the hinge side it will bind, it'll open a bit by itself and need to be pushed shut.
The usual method is cut a piece of cardboard (cereal box type) to the shape of the hinge and fit to one side, if that don't work, one on the other side. If it still binds double them up.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 5:12 pm
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ah, so the door's too far into the frame?

try the cardboard thing but if the hinges have been fitted in the wrong place you may end up having try and move the holes a bit. Some hinges are deliberately asymmetric so you can turn them over and not line up with the existing holes.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 5:15 pm
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Probably mis aligned latch plate, you need a tradesman who specializes in that sort of thing, email in profile.

close door to frame with latch touching front of frame on the arictrave, mark to lines one above and one below the latch, then look to see if those lines correspond with the slot in latch plate in frame, if not adjust latch plate, if they do, measure how far latch sticks out from edge of door, measure from the side of the door that touches the frame and then transfer this measurement to frame and both should correspond, usually the latch plate will require moving forward on the frame slightly, use a matchstick to plug holes in frame from old screws.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 5:24 pm
 dlb1
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sounds like the door is binding on casing.does the door want to spring open when you try to close it?. try packing out the hinges with card. and moving the hinges away from the rebate/door stop.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 8:21 pm
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Its a new door.

Who fitted it?


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 8:38 pm
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Yeah sounds like the door is binding on the hinge side - pack out the the hinges with some flat cardboard (not corrugated cardboard).

It's best if you can not to make the packing the whole width of the hinge leaf, pack a narrower strip of cardboard behind the hinge (frame not door) flush with the front edge of the frame so the packing tilts the hinge knuckle away from the frame.

You can pack it with full width packing but it's less effective and you might need more packing.

Whatever you do don't pack with a less than full width packer placed on the door stop edge of the hinge recess, if you do that you will simply tilt the hinge knuckle further into the frame making the problem worse.

Remember you're trying to tilt the hinge knuckle [i]towards[/i] the lock side.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 8:46 pm
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Yeah, although it might not be hinge-bound, the door stops should be tapering from a gap on the hinge side to 0 on the latch side door stop. Whip them off and start again.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 8:52 pm
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Without looking at it, the relative positions of the door stops, I'd go with dib and ernie and certainly consider repositioning the hinges in the frame a little more away from the stop before packing the hinges if they are rebated flush with both frame and door edge.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 8:54 pm
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Ahh, when I read 'gap around the door' I was thinking gap at the doorstops. Still worth checking and sorting those too.

As for the 9-10mm total gappage, I wouldn't go shaving anything else off.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 8:55 pm
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Agreed with the hinge advice above. Something to check for: push the door closed until you feel tension (which you should if the hinges are too deep), and watch for the hinges 'flexing' when you push the door closed.


 
Posted : 17/11/2014 9:06 pm