Door Repair in Cranford NJ

Door repairs are one of the most common service requests that I receive. There are many things that can go wrong with doors that will cause a variety of problems. Some will not close correctly, some will not open correctly, some are drafty and some just plain look bad. You see, doors are mechanical devices that have moving parts and see a lot of use, therefore over time they will need maintenance and repair.

There are many reasons why the doors in your house do not operate properly. Worn out hinges, multiple layers of paint, incorrect hinge installation, house settling, and exposure to the elements are just a few. Many times homeowners think the entire door and hardware need to be replaced in order to solve the issue. Although sometimes this is the case, most often it is not. Doors and door frames can usually be repaired or adjusted to compensate for wear and tear. Many times, this is the best method if you prefer the original charm of your 100+ year old home. I have many years of experience working with vintage doors, hinges and settled door frames.

Here are some common scenarios –

Door opens and closes ok in the winter, but is difficult to open and close in the summer.
This is caused by humidity. In the humid weather, a wooden door will swell. Actually, so does the wooden door frame. The swelling causes the clearances around the door to become less and the door will contact the jamb (side) or the head (top). This can usually be resolved by removing the door and having it properly trimmed.

Door Squeaks and Creaks.
Most of the time squeaking is coming from the hinges. It can be repaired by lubricating them with silicone or another type of thin lubricant. However, this can also be a sign that something else is wrong with the door. Occasionally, the screws that hold the hinges on become loose over time, causing them to become misaligned and creating a squeal or creak. ALWAYS tighten the screws with a hand screwdriver. A power driver can and will strip the screws in the door or jamb and then you have bigger problems.

A loud creak or sticking noise that happens when the door is just about to close or when it is first opened after being closed for a while is commonly caused by the door contacting the stop (thin strips of wood that are mounted along the length of the jambs and head) on the hinge side too tightly. Often this is caused by multiple layers of paint which actually increase the thickness of the door about 1/32” per coat. Another symptom of this issue is the door is resistant to close just before the bolt (latch) contacts the striker plate. To repair this issue, the stop needs to be removed and re-installed. Some sanding and painting will be required.

Door Drags on Floor and/or Contacts Jamb at Upper Corner
When doors do this, it is almost certainly a loose hinge. It can be the upper or lower hinge although I most commonly see the lower hinge as the culprit. Now – why? Usually, I see a hinge that was mortised much too deep. Mortising is the technique in which the hinges are sunken into the door jamb and the door so they will sit flush when installed. Unfortunately this is commonly an installer error. When the door was first installed new, it worked fine, but over time the deep hinges caused the door edge to contact the door jamb and create a prying motion to the hinge at the jamb. The door hinge screws eventually strip the wood and pull out. In most cases, this can be rectified by removing the hinges and shimming them and performing a thread repair technique to the door jamb. In severe cases, the jamb must be replaced.

Another thing that can cause this symptom is a door and door jamb that has been painted many many times, thus creating the same effect because there is no more clearance between the door edge and door jamb.

As you can see, there are many scenarios as to why your door will not operate properly. Repairs are best left to a professional who has experience in inspecting the correct areas of your door to diagnose exactly what the problem is. Sure, anyone can come to your home and tighten a few screws and spray some lube on your hinges, but how long will that last? Do you really want to be dealing with the same problem in three months? Schedule an appointment today and I will come inspect your troublesome door and come up with lasting solutions to your door issues.