Fix a Rubbing Door
Knowing how to fix a rubbing door is an essential tool for making minor home repairs. Doors can rub for a variety of reasons, which may include foundations shifting and settling to newly installed flooring bumping the doors. A rubbing door can cause damage to the paint and varnish to a door or doorjamb, as well as mark up flooring or cause carpeting to bunch up. A door that rubs may also be difficult to close and may be pushed open easily. Learn how to fix a rubbing door yourself, and you can avoid calling an expensive carpenter or repair person.
Steps
- Check to see if the screws in the hinge plate are tight. Give them a little twist with a ratcheting screwdriver.
- Lift the door by grasping both handles and gently putting upward pressure. Check to see if this relieves the rubbing. If it does, tighten the hinge screws with a ratcheting screwdriver. You may use a drill with a screwdriver head attachment, but you need to be careful not to overdrive the screws and break or strip them.
- Examine the door and the doorjamb to determine where the door is rubbing. Look for paint that has been worn away by the door. Use a stepladder to look at the top of the door.
- Swing the door back and forth to see if it is rubbing against the carpet or making marks on the floor.
- Mark the door with a pencil at the spot that it rubs.
- Remove the door from its hinges with a narrow screwdriver or awl and hammer to tap out the hinges. You may need someone to help you catch the door.
- Apply masking tape to the door before cutting or sanding. This will help reduce the chance of the face of the door chipping.
- Use sandpaper, a belt sander, or circular saw to remove the area where the door rubs. Sandpaper can be used for small rubbing problems, while the belt sander or circular saw are ideal for more extreme door-sticking issues. Be careful not to cut the door too deep or too far. Interior doors are often hollow with only 1 inch (2.54 cm) of wood to stabilize the door. Do not remove more than 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch (.64 to 1.27 cm) of wood. If your door is a solid wood door, you have more leeway in regards to how much wood you can remove.
- Rehang the door, and check for rubbing. You may have to remove the door several times to keep it from rubbing; however, this is better than taking too much off.
- Remove the tape.
- Touch up the door with paint, stain, or varnish if needed.
Tips
- When sanding or cutting, it is better to do too little than too much. You can always take off a little more if needed.
Things You'll Need
- Ratcheting screwdriver
- Drill with screwdriver head attachment
- Stepladder
- Pencil
- Hammer
- Screwdriver or awl
- Masking tape
- Sandpaper, belt sander, or circular saw
- Paint, stain, or varnish (optional)
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