Door skew: what to do if the door is jammed

Recommendation points

• Causes of skewed doors
• What to do if loops are to blame
• Eliminate door frame defects
• Misalignment due to the fault of the door leaf
• What to do if the door is jammed

The skew of the door occurs due to the violation of the geometry of the door frame. Doors open arbitrarily under the influence of their gravity, do not close well – they touch the porch or even jam. Let’s consider in detail the possible reasons for the skew of the door and outline the procedure for solving the problem in each specific case.

From time to time, even the best of the doors need repairs. Due to various reasons, they do not function as they should – they open spontaneously, touch the porch when closing, wedge. The main thing in such a situation is to determine the reason in order to outline a rational solution.

Causes of skewed doors

Examine the door carefully to determine the cause of the skew. Pay attention to the condition of the hinges, evaluate the strength of the fastening of the door frame in the opening. Next, examine the condition of the locks and the door leaf as a whole.

The skew usually occurs due to one of the following reasons:

• deformation or loosening of the hinge fastening;
• deformation of the door frame;
• violation of the geometry of the door leaf.

What to do if loops are to blame

With long-term operation of the doors, due to wear of the hinge surfaces, the door leaf gradually sags. In this case, the lower edge of the door touches the threshold. The problem can be solved radically – by replacing the hinges, or in a simpler way – by installing a steel washer of a suitable size or a wire ring between the hinges. The second method is cheaper, but it can be recommended as a temporary one: after all, the washer, and even more so the wire ring, is quite noticeable and does not look aesthetically pleasing.

An important point: when buying hinges, pay attention to the size and thickness of the plate, as well as the location of the holes for the screws, these parameters of the old and new hinges must match. The easiest way is to remove the old hinges and go to the store with them. If you cannot find hinges that are exactly suitable in terms of parameters, take hinges with a larger mounting plate, but in this case, the seat for them will have to be increased with a chisel. The loop should fit snugly in the groove. If the holes for the screws do not match, you will have to make new ones. But the old holes must be hammered in with wooden pegs, previously greased with glue..

Skewed doors can be caused by deformation of the hinges under excessive load, when the weight of the door leaf is too large for this configuration. In this case, replacement of the hinges with new, more durable ones is required. In some cases, it is recommended to install an additional loop for the most rational distribution of the load.

Another reason for skewing due to the “fault of the hinges” can be the weakening of the screws. The solution is obvious: replace the screws with longer ones. If even a long screw scrolls and does not hold well, before screwing in, it is necessary to squeeze a little PVA glue into the hole. Tighten the screw the next day after the glue dries..

Eliminate door frame defects

Over time, the door frame can loosen in the fasteners and sag. There can be many reasons: installation errors, the effect of moisture, significant weight of the door leaf, long-term operation. The problem can be solved by strengthening the door frame fasteners or radically by reinstalling. The choice of method depends on the state of the attachment.

In any case, you will need to remove the platband and assess the situation. Pay attention to the integrity of the box, the strength of its installation in the opening (staggering or not) and the condition of the foam.

If the connection of the elements of the box is broken, remove it and repair it: restore the fastening with self-tapping screws (the parts must first be “put” on glue). Then reinstall.

If everything is in order with the state of the connections, the cause of the skew may be a violation of the geometry of the box: it sagged somewhere, you need to determine in which direction it was “led”. The main load falls on the rack of the box, on which the hinges are located. Most often, it is this side that looses, pay attention to it first..

In such a situation, you need to remove the polyurethane foam – completely or in a separate area. Next, you need to put the box in the correct position and fix it with wooden wedges. The wedges need to be knocked out in pairs, opposite each other (on each side there are two wedges supporting each other, so you will ensure the most reliable fixation of the box in the opening). After driving the wedges, check the correctness of the installation – hang the door and check how it closes, whether the locks and latches work. The door should not touch the box, the same gaps should remain around the perimeter.

Next, you need to close the door tightly, and insert strips of cardboard folded several times around the perimeter between the canvas and the box in order to exclude the possibility of deformation of the box due to the expansion of the foam. The next step is to fill the space between the slope and the box with polyurethane foam. Wait until it is completely dry. Better to leave the box for a day. Then cut off the excess and reinstall the platband.

Misalignment due to the fault of the door leaf

Doors made of wood are sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature – the swelling of wood fibers can lead to a change in the size of the leaf (doors do not close because they are swollen open, or, on the contrary, the doors are jammed due to swelling when closed).

In such a situation, first of all, you need to eliminate the cause – bring the microclimate parameters to normal: proper operation of ventilation and maintaining a sufficient temperature level are important.

If the integrity of the door leaf is preserved and the door is just a little swollen, it may be possible to solve the situation by restoring a normal microclimate – the doors will return to normal without outside help.

In a more difficult situation, one can observe an increase in the size of the panels and, as a result, the destruction of the connection of the door leaf elements. In this case, it is advisable to contact a carpentry workshop – it will be difficult to restore the integrity without special equipment.

What to do if the door is jammed

If, due to any of the above reasons, the door is jammed and it is impossible to open it, try to “reanimate” – still enter the room for further investigation – finding out the reasons for the skew and solving the problem.

First, check the operation of the locks and latches (to exclude the possibility of jamming due to the fault of the fittings). Next, gently tap the door with a hammer around the perimeter – be sure to put a plate under the hammer so as not to break the coating. If the door does not give in to mechanical stress and still firmly “sits” in the opening, dismantle it: remove the platbands, remove the mounting foam, the fastening anchors can be cut with a hacksaw blade. Pull out the door unit carefully and eliminate the cause of the jam using one of the methods described above..