Expert: Jamie Yocono - 9/6/2005

Question
Hope this within your scope of expertise.  A bedroom door will not stay fully open and lay back against the wall.  What is the easiest way to fix it?  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Stirrett,

Talk about something WAY outside my scope of expertise! I am not a carpenter, but rather a furniture maker. However, I just repaired 2 of my doors in my house that roughly had the same problem, so I have a couple of tips to offer. But please remember- this isn't what I really specialize in.

There are 2 ways a door can be out, as far as I can tell. Facing the door, it can be out of square in the jamb (laterally), or it can be out head to toe which I'm not sure what you would call that.

But usually, a door does not stay open because it's not hanging square in the jam, or laterally. You can use a level to see which way it is out of plumb. To square it up, place a shim of thin cardboard behind one of the hinges, depending on which one needs to be adjusted.  

This is what I would do- cut a piece of thin cardboard roughly the size of the hinge plate attached to your jamb.  Unscrew one of the hinges (say... the bottom one) and place the cardboard shim behind it, and then reinstall the screws. Check the door to see if it's working correctly.  If that doesn't work, try removing the shim and installing it on the other hinge, like the top one, this time. But I'd start with shimming the bottom hinge.

You can also fix this problem easily by removing a pin from the top hinge of the door and bending it. Place pin on a soft surface or a block of wood. Strike pin in the middle with a hammer slightly bending the pin. Put the pin back in hinge. The door should now stay open, but make sure you don't bend it to much or you won't get it back into place.

Last- this is a more difficult repair, but If the door is not square in the other plane (head to toe) you can move the hinge in or out and re-drill the holes that mount it and screw it in the new spot. This would be a last resort, I would try shimming the hinge first, and then try bending the pin if that doesn't work. Move the hinges ONLY as a last resort.

I'm a much better cabinetmaker than a carpenter, trust me! I hope this makes sense!  Good luck, hope this helps. Feel free to write back with any other questions you might have after reading this.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV