Investor · Lakewood, OH · Member since 2016 · 158 posts · 49 votes
I live in a pre WW2 house and the tenant has been living there for five years.
She said the door wont shut anymore like the wood expanded. When closing the door it gets stuck and is so tight it peels the paint above. Upon further inspection I found a bent metal object in the crease. I think she tried to shut it with the metal wedged in the opening and now it wont shut properly.
How would I fix this? Is there a way to adjust the hinges to make the door lower?
Take the bent metal object out. Are the hinges bent in any way? if not and the door is wood you likely need to plane the door where it is tight. If hinges are bent they need repair/replacement.
I live in a pre WW2 house and the tenant has been living there for five years.
She said the door wont shut anymore like the wood expanded. When closing the door it gets stuck and is so tight it peels the paint above. Upon further inspection I found a bent metal object in the crease. I think she tried to shut it with the metal wedged in the opening and now it wont shut properly.
How would I fix this? Is there a way to adjust the hinges to make the door lower?
You don't say specifically, but it looks like it may be the front door you are referencing. If it's the front door, it is solid wood and normally you can "plane" it and remove enough wood to allow the door to close properly. Remove the door and put it on saw horses to do the planing or use a belt-sander. Then re-install the door.
If it is an interior door, one of those cheap hollow ones, you can remove the door and drill new holes for the screws in the frame. It's a fair amount of work so take your time to get it right. You can fill in the old holes by breaking a short length of pencil and inserting into the old holes before you drill. That should give enough strength to the new holes when you reinstall the door.
Take the bent metal object out. Are the hinges bent in any way? if not and the door is wood you likely need to plane the door where it is tight. If hinges are bent they need repair/replacement.
Another thing that can happen with a really old door is that the hinge pins can get worn. If the hinges on your door are from before WWII, that qualifies as "really old" to me. If the hinge pins are worn, the door can move a little bit left and right in the frame - imagine that the door is closed and you are pushing sideways on the door knob, pushing the knob towards the frame, as if it were a sliding door - that's the direction it would move in.
To check the pins, you can either use a screwdriver to pry the hinge pin up a little and then pliers to remove it the rest of the way, or use a hammer and a nail to knock the hinge pin out of the hinge. Wipe the hinge pin off with a rag or paper towel and look at it. It may have marks on it where the two halves of the hinge swing, but it shouldn't have notches or grooves.
If the pin does have notches or grooves, you can try replacing the pin, if you can find a modern one of the same diameter. The trouble is that you probably need to take the old hinge pin with you to the hardware store so you can match it up, so the tenant doesn't have a door while you are shopping. You may have to buy an entire new hinge and just use the pin out of it.
You can also try replacing the old hinge. You might be able to find a new hinge that will fit the same recesses in the door and the same screw holes, but again, it helps a lot if you take the old hinge to the store when you shop. It might also help to shop at a place like a Habitat ReStore - they often have hardware that came out of older houses, so it's a little more likely to find a match there. You may be able to find an old hinge that is the same shape and size as yours, but in better condition. If you have a choice, shop at the ReStore that's closest to a neighborhood with houses the same age as yours - the ReStore tends to have items that came out of houses in the neighborhood around it.
A door that is binding on the top is a sign that walls and floors are moving around. Very typical in an old home. Sometimes all it takes is with a block of 2x4 (approximately 6" long) being held up against the top of the door opening and using a hammer to strike the 2x4 will move the door frame sufficiently to give your door clearance. If that doesn't work, remove the trim from the top of the frame and install a 2-3 inch screw through the top of the door frame into the framing above. This should pull the frame up and give clearance for the door. If you plane the door, you will find yourself planing it again in the future as the house will continue to settle and move.