Sticking, rubbing and loose doors, fixed
Most door problems are a hinge, a strike plate or a door that has swollen, and all of them are small repairs rather than a new door.
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What people call about
- Hinge screws that have worked loose, so the door sags and rubs at the top corner.
- A strike plate out of line, so the latch will not catch.
- A door that has swollen in humid weather and sticks in the frame.
- A loose or broken handle, lever or knob.
- A door that swings open or shut on its own, or a missing door stop.
Before the handyman arrives
- Do not plane a door that only sticks in the wettest weeks of the year until you know it is not just swelling. A bit taken off cannot be put back.
- Exterior door locks and deadbolts are a locksmith's job if keys are lost or a lock has failed. A handyman swaps hardware; they do not open locked doors.
- Fire-rated doors, such as the door from a garage into the house, must stay self-closing and fire-rated. Mention it if that is the door.
What the handyman does
- Hinge screws tightened or replaced with longer ones that bite into the framing.
- The strike plate moved or the latch adjusted so the door closes and catches.
- A swollen door planed and the bare edge sealed so it does not swell again.
- Handles, levers, privacy sets and door stops replaced like for like.
- Bifold and closet doors re-hung on their tracks.
South Florida and beyond
Humidity is the main reason doors stick in Florida and across the Gulf states: wood and wood-composite doors swell in summer and shrink back in the dry months. Sealing all six faces of a door, including the top and bottom edges, is what stops it happening every year.
Questions people ask
- Why does my door stick only in summer?
- Humidity makes the door swell. The usual fix is tightening the hinges and, if needed, planing a little from the edge that rubs, then sealing the bare wood so moisture cannot get in.
- Can you fix a door that won't latch?
- Usually in one short visit: the strike plate is moved or adjusted, or the hinges are tightened so the door lines up again.
- Do you replace sliding glass doors or garage doors?
- No. Sliding glass doors and garage doors are specialist trades. This service covers interior doors, closet doors and door hardware.
Get a handyman out
Free estimate. The price is agreed before the work starts.
Other handyman jobs
- General handyman jobs
- Drywall repair
- TV mounting
- Furniture assembly
- Interior painting
- Pressure washing
- Gutter cleaning
- Caulking and grout
- Shelves and hanging
- Fence repair
- Deck repair
- Screen repair
- Faucet and fixture swap
- Weatherproofing
One Call Handyman Repairs arranges the visit; the handyman does the work and gives you the price.