How to Fix a Loose Door Hinge

As a handy man, I have had to fix a lot of doors. There are a lot of reasons that the door can get in this condition. Most of the time, they are just old and haven’t had the attention that they deserve. Other times, the wind catches them and pulls the screws completely out. Sometimes the jamb is busted when this happens. People don’t really have a problem with a door, or anything else, until it fails to work properly. There are a few fixes for these problems.

The first, and most common is that the screws are loose. If this is the case, most people just tighten the screws. This will actually fix it for a while, but isn’t going to last long. The reason this usually happens, is because the weight of the door pulling down pulls the screws out just enough to make it loose. The way I fix such a problem, is to remove the screws take a wooden match, dip it in wood glue (elmer’s will work, but I recommend wood glue as it is waterproof after it dries) and push the match into the screw hole as far as it will go. Then break it off even, and replace the screw. I haven’t had to go back and redo this ever.

If the wind catches the door, and pulls the screws out, this will also work, unless the jamb is busted. If this is the case, it’s best to replace the entire jamb. There is a way to fix a busted jamb, but you’ll have to remove the door completely. If it’s just cracked, this will work. Remove the door, and using a screw driver, insert it into the crack. Pry open the broken wood just enough to remove any loose pieces. Put wood glue in the crack, and using clamps, bring it tight together. Clean off any glue that runs out of the crack. Let this repair sit for at least twenty four hours. Replace the door and this should take care of the problem.

If you need to replace the jamb, you will have to remove the trim from both sides of the jamb. The jamb will be made as a unit with the top and both sides. Cut each jamb in the center, and pry it out. Clean up any nails and shims. Replace the jambs and make sure it is level and plumb. Put shims in at least the top, bottom, and middle of both sides. This is necessary for security. With no shims in the middle, the door can easily be popped open. Replace the door and make sure it works properly. Replace the trim, clean up the mess, and you are done.

The first two are usually pretty simple, however if the jamb has to be replaced, this isn’t something most people want to tackle. Also if you are going to hire this work to be done, it’s better to just have the door replaced with a prehung door.