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Everything you need to know about fixing sagging doors, drafts, and more
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Over time, French doors will start to loosen in their frame and hang crooked, making it difficult to open or close. Luckily, leveling your doors is as easy as tightening or loosening your hinges until the doors are back in place. If you’ve made your adjustments to the hinges and you still feel a draft coming inside, you may need to add new weatherstripping on the inactive door to seal it . Once you’re finished with your adjustments, your French doors will open and close easily!
Things You Should Know
- To fix a sagging door, tighten the screws in each hinge using a screwdriver. Over time, the screws and hinges on your door can come loose and cause the door to sag.
- If your door is difficult to open or you have a sticky latch, adjusting the hinges on your French door with a screwdriver should solve this problem, too.
- Seal a drafty door by removing the old weatherstripping. Then, cut the new piece of weatherstripping to size, peel off the adhesive back, and stick it onto the door.
Steps
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Tighten all of the screws in each hinge with a screwdriver. [1] X Expert Source Christopher Lanier
Handyman Expert Interview. 25 August 2020. Over time, the screws on your hinges may come loose and cause your doors to sag. Open both of the French doors to expose the screws holding the hinges in place. Use the type of screwdriver that matches the heads on the hinge screws. Turn all of the screws on each side of the frame clockwise to tighten them and see if the doors are aligned again. [2] X Research source- Don’t overtighten your screws since they could cause damage to the doors or the frame.
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Check that the distance between the doors is the same for the entire height. Close your doors and inspect the gaps between the doors. Use a measuring tape to find the distance between the 2 doors to see if it’s the same from top to bottom. If it is, then your door is level, but if the gap varies in size, your door is still sagging and you need to make further adjustments. [3] X Expert Source Christopher Lanier
Handyman Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.- Many times, the active door you use most often will start to sag since it’s opened and closed more.
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Adjust any positioning screws if your hinges have them. Positioning screws are usually in the center of your hinge plates and tightened with a hex wrench. If you need to move the active door closer to the door frame, rotate the positioning screw clockwise by a half-turn at a time. If you need to move the door out from the frame, then turn the screw counterclockwise. Check the distance between the doors and the frame to make sure they are all uniform in size. [4] X Research source- If your door is sagging down and sticking at the top, then tighten the top and middle hinges. If it’s sticking at the bottom, then adjust the bottom hinge.
- Open and close the door while you work to see how your adjustments affect the door. [5] X Research source
Tip: Adjusting the hinges on your French doors can also fix a sticky latch if your door is difficult to open.
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Use longer screws if there are large gaps between the doors and frame. If your door still sags, the screws holding your hinges in place may not be long enough to reach the door jamb. Remove the screws on the hinge plate attached to the door frame and replace them with wood screws that are least 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) long. The longer screws will help support the weight of the doors better. [6] X Research source- Only replace the screws in 1 hinge at a time so your door doesn’t fall out of the frame.
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Try shimming the hinges to level the door if screws don’t fix the gaps. Unscrew one of the hinges and remove it from your door and frame completely. Trace the outline of each hinge plate 3 times onto thin pieces of cardboard, like the kind you would find on a shoebox, and cut the shims out of the cardboard with a utility knife or a pair of scissors. Put 3 cardboard shims in each of the hinge’s mortises, which are the gaps in the frame and door where the hinges rest, and secure the hinge back in place. [7] X Research source- Close your door after you put in the shims to check if you need to adjust any of the other hinges.
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Pull the old weatherstripping off of the French door before replacing it . The weatherstripping is usually located on the astragal, which is a long strip of vertical molding on the inactive door. Open the active door and locate the foam weather stripping on the astragal and peel it off of the door. If you have trouble peeling off the old weatherstripping, then use a paint scraper to remove it. [8] X Research source- Interior French doors will not have weatherstripping, but exterior doors will.
Tip: If your doors don’t have an astragal between them, then there may not be weatherstripping. Try tightening or loosening the hinges to make your adjustments.
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Measure the height and width of the astragal with a tape measure. Place the end of your tape measure at the top of the astragal, and pull the tape down until you reach the bottom of the door. Write down the measurement you took so you know how much weatherstripping you need to use. Then take the width of the astragal from the top, middle and bottom to make sure they’re the same.- The height of the door may vary slightly than the height of the astragal. Make sure to double-check your measurements to be sure you have the right height.
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Cut a new piece of weatherstripping to match the height of the door. Look for foam weatherstripping that has an adhesive back so you can easily attach it to your door. Use a pair of scissors or a utility knife to cut the weatherstripping to the length you need so it covers the entire astragal. [9] X Research source- You can buy weatherstripping from hardware stores.
- Foam weatherstripping also protects the door from damage if it accidentally slams closed.
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Peel off the adhesive backing and press the weatherstripping onto the door. Take off a 6–12 in (15–30 cm) section of the adhesive backing from one end of the weatherstripping and press it onto the astragal. Apply firm pressure on the weatherstripping to make sure it lays flat without any creases or bumps since it could affect how the door closes. Work 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) at a time so you don’t tangle the weatherstripping or make it adhere to itself. [10] X Research source- You can also cut the weatherstripping to size after you stick it onto the door if you find it easier to.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhy is my French door uneven?Christopher Lanier is a Handyman and the former Owner and operator of Watson & Company Handiworks, a handyman business in Austin, Texas. For nearly 5 years Christopher specialized in outdoor light installation, furniture assembly, TV mounting, and window treatment installation. Before closing in 2021 Watson & Company Handiworks was rated as a Top Pro by Thumbtack. Christopher holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently works as an inventory manager at Grocery TV, the largest digital advertising network in the U.S. grocery industry.This could be caused by a few different problems, but I recommend you start by making sure all the screws on the hinges are tightened properly. If this doesn't fix the problem, you may be dealing with an uneven foundation or door frame.
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Tips
- If your door isn’t straight after you make adjustments to the hinges, then you may need to remove the door to plane it. [11] X Expert Source Christopher Lanier
Handyman Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.Thanks - Many times, problems with French doors can just be fixed by adjusting the hinges on either side. If your door still doesn’t work properly, then you may need to contact a professional to inspect them for you.Thanks
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Things You’ll Need
Adjusting Hinges on Sagging Doors
- Screwdriver
- Measuring tape
- 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) wood screws
- Cardboard
- Utility knife or scissors
Sealing a Drafty Door
- Paint scraper
- Measuring tape
- Foam weatherstripping
References
- ↑ Christopher Lanier. Handyman. Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.
- ↑ https://homesteady.com/how-7852724-interior-doors-sticking.html
- ↑ Christopher Lanier. Handyman. Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/3jjh4aQmQ3Q?t=152
- ↑ https://homesteady.com/how-7852724-interior-doors-sticking.html
- ↑ https://youtu.be/KtHNm0YVvy4?t=160
- ↑ https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-repair-skewed-door
- ↑ https://youtu.be/N-4BhieR31o?t=60
- ↑ https://youtu.be/N-4BhieR31o?t=141
- ↑ https://youtu.be/N-4BhieR31o?t=82
- ↑ Christopher Lanier. Handyman. Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.
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Reader Success Stories
- "This article saved my sanity. I have aluminum French doors and I dealt with the screeeek of metal as they touch at the top. I learned about tightening the screws (of course), but also about making cardboard hinge shivs that worked like a charm." ..." more
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"This article saved my sanity. I have aluminum French doors and I dealt with the screeeek of metal as they touch at the top. I learned about tightening the screws (of course), but also about making cardboard hinge shivs that worked like a charm."
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