Door alignment fix

Hi – our apartment door is off (looks like the frame is off but possibly also in the hinges) and it’s been scratching up the floor, not latching properly and seems like it’s wearing out our door knob (just gets loose and the screws fall out, which happened to the last knob we replaced not so long ago). Is this a something we should contact a handyman, contractor, or locksmith about. We have a solid handyman who helps us out with light work but wasn’t sure if this is more specialized. Any recommendations appreciated.

hainspoint

in Doors & Windows 9 years and 9 months ago

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lilcpcks | 9 years and 7 months ago

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I have just renovated my home and fixed new doors and windows that have completely changed the look of my home.According to me you should take help from professionals in order to align the door properly.During renovation I got the same problem with my old doors hence I replaced some with new and rest were repaired very nicely.Atlantic Ocean Group team helped me a lot.They are very experienced and reliable in [door services](http://atlanticoceangrp.com/doors-windows/).I am truly satisfied.

kukla | 9 years and 8 months ago

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My advice would be to try fixing it yourself at first. Call a handyman only if you don’t feel confident about getting it right. Or else you can take the help of a windows & doors manufacturers like Canglow Windows and Doors. Now that winter is approaching, it’s already winter in Barrhead, I would advice you to fix the doors as soon as possible. It would be difficult to find a person to fix the doors once winter has set in.

thetinkerswagon | 9 years and 8 months ago

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steel door frames can be adjusted. there are screws down on the bottom that can be loosened to free the bucks up and shift them. but also the caulk; it has probably glued them in place. so the caulk will have to be cut. the frame can be shifted up on one or both sides or can be moved away from the door at the bottom or in to the door. the top of the frame is fixed by upper frame member. if someone had ever left a mop handle in the door to hold it open, the hinges can very well be pulled. even if they are not loose they may be pulled outward. there is a steel plate inside the frame which the hinges screw to and that plate may be bent; in extreme cases they snap off but still remain behind the frame. We welded one back in place once. the problem is, handymen, even the smart ones, do not study enough to learn how to take care of these things. and the people who do study and figure it all out go on to other things. that said, folks in brooklyn really have no issue paying people but it is still hard for someone to travel around from small job, to small job. Steve

greenmountain | 9 years and 8 months ago

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Oh, I get it. You have a fire rated door to your apartment. Is this a coop? Do you rent? If so, get management to do it, and stay in their case until they do it right. Hinges can be shimmed on steel doors, but that won’t help is frame is not securely installed. And, if the frame is secure, but not level and plumb, it needs to be reinstalled. And if the tilted floor is causing the door to strike the floor when it opens, they may both need to be reinstalled. You better analyze this yourself. Start by opening the door several inches, grab both knobs and gently yank towards yourself. Are one or more hinges loose? Does the frame pull away from the wall or shift, when you pull? Pour water on the floor. Does it puddle where you poured it, or flow down hill? Cheap 2′ plastic levels from hardware stores are often more than adequate. If your head hurts trying to figure it out, you are a handy-person. If you see the problem right away, you are a carpenter.

hainspoint | 9 years and 8 months ago

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thanks for the replies. – it’s a steel frame door, so planing it isn’t really an option here – totally open to using a ‘craftsman’ but what i’m looking for is some recommendations here. not even sure what I should be looking for; the vendors listed in the “Doors and Windows” directory on here don’t seem relevant for this job

rh | 9 years and 8 months ago

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I logged in to give a spiel that is something along the lines of what Greenmountain said. I’ve found “handymen” (and women) to be Jack/Jill of all trades and in my own experience, they kind of didn’t know what they were doing. In other words, master of none. I definitely don’t always use licensed contractors, but I’ve learned to stick with craftspeople who I know are skilled and knowledgable. Go with references from people whose opinions you trust…not just the forum, PS Parent or Yelp. I think lots of homeowners don’t know what they’re looking at and they give good reviews as long as the work gets done. A job done isn’t always a job well done. (Yes, this rant is about more than your door frame. Just needed to vent.)

greenmountain | 9 years and 9 months ago

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I agree. Samuel Clemens reportedly said: “Quitting smoking is easy; I’ve done it hundreds of times.” I searched on that, and it seems he may not have invented that, it may have been WC Fields, but about drinking, not smoking. Or the remark was about cards coined by somebody else. This is what I say about your door: Any handyman can fix your door; lots of them already have. I will spare you my two longer spiels, but you can check the archives. These are the short versions: 1\. For a skilled and licensed craftsman (Home Improvement Contractor), working on only one door increases Workers’ Comp insurance rates to the maximum level of risk for an entire renovation, an entire year of renovations, or maybe eternity. Doors are “restricted,” because they are heavy and awkward, and lead to injuries in new construction. There is no special insurance classification for your apartment. 2\. You have to value the crafts person who can make this situation right. It is almost always way more complicated to fix this common problem, and way more time consuming, than the home owner expects or wants to pay for.

mozeeatupu | 9 years and 9 months ago

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Any handyman can do it. Your top hinges are probably loose and door can use a planing.