I'm struggling to hang this old-fashioned wooden screen door, and no matter what I do, it won't shut properly. I've checked that the frame is level (it's perfect on the hinge side, but a little off on the handle side), shaved the door frame down, and tightened the hinges. But tightening them seems to make it worse, as there's now a bigger gap on the side that won't close. We're using three heavy-duty hinges here. It's super frustrating! What could be causing this issue?
3 Answers
Have you tried the paper test? Take a strip of paper and run it along the hinge side of the door when it’s closed to check for binding. It's a simple trick, but can help you identify where the door might be getting stuck.
Check if your hinges are binding. Make sure the screws holding the hinges are flush to the surface. Sometimes little adjustments help. If possible, manipulate the hinges a bit. Without seeing pictures, it’s hard to give precise advice, but that might help a lot!
It sounds like you might need to play around a bit with the hinges. I learned a trick to not tighten all the screws down immediately. Instead, tighten one screw on each hinge, but leave the others loose. This way, you can adjust the door's position as it closes and then tighten everything down properly once you get it right.