How to Adjust Door Hinges

Co-authored by Christopher Lanier and Kyle Hall

Last Updated: July 26, 2023

If you're having problems with your door, you may need to adjust the hinges. Fortunately, adjusting door hinges can easily be done at home using a few simple tools.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Tightening Hinges So Your Door Closes

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1
Examine the top corner of your door to see if it’s catching on the frame. Over time, the hinges on a door can loosen and cause the door to sag downward.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Christopher Lanier
Handyman

Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.} When this happens, the top corner of the door catches on the door frame and prevents the door from closing properly. If the top corner of your door is catching on the frame, you’ll need to adjust the hinges.^{[2]
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- Another way you can tell if your door is hanging downward is by looking at the gap between the top of the door and the frame. If the gap gets bigger as you move away from the door hinge, the door isn’t hanging properly.
Tightening the door hinges may solve the problem by pulling the door back toward the jamb (the hinged part of the frame) so it no longer catches on the frame when you try to close it.^{[3]
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Christopher Lanier
Handyman

Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.} Tighten the screws on the hinges as much as possible and then try closing the door to see if the problem is fixed.

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If tightening the hinges didn’t work, you’ll need to replace the middle screw on the top door hinge.^{[4]
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Screwing in a longer screw will help pull the door back toward the jamb. Tighten the screw all the way until the hinge is secure against the jamb. Then, try closing the door. The door should now close without any issue.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Adjusting Hinges on Doors with Big Gaps

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Check the gap between the unhinged side of your door and the frame. If there’s a large gap between the door and the frame, your door may not be closing properly. Instead of installing a new door that’s wider, you can fix the problem by adjusting the hinges on the door.^{[6]
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- If there’s a gap only at the top or bottom of the unhinged side of your door, you’ll only need to adjust the hinge that’s level with the gap.
Use a screwdriver to unscrew each screw on the door hinge. For trickier screws, use a drill.^{[7]
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3
Trace half of the hinge on a thin sheet of cardboard 4 times. Lay the hinge on a flat surface so half of the hinge (1 of the hinge plates with screw holes in it) is on the piece of cardboard. Trace the outline of the hinge onto the cardboard with a pencil. Repeat on three other sections of the cardboard.^{[8]
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- If you’re only adjusting one of the hinges on your door, you only need to trace the hinge 2 times on the cardboard.
- If your door has more than 2 hinges you’re adjusting, you’ll need to trace 2 additional outlines for each hinge.
Use scissors or a box cutter. Try to make the cuts as precise as possible. You’re going to be putting the pieces of cardboard behind the hinge on the door, and if they’re too big or small they won’t fit properly.^{[9]
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The mortises are the indents on the door and jamb that the hinge plates rest in. The cardboard cutouts should fit perfectly in the indents.^{[10]
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Push the screws right through the cardboard cutouts beneath the hinge plates. Tighten the screws all the way so the hinge is secure. When you’re finished, you shouldn’t be able to see the cardboard.^{[11]
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7
Unscrew the top door hinge and add the other 2 cardboard cutouts. Then, screw the top door hinge back in place over the cardboard like you did with the bottom hinge. Now that both door hinges are slightly raised by the pieces of cardboard, the gap between your door and the frame should be smaller.
- If your door has more than 2 hinges you’re adjusting, unscrew those hinges and add the other pieces of cardboard you cut out.
Remove the hinges again and put more pieces of cardboard behind them. You may need to use several pieces of cardboard per hinge to solve the problem.^{[12]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Fixing Doors that Stick

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Examine the gap between the unhinged side of your door and the frame. If the gap between the door and frame is almost nonexistent, you may have trouble closing and opening your door without it getting stuck. Before you shave off part of the edge of the door to make the gap bigger, try adjusting the door hinges to see if that fixes the problem.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Christopher Lanier
Handyman

Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.} One of your door hinges may not be sitting in the mortise (the indent on the jamb that the hinge plate sits in) properly.^{[14]
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- If only the top or bottom of your door is pushed too close to the frame, you’ll only need to adjust the hinge that’s level with that part of the door.
You can use a screwdriver or drill to unscrew the door hinge.^{[15]
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If you see compression marks, that means the door hinge plate wasn’t sitting in the mortise properly. If the door hinge isn’t sitting all the way down in the mortise, it will cause the door to push out into the frame more than it should.^{[16]
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Eventually you'll remove the excess wood along the compression marks so the door hinge is able to sit down in the mortise all the way. Don’t cut any deeper than the rest of the mortise with the utility knife.^{[17]
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Place the sharp end of the chisel at the top of one of the lines you cut. Then, hammer the handle of the chisel so the chisel scrapes up the excess wood. Be careful not to damage the mortise or door jamb. Continue chiseling until all of the excess wood along the compression marks is gone.^{[18]
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Now that you’ve removed the excess wood from the door jamb, the hinge should fit properly in the mortise. Make sure you screw the screws on the hinge in tightly so the hinge isn’t loose.^{[19]
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Unscrew the hinges and check the mortises for compression marks. If there are compression marks, cut them with the utility knife and chisel them out of the mortise. Once you’ve adjusted all of the hinges, the gap between the unhinged edge of your door and the frame should be wider and your door shouldn't get stuck when you open and close it.^{[20]
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A hand plane is a handheld tool that lets you shave off small amounts of wood from a wooden surface. Use the hand plane to shave the unhinged edge of your door that meets the frame so it doesn't get stuck anymore.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you fix a misaligned door?

Christopher Lanier
Handyman
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.

Christopher Lanier

Handyman

Expert Answer

I recommend troubleshooting by starting with the simplest causes first and working your way out. You don't want to do an extensive fix if that's not the problem. First, check the hinges and make sure all the screws are tightened. You should also consider checking to see that your foundation hasn't shifted. If you've had lots of bad weather recently, humidity can cause things to shift a little bit.

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