How to fix bedroom door that doesn’t close properly?

[alexreed092]

My bedroom door doesn’t close properly and I suspect the issue might be that the wrong butt hinges were installed, but I’m not 100% sure.   I have similar ones installed on my bathroom door and that opens/closes just fine. 

There are three hinges, and you can see near the top one the wood is splitting. I can force the door closed, but there is resistance when it gets closer to the door frame and eventually it just swings back open again

Can anyone tell by these photos if it’s the hinges causing the problem, or if it’s something else? And how best to fix this?

Thanks in advance.

[AlanM52]

Hi @alexreed092,

Wondering why someone would swap out for what looks like bearing hinges?

Can you take photos of the door closed so we can check alignment etc.

Cheers

[alexreed092]

Thanks for your reply @AlanM52  . No idea why someone would swap them out, but it seems like the previous owner attempted a lot of DIY around the house that didn't make much sense!

Door appears to be aligned, here are some photos:

 

[AlanM52]

On the top hinge (frame side) back off the screws a tiny bit and check the door.

If it comes good shim the hinge with cardboard.

Cheers

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @alexreed092. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about fixing a bedroom door.

There is a clear sign that the original hinges have been removed and replaced with a different style, because the paint outline on the door shows a completely different hinge footprint. That usually means someone was already trying to fix an issue with the door and swapped the hinges in the hope of solving it. The problem you are having now is consistent with the new hinges not suiting the door or the frame. From the photos, the door is hard up against the hinge pin area, which means the hinge cannot let the door move far enough away from the jamb as it closes. When that happens, the door ends up making contact with the frame before it reaches the closed position, which is why you feel resistance and why it will not stay shut. With this hinge style, there is no meaningful adjustment you can make to shift the door outward, and there is not much space on the jamb to move the hinges outwards even if you wanted to.

This looks like a situation where the wrong hinge type has been used for the existing recesses and clearances. It is possible to fix it, but you would need to rehang the door using the correct hinge profile so that the pivot point sits in the right place. Sometimes that means filling and re-cutting the hinge recesses or trying a different hinge size or style to get the geometry right. If you are not familiar with hanging doors, this is one of those fiddly jobs that a carpenter or handyman can resolve quickly because they know how to match the hinge to the door, jamb and swing path. Given the splitting around the top hinge and the previous DIY attempts, bringing in someone experienced is likely to give you the cleanest and most reliable fix.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[alexreed092]

Hi @MitchellMc  and @AlanM52 ,

I've attached a photo below of the same hinges on my bathroom door which opens/closes just fine with no issues.

Originally I thought the issue with my bedroom door was due to the hinges, but looking at it more closely, I suspect I am having issues with my bedroom door because of recesses that shouldn't actually be there?

If I add a piece of cardboard to the hinges of my bedroom door or fill the recess with timber filler (so it’s like my bathroom door) should that do the trick? Or is it better to use something like the Timbermate wood filler?

Thanks in advance, Al

[JacobZ]

Hi @alexreed092,

Just to jump in with a little bit more information, the issue is definitely because the type of hinge that is being used is not supposed to be installed in a rebate. You'll notice on the bathroom door that there is no rebate on either the door or the jamb.

These hinges, which are called hirline or fast-fix hinges, are designed so that when the door is closed, the two plates nest together in the same line. As the plate that is attached to the door is sitting in a rebate, the face of the door is hitting the hinge plate on the door jamb instead of allowing the separate plates to nest together as intended.

There are three possible solutions to this problem -

1. Fill the rebate with builder's bog, then sand and paint it before reinstalling the hinge.
    
2. Move the hinges up or down so that the hinges no longer sit in the rebate.
    
3. Replace the hinges with butt hinges, which require a rebate on both the door and the door jamb.

Of these options, I think 1 would be the easiest. When doing this, you'll want to mark the locations of the screws on the door, as you will need to put the screws back in the same location, and once the rebate is filled, they won't be visible.

You can do this by placing a pencil mark on the door opposite the screw locations. This mark can then be used to drill out the screw holes once the rebate has been filled and painted.

Let me know what you think, and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[alexreed092]

Thank you @JacobZ . That makes a lot of sense.

I will give option one a go as it seems the most straightforward.

As an alternative to Builder's Bog, would the Timbermate wood filler that you stock work?

[JacobZ]

Hi @alexreed092,

I have used Builder's Bog for this exact purpose, and it worked well for me. I can't say I have used Timbermate fillers for this purpose, so I couldn't say yes or no from first-hand experience.

Outside of this, the main reason I would say you should use Builder's Bog over Timbermate is that Builder's Bog specifically states that it can be screwed into.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[AlanM52]

CC: @alexreed092,

The spitting is due to the rebate and my usual quick fix is shim with cardboard.

Cheers