Fixing Door That Won’t Stay Closed Has Simple Solution

LESLIE: Martin in North Carolina has got a door that won’t stay closed. What’s going on?

MARTIN: I live in a townhouse – two-story townhouse. And it was built in 1979. I’ve been here about 18 years. And since I’ve been here, the entry door – the front-entry door, all wood – swings all the way open anytime I open it unless I go and close it right away. It’s a real nuisance.

I don’t know what to do. I’ve had some rookie look at it and he seems to think we should put a shimmy behind the hinge, at the bottom. Do you have any comments on that?

TOM: There’s a real easy way to fix a door that won’t stay closed. And you just take the hinge pin out of the door itself – just the hinge pin – lay it down on some concrete and give it a couple of raps.

MARTIN: Oh, yeah, OK. I (inaudible).

TOM: You will slightly bend that hinge pin and then when you put it back in the hinge, it’ll be so stiff the door won’t fly open anymore.

MARTIN: Oh, really? That easy?

TOM: That easy, yep. Yeah. Or you could shim out the hinge and level out the door like your pro suggested – and that’s fine, too – but if you just want to try something real fast for a door that won’t stay closed, try to bend that hinge pin a little bit and it might just work. But don’t follow up with WD-40; you’ll be back where you started.

MARTIN: Oh, really?

TOM: Alright. Well, good luck.

MARTIN: You’ve helped me a great deal. I appreciate that.

TOM: Good luck with that project.