A door that sticks, won't latch, lets daylight through, or has a rotted jamb is one of the most common carpentry calls. Most can be fixed; some are better replaced.
Repair first
- Sticking or rubbing: often loose hinge screws. A longer screw driven into the framing through the top hinge pulls the door back into position. Swelling in humid months may need a light plane and sealing of the edges.
- Not latching: adjust or move the strike plate.
- Drafts: replace weatherstripping and the door sweep, and adjust the threshold.
- Rotted jamb bottoms or brickmold: we can often splice in new wood or PVC instead of replacing the whole unit.
Replace when
The door is warped or split, the frame is out of square, the slab is hollow and damaged, or you want better security and efficiency. Interior doors are usually pre-hung (slab already in a frame) or slab-only if the existing frame is good. Exterior doors are typically pre-hung units that should be installed with a sill pan or flashing under the threshold to keep water out of the subfloor, which is a step that's often skipped.
Storm and specialty doors
Storm doors, bifold and bypass closet doors, pocket doors, and barn-style sliding doors are all common small jobs that we can often combine into a single visit.