How to Repair a Door Hinge

Door hinges and their functions can easily go unnoticed, until they start squeaking, becoming loose, and just start behaving badly in general. They may be inconspicuous, but they hold an entire door in place. Before those hinges give way and the door falls apart causing an invasion in your privacy, here's what you can do.

A loose hinge can cause your door to sag and drag on the floor, leaving behind unwanted marks on the floor or carpet. To be able to avoid this, follow these tips and get rid of this problem.

• If you notice that a door hinge is loose, or you find the door sagging, immediately tighten it using a screwdriver. This will take care of the problem in the beginning and reduce the occurrence of further problems such as enlargement of the hole that holds the screw.

• You can tell that the space for the screw has been enlarged, when the screw keeps turning in the hole but does not tighten. In such cases, if the door is light, open it up and place something underneath it to hold it in place, and get rid of its weight on the hinge.

Remove all the screws and the hinge, and check if the same problem has occurred in any other hole. To fix it, obtain some wood shavings, and dip them in glue meant exclusively for wood. Carefully place these shavings around the hole to reduce its size. Now, the screw, along with the hinge can be reinstalled.

• Another option is to replace the loose screw with a long screw, say 2½" or 6 cm. You will require a drill to do this. The long screw will penetrate deeper into the door frame, and hold the hinge in place.

Sometimes, the damage is such, that replacing the hinge is a better option. These tips will help you to easily replace door hinges.

• To be able to replace a hinge, unscrew the hinge only on the door, and let the other half remain on the door jamb.

• The exact position of the door should be determined before you install a new hinge. You can do this by wedging a piece of thick cardboard under the door, to be able do get the right placement. Also, ensure that the gap at the top and the bottom of the door, when closed, is equal. 

Mark the position of the new hinge on the door jamb, with a pencil, using the already placed hinge on the door jamb as reference. Now remove the old hinge.

• While replacing a hinge, it is natural that its position has already been marked, and the door jamb has already been beveled to install hinges. Now take a new hinge, and install its half on the door jamb, in place of the old one. 

The holes to accommodate the screws will already be present. If in case the holes are not tight enough, use the above mentioned procedure to tighten them before installing new screws.

• Use a screwdriver to fix the screws. Secure the other half of the hinge on the door in the same manner.
• Now, align the door to the jamb or frame, and insert the pin that holds the hinges together. Check for any alignment problems after replacing the new hinges. If there are any, the hinges will only require a little adjustment.

If your door is whining, its hinges probably require some lubrication. Pour some oil by removing the pin that holds the hinge together, half way. Wipe away excess oil with a cloth, and keep turning the door till the squeaks vanish. This should keep your door functioning as good as new.