Separate the two arms by 1/8 inch and turn the wing nut at the top to lock it in place.
1 cm is a big shift. At some point, the pencil will begin to draw a line on the door, transferring any angle on the door jamb to the side of the door. Need professional help with your project? You can also use a hand-held power planer or a hand-held manual block plane to shave down a door. Shaddy began publishing in various magazines in 1992, and published a novel, Dark Canyon, in 2008. Once youve done your measurements, remove the door from its frame. If the door still sticks at one or more specific points, it might simply be out of square in its frame. The average cost of a door installation is $1,010. Any of the above can cause the door to rub or stick on the frame when opening or closing the door. Call us today at (402) 867-6990 or fill out our form to learn more about our repair services. You should generally cut between 1/8-inch and 1 inch when planing a door. 
Place the scribe tool at the point on the door -- either the top or bottom -- where there is the largest gap. Q-Can a garbage disposer be used in a home that has a septic-tank system? Wear safety glasses and breathing protection. Stop every few seconds to check if youre sanding squarely and not creating a beveled edge. If you're experienced with them use them if you want. While this design used to be popular in older homes, this isnt what youre trying to achieve here. Start by scribing the door where it rubs against the jamb. Wut. Make the most of your home now more than ever! Finally, if youve already got a construction project going on, you could have the contractor take care of the door in the meantime. Remove the door from the hinges using a screwdriver. If youre not confident sanding and planing your sticking and sagging doors, then let our experts at Handyman Connection of Lincoln do it for you. Sand back and forth keeping the belt flat on the side of the door. If the screws are loose because of enlarged holes, dip wooden matches or toothpicks in wood glue and force them into the holes, then let the glue dry. To sand the bottom of a door without removing it, put the sandpaper on the floor, grit side up, and pull the door back and forth across it. We offer a wide range of services for that fresh look, or just maintenance or updates to keep your home functioning and safe. A-Cuprinol is a brand name for a number of products, and I`m not sure which you used. Enter a zip below and get matched to top-rated pros near you. You might even have some of the materials at home already.. Ask MetaFilter is a question and answer site that covers nearly any question on earth, where members help each other solve problems. Shaddy has also worked as a newspaper reporter and writer, and as a contributing writer for Bicycling Magazine. Is there a tool or method which will allow me to shave the top cm from the door? Contrary to popular belief, the best tool to plane the door is a belt sander. Sand and round the corner of the door where you sanded it with 100-grit sandpaper attached to a hand block. I was taking off a lot more than 1 cm thoughthe inside edge piece was more like 2 or 3 cm wide so you might be ok just sawing through it. A-Yes, as long as the septic-tank system is large enough to handle the extra load. But if you've never used them you can damage the door. If so, I'd have the house looked at by an engineer, it's possible your house has sunk and/or shifted. When solid doors stick this way, I know they can be removed and planed down, but can that be done with hollow-core doors? If measures such as these fail and it becomes clear that some wood must be removed from a point on the door, try sanding the high spot with the door still in place. This makes varnishing less messy to do compared with using a brush. Also, it could leave a smoother finish on the bottom of the door. If you decide to plane your door yourself, you'll spend between $70 and $280 if you use a manual hand plane, although the cost could be much lower than that if you already have paint as well as basic tools like a hammer and pliers. Handyman Connection 2022 | Privacy Policy. (Obviously, you won't need the whole gallon to repaint the bottom of the door, but you generally can't buy paint by the ounce.). Sand it right up to the line that you marked earlier, taking care not to sand into it. i wouldn't have that much patience. You can reduce the cost of planing a door by using a manual hand planer or using paint you already have. Whether you have home improvement projects or general home maintenance needs, you can count on us to deliver quality workmanship and superior customer service. Regardless of the size of the job, we have a craftsman that can tackle it. Specializing in hardwood furniture, trim carpentry, cabinets, home improvement and architectural millwork, Wade Shaddy has worked in homebuilding since 1972. Doors should fit into frames without binding or sticking. That might negate the need to get a planer at all! Turn it on and begin sanding parallel along the side of the door. Once youre done, all you need to do is to apply a wood stain or paint the sanded edge of the door. This can sometimes be corrected by shimming one of the hinge mortises with thin pieces of cardboard. But again, that is only if you also have to purchase a whole gallon of paint and stain too. Basically, the top part is a little too tall, probably 1 cm or so. It may cost as little as $15 or as much as $550. Or you could use a small portable electric. French doors: practical or just for show. An electric hand planer will save you a lot of work, but this is the most straightforward way to save money. It costs an average of $110 to plane a door, with a typical range of $70$150. Put the knob back on and hang the door normally. High spots on the top edge or latch edge of a door can often be planed with the door in place.
If you do decide to plane it, you may want to take 1/2 from the top and 1/2 from the bottom, so you don't run into problems on a hollow door (especially if someone has already done it before). The scribe tool resembles a compass. However, it may cost as little as $15 if all you need is a manual hand planer, or as much as $550 if you want a high-end electric hand planer and also need to buy a new gallon of paint and stain. Start on the side with the doorknob. If you sand a bit too much off and go over the line, that's OK. Visit the Solution Center to Explore Articles. At this point, the pencil will not be touching the door. Making furniture from reclaimed materials. For example, if the door sticks at the bottom of the latch side-the most common sticking point-a shim behind the bottom hinge will sometimes lift or square the door enough to eliminate the problem. Our craftsmen are here for you. You then would need to readjusting the hinges as mentioned above. In that case, all you'd need to buy is the manual hand plane. https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Powerful-82mm-Planer-240V---850W/p/141167, https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb673csw-165mm-plunge-saw-230-240v/9257j?_requestid=374229. If you can scrape off all the paint, you can probably color the wood successfully with a combination stain and water repellent. If it is hollow, you can always cut off the top cm, peel away the veneer from the edge piece, and then reinsert it into the door at the new edge with some wood glue to hold it in. While this is a project you could do yourself, we recommend having a local handyperson or general contractor near you do it instead. Trim off any excess wood and reset the screws. The coarse texture of the belt removes wood quickly and youll usually end up with an even finish. Slide the tip of the flat blade between the door jamb and the door. We offer a wide range of services for that fresh look, or just maintenance or updates to keep your home functioning and safe. Book about basic carpentry and furniture-making? Did this suddenly happen? Home Improvement: I have a door which isn't fitting into its frame. https://www.screwfix.com/p/bahco-244p-xt-hard-point-saw-22/8633h)? If it's been gradual, it also means the house has sunk and/or shifted but it's not as worrisome. However, I suspect you used a water-repellent sealer. When working on end grain at the corners, plane toward the center of the door to avoid splitting the edge wood. I painted the wood, trying both oil and latex paint, but the paint won`t stick. Put some masking tape on it to keep the veneer from splintering too much and use a fine-toothed blade. If you're tired of pushing through (literally), the answer is to do what is known as "planing," which means to shave off a small portion of the bottom of the door to stop the sticking.
This is already an inexpensive project, but there are a few ways to cut costs even more. The cost to hire a handyperson is $55 to $75 per hour, and it will take no more than an hour to do this job. These two tools require more skill. Finally, switching to a 120-grit belt allows you to smooth the edge of the door. Some doors have a slight angle on the side. ", but the other comments are definitely right that it's not necessarily that simple.
To plane the bottom, remove the door from the frame and lay it flat on sawhorses or a workbench. Join 6,748 readers in helping fund MetaFilter. Spray the area with two coats of aerosol lacquer to finish. If you cut off more than that, you risk damaging the door. Technically, you can use an electric planer, but belt sanders are cheaper. Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by EdSlocombe, Jul 5, 2018. When planing a door, you run the risk of splintering it if you don't do it correctly. i've done it and it works fine. A rasp-type plane will often do the best job. Start by checking the hinges to determine whether any screws are loose. Its annoying to hear the cracks and snaps of the door, but its even more annoying trying to close it tightly. Especially if it's one of those lightweight kind of doors that's really two veneer panels with furring strips across the top and bottom, it may not be the best answer. If the sander tilts slightly when you have it flush on the side of the door, keep it tilted to maintain the angle. Once youre about a sixteenth of an inch away from the scribe line, we recommend switching to an 80-grit belt so you can cleanly and thoroughly sand the actual line. Regardless of the size of the job, we have a craftsman that can tackle it. It costs an average of $110 to plane a door, with a typical range of $70 to $150. The results of the MetaFilter User Survey are in! This is a simple job that any handyperson can do.
If youre feeling stuck, theres likely a quick fix, This is a straightforward project with two cost categories: materials and labor. Photo: Javier Zayas Photography / Moment / Getty Images. Q-Our interior doors are of the plywood-covered, hollow-core type, and several are sticking badly. If you hire a handyperson to do it, they will usually charge $55$75 per hour. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. If adjusting the hinge doesnt work, what youll need to do is plane the door. Ask MetaFilter is where thousands of life's little questions are answered. Place the door across two sawhorses with the pencil line facing up. The job is relatively simple, but it does require some skill. You could also go the electric hand plane route, which will make the job even easier, though at a higher price. This can come from poor installation of the door or door frame, swelling of the door or settling of the house, which causes frame alignment problems. As the side begins to sand away, watch the line until you have sanded the side of the door up to the line. You dont want to risk damaging your door by winging it on your own! Place a clamp on both ends of the door, clamping it securely to the sawhorses. If your door is touching or rubbing the frame at any point around the perimeter of the frame, chances are that the door or frame is not square. Mendel is right, doors don't just get "too tall" overnight, and for no good reason. 7 Common Reasons Your Door Wont Open (and How to Fix It), Making an Entrance: Your Door Installation Cost Guide. Wipe a matching stain on the sanded area. In this post, Handyman Connection of Lincoln discusses how to fix a sticking and sagging door with a belt sander. Few things are more annoying for a homeowner than a door that sticks. You can learn more about them. Q-I rebuilt our porch and laid a new wood floor, treating the floor boards on both sides with Cuprinol. Shut the door. Heres a tip: when youre varnishing the edge of the door, apply some polyurethane using a lint-free rag. For one thing, you can use a manual hand planer instead of an electric hand planer. A-Hollow-core doors have solid-wood frames several inches deep, and the edges can be planed moderately if necessary. Shave the door down slightly for a quick fix. Belt sanders are far easier to control when shaving down doors. All posts copyright their original authors. Sometimes hinges will pull out at the screws and what is really needed is putty in the screwholes and re-hanging the door. Hold the belt sander horizontally on the side of the door. ), put the door back up with just a couple of screws to see how little needs to be taken off the bottom of the door, cut the door, using my shiny new 14 saw, congratulate myself on a job done well, but more importantly, a job done simply and inexpensively.
Easy to make a mess with an electric plane if you haven't used one before. What`s wrong? It usually pays to try a few other ways of repairing a door first, however. Slide the scribe tool either up or down the door all the way. How to Attach Moulding to Dress Up the Doors of Kitchen Cabinets, How to Convert Sliding Bi-Fold Closet Doors to Hanging Closet Doors, How to Repair Damaged Wood on a Glass Door, How to clean a showerhead, according to an expert, How to Install a Closet Door in an Unsquare Frame. In this case, your cost range is $95 to $480. I think a cm is way too much to do with a planer though, or a sander. Stay up to date with the latest home improvement trends. You can also splinter off little pieces by planing end grain improperly. Make sure to keep the sander moving to avoid grinding a hole in one spot.
However, you could use a belt sander, which some believe is even better than a hand planer for planing a door.
Remove the doorknob with the screwdriver. Another way to save is to use paint or stain you already have rather than buy a new gallon. My first impulse was just to say "Umma _plane_? What's wrong with a good quality sharp hand saw (. Be sure to check the hinges as well, before you go hacking at the door. Here are some of the materials you may need for this project, and how much each of them costs: Electric hand plane (optional): $40$250. With your 50-grit sanding belt, all you need to do is remove the excess wood with it. Many water repellents contain wax, making them unsuitable as a base for paint. Doors will eventually sag and stick as they age, usually once they reach the middle of their service life. If so, retightening the screws might solve the problem. A hand plane will do it, but it can be tricky if you haven't ever used one, especially on the end of a door that has a combination of end grain and side grain. Planing is usually the last resort, since it will mean touching up the planed area with a sealer or finish to match the door. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Use a carpenters compass for this to accurately determine where the door is actually rubbing against. Cutting hinge mortises slightly deeper with a wood chisel can also eliminate sticking at the latch side of the door. i've planed the top of a door with an electric planer and it worked fine for shaving a few mm off (though I did run into problems splintering the end pieces by going against the end grain. (You must log in or sign up to reply here. Set the scribe tool to 1/8 inch.