Question: Binding Doors

eddiemac

I have a door question:

I have an older house (built in the 1940s). The door jambs are steel, from a company called Kewanee Door Frames. Because they are steel and fixed, when I began replaceing doors, I decided to get slabs and mortise/bore them myself. All had been going well until I got to a closet where the door binds, and I can't figure out why. Usually I can trial and error when I don't know what I'm doing, but I just can't get this one to stop binding.

Suggestions?

I was also going to post a few pictures of my remodel to see if any of the experts could come up with a solution for a couple other finishing details.

Teetorbilt

A door should have a 1/8" gap on its opening side, this should be easy to see and trim. Did you maybe set the hinges too deep and are binding on the frame?

eddiemac

Thanks.

I thought that might be the case, and I reset the hinges as mush as possible in the frame, but it is metal, so more than about 1/16" is not possible left to right. I made that small move by using a wall anchor and a smaller screw. A bit Rube Goldberg, but I figured I would do that to determine if that was the case. The frame it is steel, and is tied in to the wall with metal tabs. When I have put in the doors, on most of them, I have just followed the predrilled holes on the frame, and mortised the hinges on the door.

As for the depth of the mortise, I tried shimming the frame and door mortises as well, but it still seems to bind. I am at a loss. I am no carpenter, by any stretch of the imagination, but I have not been this unable to fix a problem.

JustaFramer

One word BONDO. When I work on older homes and a budget less that a this old house episode. Bondo. A carpenters best kept secret.


Have you also thought about shaving the doors down ?

hatchet

Try shimming the barrel side of the hinge. Cardboard pressed down will work - or drywall shims.

__________________
Rich
WIT Construction Co.
Superior MT Contractor

wehavnfunyet

does your door blank have a bow in it try removing the middle hinge to see if it works better or any one hinge at a time sounds like its pre stressed.

PPro

I second the use of bondo. It is used quite a bit in the commercial carpentry trade. They do much more metal work then woodwork these days anyway...

JustaFramer

I use it on wood work. Never cracks and is much better than wood putty. It best on old trim work that has some cracks, dings and what not. It is way cheaper than trying to replace or get knives made to match the work.