Sticky Door

After a few years your wooden doors may bind and rub against the jamb.  Rather than plane the door, consider resetting the hinge. With just a chisel, you can deepen the mortise and realign your door quickly.  This technique is both faster and easier than removing the door, planning one edge, refinishing and re-hanging.  

Steps

Door runs against the jamb along top edge

Step 1:

Check to see where the door binds.  Typically this is along the top edge.  Close the door most of the way and examine the light.  There should be at least 1/16" clearance along all edges.  The door pictured rubs against the jamb along the top two feet.  The door appears to have sagged over time.

Check for sufficient gap on hinge side of door

Step 2:

Check along the hinge side of the door to be sure that there is sufficient gap to allow recessing the hinge deeper in the mortise.  See if there is a wider gap at the top then at the base.

The gap is over one eighth of an inch

Step 3:

Measure the existing gap.  The one-eighth of an inch gap will allow the hinge to be recessed another 1/16" deeper.  

Loosen screws on jamb

Step 4:

Loosen screws on the top hinge from the jamb only. 

Deepen the mortise with a chisel 

Step 5:

Score around the edge of the mortise with a knife .  Chisel back 1/16" and reset the hinge. 

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