How To Shim A Door Hinge

Job sites generally have all types of scrap material lying around such as plastic paper wood and metal.

How to shim a door hinge. This common problem can be caused by a poorly installed door a jamb that has settled. Remove the screws from the hinge you need to shim using a screwdriver or a drill and screwdriver bit. All have been used at one time or another for shimming hinges. So try this trick first.

To readjust the door frame you have to remove the trim along the latch side to get at the shims. There is a simple fix to align your door. Interior doors can have misalignment between the latch bolt and striker plate. Close the door and check the spacing.

Moving striker plate widening the opening in striker plate and door frame using 3 screws to draw. Hinge shims are available in three sizes. Install shims behind other hinges if necessary. Save the money and cut your own hinge shims out of poster board or thin cardboard.

Most residential interior door applications call for 3 5 hinge shims while the larger hinge shims are designed for larger interior exterior steel doors and frames. Although you can purchase hinge shims there s no need. How to shim a door hinge. This job can be a hassle especially if you have painted trim.

3 5 4 and 4 5. In the past if a steel door needed a minor adjustment a specialized tool was used to bend the hinge. There are several ways to fix this issue but none seemed to work for me. Slip a 1 16 in thick cardboard shim strip behind each hinge photos with steps 1 and 2 below.

Fix doors that will not latch. Set two or three cardboard shims in the hinge mortises on the door and jamb then replace the hinge. If your door doesn t shut properly it might mean it s skewed inside the door jamb. There are many different materials used for the purpose of shimming hinges but you should choose wisely rather than just grab whatever s handy.