When buying a door, you should be aware that it might have to be adjusted at some point during its service life. Sometimes the leaves start to squeak when they are opened or closed, or they might not close properly or start rubbing against the frame or the floor. In such situations, they have to be adjusted if you want them to work smoothly again.
In fact, it would be best if you took your time to adjust the doors before the problems described above appear. Inspecting them once a year might just save you from a nasty surprise.
When your doors squeak
If you want to solve this problem, start by buying a hinge lubricant: silicone oil or industrial-grade petroleum jelly. You will also need a dry cloth or a paper towel to remove excess lubricant.
Once you have everything you need, you can proceed to lubricate the hinges.
1. Lift the door slightly to spread the hinges apart.
You might want to do this with an assistant because this action might be too difficult to perform on your own.
2. Apply the lubricant into the gap in the hinge formed when the door is lifted.
3. Wipe away excess lubricant.
4. Lower the door and move it a couple of times to spread the lubricant all over the hinge.
That’s it!
When your doors rub against the floor
If your door leaf rubs against the floor, you have to adjust it in the vertical plane. To do so, you must adjust the hinges inwards. When you screw the top hinge deeper into the leaf, you pull the door closer to the frame, slightly lifting its upper corner. This way, you adjust the doors horizontally, lifting them above the floor to prevent them from rubbing against it.
When your doors do not close properly
One of the reasons why your door does not close properly might be that it is warped due to high humidity. Sometimes, your door might not close properly in the summer, when humidity is higher, but function without any issues in the winter, when the indoor air is dry.
To avoid this problem, make sure to systematically vent your premises to prevent excessive damp.
Another reason why your door does not close properly might be that it has to be adjusted. If that is the case, you have to do the same thing as when the door rubs against the floor, i.e., adjust the hinges.
If all else fails
Finally, if nothing else you have done so far worked, you might want to slightly plane or trim your door. Remember, however, that this is an irreversible operation, which means that you should try other adjustment options first.
Also, if you actually decide to do this, you might want to leave it to professionals to make sure that the appearance and functionality of your door are not impaired.