Got a door at your business that seems to be permanently open, no matter what you do? Fix this issue by knowing the proper steps on how to fix a door that won’t close!
Common Reasons Why a Door Might Not Close Properly
A business’s main door is the first contact point between it and its customers. So, having a faulty door causes your commercial property to make a wrong first impression, thus causing lasting damage to your company’s image.
While knowing the proper steps to handle doors that don’t function properly is essential, you also need to understand why this type of issue arises. After all, the measures you’ll take to fix this problem will depend a lot on the cause.
Believe it or not, doors have complex anatomy. As a result, they might go wrong from certain parts, but the remaining might still be good as new.
That’s why we believe that you must know the most prevalent causes behind faulty doors.
These are some of the main reasons why a door won’t close:
- You might have a misaligned door.
- The door might not latch.
- Its strike plate closer might be too far away.
- Your door’s hinges might not be appropriately placed.
- You have a wooden door that swells.
You Might Have a Misaligned Door
When noticing a door that’s rubbing against its frame or floor, then it’s very likely that it’s out of alignment. You can verify if misalignment is the cause of your door problems by checking if its gaps are bigger from one side to the other.
The Door Might Not Latch
Doors that don’t latch are among the most common issues business owners might face. Unfortunately, this door problem is often inevitable and happens through the passage of time.
You can identify if this is the cause of it not closing by first taking a closer look at the gap between the door and the door frame. When the latch isn’t centered on the strike plate, then it can cause your door to have trouble closing.
Its Strike Plate Closer Might Be Too Far Away
Just like a strike plate can’t be centered, it can also be too far away from the frame. When this happens, the door tends to clatter or rattle loose in the frame. As a result, you won’t be able to close the door tightly.
If you have this issue, please note the strike plate type of your door as it’ll help you determine which is the best course of action to take and fix it.
Your Door’s Hinges Might Not Be Appropriately Placed
When a door doesn’t count on tightened hinges, or it’s missing a screw, it can give you a hard time using it. The stripping of wooden doors often causes hinge screws to loosen.
You Have a Wooden Door that Swells
Lastly, one of the main drawbacks of wooden doors present includes swelling due to humidity changes. As a result, it can start rubbing on top when opening the door.
Steps on How to Fix a Door that Won’t Close
Since the repair method varies on the cause behind a faulty door, we’ll show you the main processes to take for each reason.
These are the main methods on how to fix a door that won’t close:
- Look out for gaps when having a door out of alignment.
- Adjust the strike plate.
- Tighten up screws and even add longer ones.
- Sand or plane wooden door tops.
Look Out for Gaps When Having a Door Out of Alignment
Door misalignment is something that happens inevitably, especially with older options. As we said earlier, you must first start inspecting it. Be sure to look out for the gaps the door has, and which ones are larger than the other ones.
Next, you’ll want to loosen the screws from the hinge nearest to the most significant gap. If this doesn’t work, tighten the screws furthest from this gap.
Finally, if neither of these options didn’t work for you, then proceed on shimming the hinges. It will help adjust the door onto the frame. When shimming them, be sure to leave a small gap to avoid the door from ending up too tight.
Adjust the Strike Plate
Adjusting the strike plate can help you when having doors that won’t latch or don’t close tightly.
First, you’ll want to know which is the latch’s center.
Once you’ve identified it, proceed with removing the strike plate and placing it to the center of the latch. Be sure to mark where you’ll need to place the plate for it to be aligned to properly latch on. You can also chisel down the frame.
Finally, install the plate in the new location you marked. Remember to test the door again to ensure that the door works.
Tighten Up Screws and Even Add Longer Ones
As we mentioned before, loose screws can make your door not close properly. That’s why when dealing with a sticking door, the solution can be as easy as tightening the screws!
In other instances, it could be that its current ones are too short. If you find yourself in such a case, then consider getting longer screws and adding a shim for the bottom hinge.
Remember to check if your hinges don’t have any missing screws.
Sand or Plane Wooden Door Tops
Lastly, you can try using sandpaper to fit your door into place. Be sure to use sandpaper with coarse grit for this step. If sanding doesn’t work, then you can always try using a hand planer to shape your door. However, be careful when using it as you can cut your door too much.
Remember that you can always count on Chicago Door People if you wish to obtain flawless results on your commercial door repair or want to replace your building’s doors completely.
We provide expert advice and services on the best type of door that suits your business needs. So, whether you’re considering a revolving door for your building or need to know which commercial door closer is most valuable, we are here to help you out.