DOOR TROUBLES

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 257, 14 July 1926, Page 15

DOOR TROUBLES

Doors give a good deal of trouble at oue time and another, particularly when they refuse to close on account of their edges striking against the frames in which they are hung. This trouble is not uncommon in new houses where there has been an uneven shrinkage oi imperfectly seasoned timber. If the difficulty arises before the door has been painted and previous to the lock being fixed, it can easily be remedied by taking a few shavings off the shutting edge of the door. Where all work on the door has been finished before the trouble appears, the application of a remedy is rather more troublesome. In most cases it will be necessary to remove the door from its hinges. As a rule a door that is too wide for its opening is best eased by planing the edge on which the hinges are fitted (the hinges, of course, being removed) and then deepening the hinge-checks to whatever extent becomes necessary. Before ±he door is taken down, the amount to be taken off in order that it may fit easily must be marked neatly and carefullv with a pencil line, or with a line made -with a sharp steel pomt. In order that the planing may be done accurately, the door, standing on its side, Should be wedged between two blocks fastened to the floor. It is advisable to pad the blocks and tvedge with cloth, so that the finish of the door may not be injured. A door that is too wide should never be eased by planing the edge to which the lock is fitted if this can possibly be avoided. If any appreciable amount Is taken off this edge the lock will project beyond the door, and the keyhole and 'the hole cut for the handle spindle will no longer be in their correct positions. It is far from easy in these circumstances to make a neat and satisfactory job. When the edge opposite to the lock is planed, the lock is not affected and the deepening of the hinge checks is a simple matter. rt is always advisable, especially with thick doors, to plane the edge a little out of square, that is. to take a little more off the edge that first meets the jamb. The door will be less likely to bind in the future if this is done. Sometimes the unsatisfactory working of a door is due, not to its being too wide for the opening it fills, but to the hinges being imperfectly fitted. If the lunges are sunk in too deeply the door will jam even if it is of the correct width. Where this is the only trouble it may be remedied by packing out the hinges in their checks with as many thicknesses of paper as will make a correct adjustment. In an extreme case the hinges may be packed out with cardboard instead of paper. Sometimes, however, a case of “hinge-bind-ing” is due to the hinging edge of the door being incorrectly planed. A door should be so planed that a little clearance is given on the inner side of this edge. t Some little trouble may be experienced in drawing the screws from the hinges, especially in an old building where many coats of paint have been applied. When this occurs the paint which fills the slot in the screws must be cleared away thoroughly by driving it out with a hammer and bradawl until none is left. The edge of the screwdriver must be in good condition, and it may be necessary to fde the edge up with a hand saw file to make it bite properly. If the screw still refuses to move it can usually be started by tapping the handle of the screwdriver with a hammer, so that the screw is driven found instead of being twisted by hand. I