How To Shim A Door Hinge

If the door has three hinges remove the screws from the middle hinge as well.

How to shim a door hinge.

Moving striker plate widening the opening in striker plate and door frame using 3 screws to draw. 3 5 4 and 4 5. Job sites generally have all types of scrap material lying around such as plastic paper wood and metal. To readjust the door frame you have to remove the trim along the latch side to get at the shims.

Interior doors can have misalignment between the latch bolt and striker plate. Save the money and cut your own hinge shims out of poster board or thin cardboard. Fix doors that will not latch. This common problem can be caused by a poorly installed door a jamb that has settled.

Install shims behind other hinges if necessary. Set two or three cardboard shims in the hinge mortises on the door and jamb then replace the hinge. In the past if a steel door needed a minor adjustment a specialized tool was used to bend the hinge. If your door doesn t shut properly it might mean it s skewed inside the door jamb.

So try this trick first. Although you can purchase hinge shims there s no need. Close the door and check the spacing. Slide the shim behind the hinge that needs the extra spacing then drive the screws back in tightly and check the operation of the door.

Hinge shims are available in three sizes. How to shim a door hinge. 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. 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. This job can be a hassle especially if you have painted trim. There are several ways to fix this issue but none seemed to work for me. There are many different materials used for the purpose of shimming hinges but you should choose wisely rather than just grab whatever s handy.