Easiest fix for crooked door frame

Question

This particular door has 3 problems:

1. Door sticks to the stops, due to layers of paint, this post provides couple options.
2. Top door corner rubs against the head on the latch side when closed
3. Neither jamb is plumb, which results in the bottom width being 1/4" wider than the top. Unsurprisingly, there's a gap along the bottom half the door when it is closed.

I'm tempted to drop the hinges 1/4" (there's a 1.5" gap between the door and floor), as it'd allow me to fix both #1 (per linked post) & #2 (and since the strike is already too low, I don't need to do anything to it). This leaves me with #3, and I'm wondering if I could just bend the bottom hinge knuckles to close the 1/4" gap although that seems like a lot.

I'm a bit wary of trying to move the door jamb, especially with the hardwood floor there (see picture below). This seems like the better way to fix #3, but doesn't address #2 and seems like a bigger project than I'd like.

Looking for advice, thanks!

Answer 1

First, be sure your door leaf is square. Old doors (the actual door leaf) tend to sag, where the hinge side top gap is correct but the latch side gap is wide. Also, you'll see the latch strike is low on the jamb's strike plate.

To verify your door is square, measure both diagonals. The corner-to-corner measurements should be identical. the top hinge corner to bottom strike plate corner measurement will be longer on a sagging door.

If the door is out of square, you can re-square the door, or you can re=hang the door frame to match the out-of-square door.

You've noted neither jamb is plumb, which means it is very much vertical. You should re-hang your door. You'll find lots of great instruction on hanging a door. Here are one I like:

https://www.familyhandyman.com/doors/repair/fix-sagging-or-sticking-doors/