How to fix a door that closes, but is still too close to the frame, causing the hinge to pull out

Question

I installed a new door that closes, but the door is too close to the frame on the bottom hinge side. This causes the bottom hinge to close completely before the door is closed, which leads to the hinge pulling out of the frame when the door is closed. How can I fix this hinge?

Additional background: I bought a solid core door. Trimmed .25" off one side. When I originally hung it, it fit perfectly. I took it down to paint, and now it's slightly warped on the bottom hinge side (less than .25"). Any ideas how to prevent warping? What paint and primer should I use?

Answer 1

The problem with the hinge pulling out is caused by the mortise being too deep either on the door or frame. Look at both sides of the hinge and determine if one or both are recessed below the surface of the wood stock. Remove the offending side of the hinge and shim it out flush to the wood surface with some solid cardboard cut to fit the mortise. Reinstall the hinge over the shim. This should allow the hinge to close completely without putting pressure on the hinge screws.

As far as warping is concerned, that is not normal. Would have to see a pic or have a better description of the problem in order to address it. You mentioned cutting .25 inch off a side. How did you do that? If not cut perfectly straight, that may be a factor in your hinge problem.

Answer 2

If the door frame is out of plumb or level more than 1/8" it might be necessary to adjust the frame. A tool called DoorJack can move the frame and make clearance for the door - however if the frame is in a brick wall and filled with concrete or mortar it can't be adjusted, but it might be possible to shim or bend the top or bottom hinge (see #1 above)