43
votes
Why does the tongue of the door lock stay in the door, and the hole in the door frame?
The doorknob is attached to the door. This allows someone to twist the knob to retract the "bolt" and then, as a part of a continuing motion, pull on the knob to open the door.
It's hard to ...
- 1,876
31
votes
Accepted
Wood glue versus epoxy for doweling stripped screw holes
Wood glue, hands down. Wood glue is designed to penetrate the wood for a tighter bond. Properly done, wood glue is stronger than the surrounding wood. I have chairs I've wood glued and clamped and ...
- 22.6k
28
votes
Accepted
Broken door jamb - What's the easiest way to fix this?
You should drill out the hole with a large drill bit and glue in a wooden plug. Then you can drill a pilot hole into that and screw the bracket into that.
Toothpicks will work in the short term but ...
- 9,282
28
votes
Accepted
Do I need this special strike plate on my laundry room to garage entry? It's creating problems with a new lock
That little plunger is called a dead latch. It requires precise and correct alignment between the door latch and the strike plate with no excuses.
The purpose of a dead latch is that if it is held in, ...
23
votes
What are these fasteners on this hinge?
Looks like they used rivets. The only way to remove them, is to destroy them (drill them out).
- 130k
20
votes
Broken door jamb - What's the easiest way to fix this?
I might get barked at for suggesting this, but take toothpicks and jam them into the holes - as many as you can. Then just break them off so it's flush with everything else. I've done it before and ...
- 1,232
19
votes
Is there such a thing as hardwired/powered keyless door locks?
The word you're looking for is "Electric strike".
In this system, the door latch is not powered or operated at all. The door striker plate is. In essence the door frame lets go of the door.
...
18
votes
Should I be disappointed about this quality of craftsmanship in new front door?
It really does look like a hack job. The piece on top of the frame is sort of crown molding and replacement should have been specified in the contract. The contractor should have at least caulked the ...
- 69k
17
votes
Why is a steel security door safe if they can break the glass, slide their hand in, and unlock the door?
You could just chill out. Putting up bars or plastic on that door is truly ghetto.
Doors like this are not inherently unsafe at all. Your door is appropriate for your neighborhood. Your door ...
- 47.1k
16
votes
Should I be disappointed about this quality of craftsmanship in new front door?
The thing that is not mentioned in your question is who did you hire to do this work. A licensed contractor with an established business or more of a handy-person? If you have hired a contractor then ...
- 4,523
13
votes
Why do we screw doors into the doorframe rather than the studs?
Properly installed, at least some of the screws should go thru frame and into studs. The short screws are mostly there to keep everything aligned while a pre-hung door-and-frame set is assembled and ...
- 21.4k
13
votes
Accepted
Fix stripped screws in a doorframe
In order of my personal preference:
Option 1: Go Go Gadget Screws
Get longer screws that reach the framing. Don't run them in so tight as to pull the jamb out of position. All-thread screws might ...
- 115k
13
votes
Accepted
Door frame rotting on top edge
Wet insulation is never a good sign.
I would open up the paneling to see how bad it is, and keep removing insulation until there is no more moisture. You're going to have to do this anyway to add a ...
- 939
11
votes
Accepted
Why is a steel security door safe if they can break the glass, slide their hand in, and unlock the door?
You could consider attaching a thick acrylic or other plastic panel that covers the interior of the glass and is firmly screwed to the door. The edges can then be covered with molding.
Such plastics ...
- 33.5k
11
votes
What are these fasteners on this hinge?
Those look like rivets to me. You can simply drill the rivets out to release the hinge, however reinstalling the door could be complicated. A simple solution is to drive out the swivel pin from the ...
- 6,815
11
votes
How do I plumb a door that has spring-hinges?
Your assumption about #2 is incorrect. Steel flexes and bends more easily than wood in many cases, and it's a matter of moving rather than bending anyway. That's mostly like the best fix here. #3 ...
- 115k
11
votes
Why does the tongue of the door lock stay in the door, and the hole in the door frame?
Setting the (several) other problems aside, a bolt sticking out of the door frame is a hazard. Not only can people get injured running into it, but loose clothing can get caught on it. Doors are ...
- 211
10
votes
Broken door jamb - What's the easiest way to fix this?
If this is the spring for a screen door, which is looks like, try just moving the bracket up or down 1/4" or so. There's usually enough slop in those things that you can do it, and you'll have new ...
- 1,427
9
votes
Accepted
Where to sit a door in a doorway through concrete wall?
If the door is "in the wall" it's going to partially block the opening, as it can only swing to 90 degrees, more or less.
If the door is in the timberframe, it can swing more fully out of ...
- 166k
9
votes
Is this frame ready to put a door on?
TL;DR advice: find a door with a frame that's smaller than your opening by about 12mm.
When you buy a door, you're typically purchasing the door with the jamb/frame and sometimes the threshold is ...
- 4,282
8
votes
What are these fasteners on this hinge?
Called 'pop' rivets in the UK, also 'blind' rivets, since you don't have to have access to the other side on the part receiving the rivet. Be careful drilling out, as the centre pin is steel, and the ...
- 81
8
votes
Do I need this special strike plate on my laundry room to garage entry? It's creating problems with a new lock
That backing plate could provide some added security. With a metal door the jamb is the weakest link so the plate, if properly installed could help. It should be possible to install both strike ...
- 25.5k
8
votes
Why does the tongue of the door lock stay in the door, and the hole in the door frame?
Doors are pretty standard so the locks and keys can be universal with minimum adjustments. Door frames, however, are not standard. Look at the variety of exterior door frames. The thickness of the ...
- 69k
7
votes
7
votes
Broken door jamb - What's the easiest way to fix this?
Filling the holes with tooth picks is good for restoring the wood for screws that don't go through too much stress. I would definitely use glue when going that route.
The issue here is, the wood of ...
- 32.5k
7
votes
Is there such a thing as hardwired/powered keyless door locks?
There are mechanical combination locks.
- 2,643
7
votes
Is there such a thing as hardwired/powered keyless door locks?
I've seen hinges that carry power in commercial settings. I became aware of one in an office I worked in, when it started having issues and heated up a bit.
A bit of googling and I found that ...
- 2,595
7
votes
Accepted
How to Reduce Hinge Mortise Depth
Shims.
Go to the local home center and get some of the (free?) laminate counter top samples in the kitchen cabinet section, they are about 3x5 inches. I then cut them to the same size as the hinge ...
- 13.4k
6
votes
How accurate does a door rough-in need to be?
The reason for a rough opening is so that it CAN be rough in dimensions. Your opening should be no problem. Rough openings are made larger to accommodate headers and floors than out of level, adjacent ...
- 62.8k
6
votes
What are these fasteners on this hinge?
A (usually) reversible way to remove a door is to drive out the hinge pins. Pry off the bottom caps and then from below insert a "drift" or a large nail and tap with a hammer. Before prying off the ...
- 19.8k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible