Pro tips how to refit a door that won't close properly

With time, houses tend to shift and settle creating odd shapes in door frames that were once rectangular. Installing new carpeting or flooring can have a similar effect: they may prevent your doors from opening and closing properly. So what's the fix? Refitting. Here's how.

Sometimes you may need to sand or plane down a door if the door is too tight in its frame or if it rubs against newly installed carpeting. Reducing the surface of a door is not difficult, but it can be an awkward task.

• If possible, work with the door while it's still on its hinges. However, if you need to get at the hinge side or bottom of the door, you will have to remove it.
• Before removing the door, scribe a line indicating what portion of the door needs to be removed. To do this, close the door until it just begins to shut — do not force it in, or your line will be inaccurate.
• Hold a pencil against the jamb or the floor, and run it along the length of the door, taking care to hold it in the same position the whole way so that you get a line that duplicates the line of the jamb or the floor.
• Whether the door is still on its hinges or has been removed, support it so that it will not move as you work. A bar clamp attached to one corner of the door works well.
• Use a plane or surface-forming tool to remove as much of the material as needed. Work in long strokes for a smooth line.
• Finish off the planing with a sanding block. Repaint or refinish the edge.

Many hinges have removable pins around which they pivot and removing them are often easy.

• Support the door at the bottom.
• Place the tip of a screwdriver under the hinge pin, and tap upward. Remove the pin.
• If there is also a bottom pin, tap it out using the same method.
• With a helper, lift off the door.

On an old door, it may be difficult to tap out the hinge pins, and it might be easier to remove the screws on one side of the hinge. When putting the door back on, you must align the two hinge parts perfectly before the pin can be reinserted. Have a helper hold the door while you guide the pin into place.

If the door latch is not catching, it may be because the stop is set wrong by a few centimetres or a fraction of an inch.

• Try placing a block of wood against the stop and tapping with a hammer to move it in the right direction.
• If the latch bolt fails to engage the strike plate solidly, mark the jamb with a pencil to show the needed adjustment (it will probably be very slight).
• Scribe the line with a knife, and chisel out enough of the jamb to raise or lower the shallow pocket into which the strike plate will be set. You may need to enlarge the latch-bolt hole in the jamb as well.
• Seat the strike plate, drill pilot holes for screws, and reinstall the strike plate in the new location.
• If the gap between the door and jamb is too large, shim the strike plate with a piece of cardboard cut to fit.

Perfectly opening and closing doors are key to preserving your homes floors and door frames. By using these simple tips as your home ages, you'll keep rooms and closets easy-to-open and accessible.