How To Shim Out Hinges and Reinstall Doors

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Shimming out a hinge.

If the door is warped at the bottom or if the hinge is set too deeply in the frame so as to cause the door to bind, you can shim the hinge. What you should do first is to support the door by pushing  some pieces of wood, books or other objects under the bottom edge at two points so it will not move once the hinge is disengaged. Then remove the frame side of the hinge. Cut one or more pieces of cardboard to fit in the mortise which is the cavity into which the hinge is half seated. When the hinge is perfectly flush with the door, reattach the hinge. You may need to make several attempts before you get the hinge positioned just right. Once you shim the hinge out you will have moved the door in the direction of the latch jamb so you might need to sand or plane the other side of the door to achieve a proper fit.

Removing and reinstalling a door.

Many hinges have removable pins around which they pivot. So to remove a door you just simply slip the pin out. Support the door at the bottom. Place the tip of a screwdriver under the hinge pin and tap upward. Remove the pin. If there’s also a bottom pin just tap it out. Lift off the door with a helper. It may be difficult to tap out the hinge pins on an old door 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.

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