It’s easy to get used to those little problems around the home that should be fixed but don’t ever quite get done. And let’s face it, figuring out how to fix a door that scrapes on the floor is probably not top of your list when you first move in. But, as well as potentially damaging your flooring or causing more issues with the door, this is actually one home problem with an easy fix.
Adam’s worked on homes with this issue before, and has a lot of experience identifying why the door is scraping, then providing the solution. He’s found that a lot of the time, a door will scrape the floor due to loose hinges or slight movement in the building that changes the door frame. So, let’s take a look at an easy way to fix it.
How to fix a scraping door
Gather your supplies
- 1mm shim of cardboard or timber
- Screwdriver
- Utility knife
Step 1 – Assess the cause of the scraping
Have a look at the door and its frame. If the house has moved slightly over time, the door may no longer square to frame or floor. This is seen as a gap that is wider at bottom than at top or vice versa.
You should also check that all the screws holding hinges are secure. If not, tightening them could help fix the scraping.
Note: If you can’t get a screw to bite, remove the screw and fill the hole with glue and a matchstick, then drive the screw on again. If the door still scrapes the floor, run utility knife around bottom hinge to cut paint film.
Step 2 – Undo the screws
Now it’s time to start undoing screws. If they have been painted over many times, place the screwdriver in the screw slot and tap with a hammer. This will loosen the screws and ensure that screwdriver blade can get proper purchase.
Step 3 – Place the cardboard shim behind the hinge
Pull the hinge away from the door frame and place the 1mm shim of cardboard or timber to fit behind the hinge. Screw the hinge back on and test the door’s movement.
The bottom edge of the door should have lifted slightly. But if the door still scrapes on the floor, try adding a second shim to raise it slightly higher.
If the door is still scraping badly after that, you may need to take the door off and plane the bottom edge of it. But it’s always worth giving this simple fix a go first.
Why do doors scrape the floor?
Doors bind and scrape for several reasons, but it’s frequently due to loose hinges or slight movement in the building, which throws door openings slightly off square. The result is a door that scrapes, is noisy to open and can even end up damaging your floor.
The natural response to this problem may be to reach for a plane or even hang a new door. But before you do that, try this quick and easy fix to see if that does the trick.
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