Assume that you hang your doors (exterior/interior). all is plumb to the level, appears square, etc. Yet that last 1/2-1/4 inch before latching appears to be a tad “tight”
Would/could it be that the hinge side jamb is slightly tweaked from overshimming?
In your vast experience what tends to be the most occuring issue for this?
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WWPD
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Replies
Sounds like hinge binding, as you suspect. During that last half inch watch each hinge very closely, usually you can tell if they're binding.
"Hinge bound" That is, the hinges - or more often the screw heads - are contacting each other before the door is latched. Look at the hinges and lay your hand on them and the edge of the jamb while you close the door that last 2". If you see or feel the hinge move laterally, then hinge bound you are. The fix is reset the screws, deepen the mortises at at least the open ends of the hinge, and perhaps deepen the whole hinge pocket.
Another thing that comes up is the door simply contacting the jamb. Some people like to put a slight bevel on the hinge side op the door for this reason.
Yet another is if the door is binding on the rabbet of the jamb if it is a jamb without compressible foam weatherstrip. Either rabbet the jamb a bit deeper (hard) or scoot the hinges out by plugging the screw holes and relocating away from the rabbet by 1/32" (easier).
Use the ol' business card as your clearance tool. Close the door on a card and try to move it around to locate the binds.
Work slowly and slightly - this is where a few hundredths of an inch get magnified.
Dave S
http://www.acornwoodworks.com
If you're hinge bound first just re-shim, remove all shims on the hinge side and reinstall making sure to keep them nice and flat (opposing tapers) and don't over do it, don't drive them in too tight behind the hinges. The reveal between door and jamb is more or less fixed as the hinges keep it that way, tweak it between hinges if necessary.
and second most, only on an exterior door with adjustable threshold. They tend to get shipped tight.
"A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
again ...
hinge bound.
Something ain't plumb with something!
check the legs ... tack a string line from top corner of one leg to the bottom corner of the other ... and repeat. All this is off the same "edge or face " of the jamb.
makes for an X .... And the string should lightly touch at the middle of said X.
remember ... walls can be perfectly plumb .. and plumb to each other ... and the door can still have a bad hinge mortice from the factory ... and door blanks can warp too.
Plus ... we can set them ... then somehow get the jambs twisted in that perfect opening ... and be cross legged ... and make it hinge bound.
sometimes some cardboard behind a hinge or two ... sometimes a light touch with the chisel ... something tweaking the shims on the hinge side help ...
and don't be afraid of sledge'ing one wall or the other to make for an opening that's in line with itself! Every good trim carp has a sledge and a block of wood on the truck.
walls "adjust" suprisingly easy ...
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Prehung.
I did the X and it was fine.
It may be the screw or the set as suggested.
It is ever so slight (the tightness) but just enough to not allow the seal to compress enough on the lockset. My first guess was that one of the jambs was slightly twisted.
I was careful with the shimming, (very careful) as to not jam them in their too tightly.
I plumbed the walls (even sledged one of them before hand ;-), best that I could before installation.
Do not have an adjustable sill.
Thanks for all the options, I believe I will start with the least intrusive and work from there.
It was really, really cold here today, it only got to 55. Tonight is going into the low 30's for 4 hours!!! So it was a tad cold to get out there and work today. I'll check Wednesday when it warms back up to 70 brrrrrrr.
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WWPD
get a framing square and check that the jambs are at a 90 to the walls.
if U already haven't done so.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
While I'll agree with the others that it is probably hinge-bound, it could also be that the stop on the hinge side is set too tight if they are applied stops. It should be set with a card between when installing.
Is this a prehung or did you set the hinges yourself?
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We reset all of the badly shop-set applied stops just a couple days ago, when installing latch hardware on the interior doors.
I cannot remember where I got this, but here is what I like to do if doing it. The stop on the hinge jamb goes on with a one-card shim. Across the head, it is one card on the hinge side, going to no card in the corner over the strike side.
On the strike side, we go no card (tight) at top and bottom, but we bow the stop to give it two to three cards of space at the middle.
A door swinging closed gives a satisfying "snick" when closing, flexing a little as it does so.
I'll try to remember that one. I almost always use solid rabbited jambs though.BTW, thanks for the advice on that other door. I ordered a mahogany mortise and tenon, epoxied joint door today for about 1350
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I order all my interior doors with the stop loose. This way I can hang them with 10d spiral shank nails hidden behind the stops.
I set them the same as you, but I use a fingernail as my gauge.
For paint grade jambs I leave the same gap all the way around. That way when the finish coats of paint are applied the door still operates properly.
Duh. What's paint grade? ;-)
Everybody likes their wood natural-looking up here.
Wow, my fingernails are attached to some fingers that would make for some rather large stop gaps
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Hey Sailfish....Everyone has about covered the bases...jamb tweaked wrong, no bevel on the hinge door edge....the other thing that can happen is screws not set very flush in the hinges (especially on non-beveled door edges). You probably would notice this easily yourself, so this may not be it.
This is one of the PRIME reason's to slightly bevel BOTH edges of a door. It actually makes the door NOT fit as close to the hinge jamb by the physics of it (it makes a big difference and is not overly large). And, of course, the bevel on the strike side helps the door not "pinch" as the it starts to open.
You can make the "act" the same way by loosening the screws on the jamb side and cutting a piece or two of hinge box cardboard and slip it the full top to bottom of hinge in till it hits the first screws then retighten the screws. This will give the leaf a bit of bevel in the jamb....the only concern is it WILL trow your door TOWARDS the strike jamb and there will need to be room to still not BIND the door. You can also do this to the door side to add even more but these can show a touch from that side. Trim the cardboard off CAREFULLY with your knife.