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Sagging Entry Doors
My house is approximately 3 years old and
is located in Kansas.
I have 3 exterior doors that have started to sag at the top of the doors
(the doors sag from the hinges down towards the door knob). The doors
don't open or close properly and there are gaps around the doors. While
inspecting the doors, I noticed that some of the screws in the top hinges
were stripped. I removed these screws and noticed that they were only
approximately 1/2 inch long. Therefore I replaced all the screws of the
top hinges with 2 inch galvanized screws. While installing the longer
screws, I heard the wood framing behind the door jam split. ( I must not
have pre-drilled the holes with a big enough drill bit). Now I'm unsure on
how to proceed.
Of the 3 doors with problems, one turned out good, one is just okay and
one still does not operate properly. I'm assuming that the framing behind
the door jamb will need to replaced along with the door jambs since I
probably split it, or it's at least stripped now. Any thoughts?
Brad R.
Isn't
it ridiculous how short those screws are? Some entry doors come with
longer screws that are meant to be driven into the framing.
You are experiencing a common problem. The solution is pretty much what
you did... drive some longer screws through the top hinge and into the
framing.
Just because you heard splitting sounds does not mean that you split the
framing. You may have only split some shims behind the hinge. And since
all door openings are normally framed with doubled-up studs, it's very
unlikely that any splitting you may have caused to the studs could have
any significant structural effect.
If you could see the amount of splitting of lumber I've seen on old
houses, you'd never give a moment's thought to the splitting sound you
heard. I've seen houses where almost every stud, joist, rafter, and
sheathing board was split in multiple locations, yet the houses still
stand. But they do creak a bit when the wind blows hard!
I can't imagine it being necessary to replace any framing lumber around
your doors.
Since the framing should be 3" thick, plus the gap between the
framing and the jamb, plus the standard 5/8" jamb thickness, you
could use screws up to 4" long for your repair. I would suggest
using at least 3" deck screws, such as Deck Mate brand, which are
much tougher than most deck screws. Most carpenters do not pre-drill the
holes when installing doors that use extra-long screws on the top hinge.
But... it helps to pre-drill, especially after the lumber dries out and
becomes more brittle.
Also, what I've done is drive deck screws through the jamb near
the top hinge. This requires pre-drilling at least the jamb portion, and
counter-sinking the screw heads.
It's very easy to over-do this and make the striker side of the door
lift up. So drive in a screw, check the door, then tighten or loosen the
screw and see what happens. Once you get a single screw with a good bite
into the framing, it alone usually can control the door sag. Remember
that the screws farthest from the hinge pin will be less likely to cause
splitting, because they will be closer to the center of the stud.
Also, Phillips drive screws tend to slip in this type of high-torque
job. I often purchase "square drive" deck screws, which are
also called Robertson drive screws in some parts of the world, namely
Canada.
You are very much on the right track.
Bruce W. Maki, Editor.
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