Hinge - Changing Weather; Changing Doors By Jesse Akre At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Not all homes are as well insulated and climate controlled as others. Older homes that are often a little draftier have more to worry about than fluctuating heating and cooling bills. There is also hinge damage to take into account.

For the most part, switches from cold to hot weather do not sit well with a hinge and door. The hinge is metal and attached to a door that in most cases is wood. When the temperature and humidity levels inside the house change with the weather; the relationship between the door and the hinge changes as well. Wood swells, bends and bows. While the metal tries to hold strong and retain its shape.

Over time, this tends to mean a weaker relationship between the hinge and the door. The screws holding the hinge to the door may come loose from the changing shape of the wood.

This can make the door feel a little wobbly or stick when you try to close it. Perhaps, it won't completely close anymore. There are plenty of symptoms to a failing door-hinge relationship.

Before you decide you need a new hinge or a new door, there are a few do-it-yourself possibilities that may repair the relationship between your door and hinge.

First, take a look at your door. Open the door and stand back. Is it still straight? Or does it have a visible warp? If there is a noticeable warp, it may be necessary to replace the door to fix your problem.

If the door is still straight, you need to take a look at each hinge. Are any of the hinges visibly bent or do you see fracture marks on the surface of the metal? While one would think metal would hold fast while the door warps, sometimes a door hinge can't handle the pressure and starts to curve or crack.

If this hinge has bent, you should remove it from the door and try to flatten it out. This may be done with a little gentle hammer work. If you want to keep your hinge looking good on the door, you should put the side of the hinge that is on the outside down on your worktable when you hammer. You also may want to set it on a towel, or other protective surface to keep it from being scratched or scuffed by the surface of the table as it is hammered.

If the hinge is cracked and you can see fractures in the metal, the hinge must be replaced.

If bending or breaking is not the problem the thing to look at is if each hinge is snug against the door? Chances are at least one hinge has loosened over time. While you may think a loose screw or two is not a big deal, the hinge may be just loose enough to be causing the door to tilt a fraction. That tilt of the hinge may be what is keeping your door from opening or closing properly. Using a screwdriver tighten each hinge screw in it's hole. Don’t overdo it, or you could strip the screws making the hinge harder to remove later.

While having an old house can be charming, it is just important to remember part of the charm is the repairs that come with its unique construction.

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