Enter a zip below and get matched to top-rated pros near you. It costs an average of $110 to plane a door, with a typical range of $70$150.

If the screws are loose because of enlarged holes, dip wooden matches or toothpicks in wood glue and force them into the holes, then let the glue dry.

The average cost of a door installation is $1,010.

If the door still sticks at one or more specific points, it might simply be out of square in its frame. When working on end grain at the corners, plane toward the center of the door to avoid splitting the edge wood.

You can also use a hand-held power planer or a hand-held manual block plane to shave down a door.

Cutting hinge mortises slightly deeper with a wood chisel can also eliminate sticking at the latch side of the door. Photo: Javier Zayas Photography / Moment / Getty Images.

Start on the side with the doorknob. If it is hollow, you can always cut off the top cm, peel away the veneer from the edge piece, and then reinsert it into the door at the new edge with some wood glue to hold it in. That might negate the need to get a planer at all!

Another way to save is to use paint or stain you already have rather than buy a new gallon.

At some point, the pencil will begin to draw a line on the door, transferring any angle on the door jamb to the side of the door.

If it's been gradual, it also means the house has sunk and/or shifted but it's not as worrisome. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Technically, you can use an electric planer, but belt sanders are cheaper. These two tools require more skill.

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Powerful-82mm-Planer-240V---850W/p/141167, https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb673csw-165mm-plunge-saw-230-240v/9257j?_requestid=374229.

Sand it right up to the line that you marked earlier, taking care not to sand into it.

You might even have some of the materials at home already.. You can open up more space between the door and the floor by sanding the bottom of the door, but it will take longer compared to using a hand planer.

This can sometimes be corrected by shimming one of the hinge mortises with thin pieces of cardboard. Once youre about a sixteenth of an inch away from the scribe line, we recommend switching to an 80-grit belt so you can cleanly and thoroughly sand the actual line.

Q-Our interior doors are of the plywood-covered, hollow-core type, and several are sticking badly.

Wipe a matching stain on the sanded area.

Finally, if youve already got a construction project going on, you could have the contractor take care of the door in the meantime. If youre feeling stuck, theres likely a quick fix, This is a straightforward project with two cost categories: materials and labor. But again, that is only if you also have to purchase a whole gallon of paint and stain too. If measures such as these fail and it becomes clear that some wood must be removed from a point on the door, try sanding the high spot with the door still in place.

I think a cm is way too much to do with a planer though, or a sander.

If your door is touching or rubbing the frame at any point around the perimeter of the frame, chances are that the door or frame is not square. I was taking off a lot more than 1 cm thoughthe inside edge piece was more like 2 or 3 cm wide so you might be ok just sawing through it.

You then would need to readjusting the hinges as mentioned above.

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", but the other comments are definitely right that it's not necessarily that simple. Make the most of your home now more than ever! If you decide to plane your door yourself, you'll spend between $70 and $280 if you use a manual hand plane, although the cost could be much lower than that if you already have paint as well as basic tools like a hammer and pliers.

Stop every few seconds to check if youre sanding squarely and not creating a beveled edge.

Any of the above can cause the door to rub or stick on the frame when opening or closing the door.

However, it may cost as little as $15 if all you need is a manual hand planer, or as much as $550 if you want a high-end electric hand planer and also need to buy a new gallon of paint and stain.

You can reduce the cost of planing a door by using a manual hand planer or using paint you already have.

Mendel is right, doors don't just get "too tall" overnight, and for no good reason.

Visit the Solution Center to Explore Articles. (You must log in or sign up to reply here. The coarse texture of the belt removes wood quickly and youll usually end up with an even finish. Sand back and forth keeping the belt flat on the side of the door. French doors: practical or just for show. Use a carpenters compass for this to accurately determine where the door is actually rubbing against. Turn it on and begin sanding parallel along the side of the door.

Easy to make a mess with an electric plane if you haven't used one before.

Heres a tip: when youre varnishing the edge of the door, apply some polyurethane using a lint-free rag. Regardless of the size of the job, we have a craftsman that can tackle it. The cost to hire a handyperson is $55 to $75 per hour, and it will take no more than an hour to do this job.

If you sand a bit too much off and go over the line, that's OK. Finally, switching to a 120-grit belt allows you to smooth the edge of the door.

(Obviously, you won't need the whole gallon to repaint the bottom of the door, but you generally can't buy paint by the ounce.).

Here are some of the materials you may need for this project, and how much each of them costs: Electric hand plane (optional): $40$250. If you're experienced with them use them if you want.

In this post, Handyman Connection of Lincoln discusses how to fix a sticking and sagging door with a belt sander.

When solid doors stick this way, I know they can be removed and planed down, but can that be done with hollow-core doors?

This can come from poor installation of the door or door frame, swelling of the door or settling of the house, which causes frame alignment problems. Planing is usually the last resort, since it will mean touching up the planed area with a sealer or finish to match the door. Put some masking tape on it to keep the veneer from splintering too much and use a fine-toothed blade. If you're tired of pushing through (literally), the answer is to do what is known as "planing," which means to shave off a small portion of the bottom of the door to stop the sticking.

While this design used to be popular in older homes, this isnt what youre trying to achieve here. Or you could use a small portable electric. Doors will eventually sag and stick as they age, usually once they reach the middle of their service life. Doors should fit into frames without binding or sticking. https://www.screwfix.com/p/bahco-244p-xt-hard-point-saw-22/8633h)? To sand the bottom of a door without removing it, put the sandpaper on the floor, grit side up, and pull the door back and forth across it. Separate the two arms by 1/8 inch and turn the wing nut at the top to lock it in place. When planing a door, you run the risk of splintering it if you don't do it correctly. Our craftsmen are here for you. It costs an average of $110 to plane a door, with a typical range of $70 to $150. It usually pays to try a few other ways of repairing a door first, however.

Slide the tip of the flat blade between the door jamb and the door.

Many water repellents contain wax, making them unsuitable as a base for paint. If you cut off more than that, you risk damaging the door.



If you hire a handyperson to do it, they will usually charge $55$75 per hour.

Few things are more annoying for a homeowner than a door that sticks.

Trim off any excess wood and reset the screws.

Shaddy began publishing in various magazines in 1992, and published a novel, Dark Canyon, in 2008.

Contrary to popular belief, the best tool to plane the door is a belt sander. If so, I'd have the house looked at by an engineer, it's possible your house has sunk and/or shifted.

Basically, the top part is a little too tall, probably 1 cm or so. But if you've never used them you can damage the door.

This makes varnishing less messy to do compared with using a brush.

Once youve done your measurements, remove the door from its frame.

Q-Can a garbage disposer be used in a home that has a septic-tank system?

An electric hand planer will save you a lot of work, but this is the most straightforward way to save money.

Shave the door down slightly for a quick fix. I painted the wood, trying both oil and latex paint, but the paint won`t stick.

Start by checking the hinges to determine whether any screws are loose.

It may cost as little as $15 or as much as $550.

A-Cuprinol is a brand name for a number of products, and I`m not sure which you used.

You should generally cut between 1/8-inch and 1 inch when planing a door. Also, it could leave a smoother finish on the bottom of the door.

Set the scribe tool to 1/8 inch. Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by EdSlocombe, Jul 5, 2018.

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Place the scribe tool at the point on the door -- either the top or bottom -- where there is the largest gap.

Specializing in hardwood furniture, trim carpentry, cabinets, home improvement and architectural millwork, Wade Shaddy has worked in homebuilding since 1972. High spots on the top edge or latch edge of a door can often be planed with the door in place.

Regardless of the size of the job, we have a craftsman that can tackle it. Place a clamp on both ends of the door, clamping it securely to the sawhorses.

A-Yes, as long as the septic-tank system is large enough to handle the extra load. You dont want to risk damaging your door by winging it on your own!

Belt sanders are far easier to control when shaving down doors. At this point, the pencil will not be touching the door. You can also splinter off little pieces by planing end grain improperly. The job is relatively simple, but it does require some skill.

You could also go the electric hand plane route, which will make the job even easier, though at a higher price. 7 Common Reasons Your Door Wont Open (and How to Fix It), Making an Entrance: Your Door Installation Cost Guide.

i've done it and it works fine.

Remove the door from the hinges using a screwdriver. Once youre done, all you need to do is to apply a wood stain or paint the sanded edge of the door.

The scribe tool resembles a compass. Spray the area with two coats of aerosol lacquer to finish.

Wut.

), put the door back up with just a couple of screws to see how little needs to be taken off the bottom of the door, cut the door, using my shiny new 14 saw, congratulate myself on a job done well, but more importantly, a job done simply and inexpensively.

Handyman Connection 2022 | Privacy Policy. For example, if the door sticks at the bottom of the latch side-the most common sticking point-a shim behind the bottom hinge will sometimes lift or square the door enough to eliminate the problem.

Slide the scribe tool either up or down the door all the way. The results of the MetaFilter User Survey are in!

Did this suddenly happen?

If you can scrape off all the paint, you can probably color the wood successfully with a combination stain and water repellent.

With your 50-grit sanding belt, all you need to do is remove the excess wood with it. Home Improvement: I have a door which isn't fitting into its frame.

To plane the bottom, remove the door from the frame and lay it flat on sawhorses or a workbench. Book about basic carpentry and furniture-making?

Wear safety glasses and breathing protection.

What`s wrong?

How to Attach Moulding to Dress Up the Doors of Kitchen Cabinets, How to Convert Sliding Bi-Fold Closet Doors to Hanging Closet Doors, How to Repair Damaged Wood on a Glass Door, How to clean a showerhead, according to an expert, How to Install a Closet Door in an Unsquare Frame. This is a simple job that any handyperson can do. Be sure to check the hinges as well, before you go hacking at the door.

Shaddy has also worked as a newspaper reporter and writer, and as a contributing writer for Bicycling Magazine. Replacing your interior doors is an often-overlooked way to add some design appeal to your home. While this is a project you could do yourself, we recommend having a local handyperson or general contractor near you do it instead.

Join 6,748 readers in helping fund MetaFilter. Q-I rebuilt our porch and laid a new wood floor, treating the floor boards on both sides with Cuprinol.

If so, retightening the screws might solve the problem. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.

Put the knob back on and hang the door normally. If youre not confident sanding and planing your sticking and sagging doors, then let our experts at Handyman Connection of Lincoln do it for you. 1 cm is a big shift. Especially if it's one of those lightweight kind of doors that's really two veneer panels with furring strips across the top and bottom, it may not be the best answer.