Phantom doors that open by themselves are a common household irritant. Without the know-how, you might reach for a piece of newspaper, fold it over several times and press it into a makeshift shim before wedging it in place as an effort to keep the door from flapping open once you’ve closed it.
The mystery of the swinging door lies in an out of plumb door jamb as a result of your house shifting or because the door was incorrectly installed.The mystery of the swinging door lies in an out of plumb door jamb as a result of your house shifting or because the door was incorrectly installed. If you’re looking for a long-term solution, you’ll have to bend the hinge pin.
Nkuli Mahlangu, who has been working as a handyman for years, shares some tips…
What you need
Nkuli says the good news is you don’t have to dismantle the entire door frame to fix this problem, but you’ll need a few basic tools: a hammer, two pieces of offcut wood, a large nail or pin punch and a shim.
Here’s how…
Nkuli says close the door and plug the shim in between the door and door frame to keep it from swinging open while you work. Using the pin punch and hammer, tap on the upper hinge pin until you can pull it out completely.
Align the two scraps of wood on a firm surface so that they’re able to accommodate the pin. Once in place, give the pin a good whack so that it bends moderately. Nkuli says be careful not to warp the pin too much as you still need to reinsert it into its hinge.
Once you’re satisfied with the bend in the pin, slot it back into its hinge and test the door to see if it swings open. If it does, do the same for the bottom hinge pin, he says, and this should sort you out for a long time. – Katlego Sekano
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