Door Repair & Adjustment in Columbia, MO
Columbia's doors work hard because the weather here never stays put. In July the air is so humid that wood doors swell and rub at the top corner or drag on the threshold. In January the furnace dries everything out, the same door shrinks, the latch stops catching and cold air whistles around the edges. Older houses in East Campus, the Old Southwest and North Central add a century of settling on top of that, so frames have gone out of square and doors have been planed and repainted until they barely fit. Newer homes have their own issues: interior doors with lightweight hinges that sag, exterior doors whose weatherstripping fails after a few seasons of sun, and storm doors that get caught by the strong spring winds and bent past their stops. Most door problems are fixable without buying a new door, and a good adjustment can make an old door work better than it has in years.
We diagnose before we start removing wood. Often a door that sticks just needs its hinges tightened, a longer screw driven into the framing behind the jamb, or a hinge shimmed. If the frame has shifted, we adjust the strike plate and latch so the door closes quietly. Only when necessary do we plane the edge, and then we seal the fresh wood so it doesn't absorb humidity and swell again. On exterior doors we replace worn weatherstripping and door sweeps, adjust thresholds and fix rotted trim at the bottom of the jamb where water collects. We install new prehung doors when the old one is beyond repair, replace locksets and deadbolts, and fix storm doors and their closers. Everything is tested several times so it latches cleanly in any season.
What this covers
- Sticking and binding door adjustments
- Sagging doors re-hung with longer hinge screws
- Latch, strike plate and deadbolt alignment
- Weatherstripping, sweeps and threshold adjustments
- Storm door repair and closer replacement
- Lockset and deadbolt replacement
- Prehung interior and exterior door installation
- Rotted jamb and trim repair at the bottom of the frame
How a door repair & adjustment visit usually goes
Check the Fit
We open and close the door several times, look at gaps, hinges and the frame, and identify why it's sticking, sagging or not latching.
Tighten and Adjust
Hinges are tightened or re-screwed into framing, shimmed if needed, and the strike plate and latch are realigned.
Trim and Seal
If planing is still needed, we remove only what's necessary and seal the edge so it doesn't swell again.
Weatherproof and Test
Exterior doors get new weatherstripping or sweeps where needed, and every door is tested until it latches cleanly.
Many Columbia homes have doors that lead from an attached garage or a basement, and those often take the most abuse. Garage entry doors get banged by bikes and strollers, and the cold, damp air from the garage hits the door all winter. Basement doors in hillside homes stay cool and damp and can swell year-round. Rotted wood at the bottom of exterior jambs is common where rain splashes up off the stoop or a gutter overflows above it. We patch or replace the damaged section of jamb with rot-resistant material, prime and paint it, and make sure the door closes tightly again so the draft and the bugs stay outside.
What shapes the price in Columbia
Door repair costs depend on what's actually wrong. Tightening hinges and adjusting a strike plate is a quick fix, while planing, sealing and re-hanging a door takes more time. Exterior doors with rotted trim or jambs need carpentry before they can be adjusted. Replacing hardware or weatherstripping adds parts. Installing a new prehung door is a bigger job, especially in older homes where the opening isn't a standard size or is out of square. Having several doors looked at in one visit makes the trip efficient, and most homes have at least two or three that need a touch.
Neighbors often ask
My door sticks in summer but is loose in winter. Which season should I fix it in?
Ideally we adjust it in a way that works year round, which means fixing the cause rather than just planing until it fits in one season. We tighten and shim hinges, check the frame for square and set the gaps so there's room for summer swelling without leaving a big gap in winter. If we do plane, we seal the edge so it doesn't soak up Missouri humidity. If you can only schedule one season, summer is better, because you see the worst of the sticking.
My storm door blew open and now it won't close right. Can you fix it?
Usually. When the wind catches a storm door, it bends the closer mounting bracket, pulls the hinge screws or stretches the wind chain. We replace bent hardware, re-secure the hinge rail into solid framing and adjust the closer so the door shuts gently and latches. If the frame of the door itself has bent, we'll tell you so and can install a replacement.
Can you fix my old door's original hardware?
Often, yes. Many older Columbia homes have mortise locks and glass or brass knobs that are worth keeping. We clean and lubricate the mechanism, replace worn springs or parts when they're available, and adjust the strike so the latch catches. If the lock is beyond repair, we can fit modern hardware that keeps a similar look.
Can you install a new front door?
Yes. We install prehung exterior doors, set them plumb and square, insulate around the frame, install the lockset and deadbolt and finish the trim inside and out. Older homes sometimes have non-standard openings, so we'll measure carefully and talk with you about options before ordering.
Can you add a smart lock while you're working on the door?
Yes. We can install a keypad or smart deadbolt as part of a door repair. A smart lock works best on a door that latches smoothly, so fixing the alignment first means the lock doesn't strain and drain its batteries.
Folks pair this with
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Ceiling Fan Installation →Door Repair & Adjustment around Columbia
Door Repair & Adjustment is one of 14 jobs our Columbia handyman crew handles, in Columbia and in nearby communities:
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