Why does my door swing open or shut on its own?

A door hung on a perfectly plumb hinge axis has no reason to move. When it drifts, the hinge line is leaning, and the door is simply rolling downhill.

What you'll need

• A spirit level
• A hammer and a nail punch
• A pair of pliers or an adjustable spanner
• A scrap of card

Step by step

1. Level the hinge edge of the frame.Hold a spirit level vertically against the frame leg the hinges are on. Out of plumb by even a degree is enough to make a door swing.
2. Work out which way it leans.The door will always swing towards whichever side is lower. That tells you whether you need to slow the opening swing or the closing one.
3. Try the hinge pin bend first.Tap the pin out of the middle or top hinge, rest it on a solid edge and give it the gentlest possible bend with pliers, then tap it back in.
4. Test after each attempt.You want just enough friction that the door stays where it is put and still opens easily. A pin bent too far makes the door stiff and can crack a hinge knuckle.
5. Or pack a hinge instead.A card packer behind one hinge leaf twists the hinge line very slightly, which adds friction without touching the pins.
6. Check for a draught before adjusting anything.A door that always swings the same way in a hallway may just be following air movement from a stairwell or an open window. Close everything and retest.
7. Look at the floor if the frame is plumb.A door that lifts a rug or drags on carpet on one side can be pushed off centre by that resistance rather than by gravity.
8. Consider a doorstop or a hold-open.Where you want the door to stay open, a floor stop, a hook or a magnetic hold-open solves it permanently — except on a fire door, which must never be held open by anything other than a certified device.

Tips

• Bend the pin of the middle hinge on a three-hinge door. It carries the least load, so the added friction does not wear the door's alignment.
• A rubber wedge is a legitimate answer for a door you only want open occasionally. It is the hinge pin that is worth adjusting for a permanent problem.
• Never wedge a fire door open. It has to be free to close, and a hold-open must be a linked device that releases on the alarm.

Common mistakes

• Bending the pin hard in a vice — A pin only needs a bow of a millimetre or so. A hard bend binds the knuckle, wears the hinge oval and makes the door stiff enough that people slam it.
• Rehanging the door to correct a leaning frame — The door is hung to the frame. If the frame leans, a perfectly hung door still swings — the geometry has to be corrected at the hinge, not at the leaf.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask