Summer House Door Keeps Dropping Don't Know Solution?

SquirrelMadness · 25 Oct 2023 at 13:02

Notice how the gap at the top on hinge side is larger than gap at the bottom...

It keeps dropping so becomes hard to shut as top right side scrapes door frame.

I have bought a new hinge and installed already... worked for maybe a day or 2 then dropped again.

Tried switching top and bottom hinges... made it even worse.

The hinges are limited to how much you can adjust them to close the gap... I hit the max limit every time when adjusting.

I lasered the door frame so it's not the frame that's the issue as it's perfectly level.

Anyone got a solution?

200sols · 25 Oct 2023 at 13:08

You leave it hanging with those screws missing?

Countcussy · 25 Oct 2023 at 14:18

Presume its a composite? At this time of year, the low sun can cause localized expansion, which does not help.

If there is plenty of gap at the bottom, use a spacer, washers or even a strip(s) of card behind the bottom hinge.
This will push the bottom of the door towards the bottom right, and the opposite at the top right.
Maybe the rebates for the hinges are at different depths. This might explain why switching the hinges made it worse.

DXP55 · 25 Oct 2023 at 14:45

I have had the same with my SH and found it was leaning -Because the front is nearly all glass and a window in each side there isn't any cross bracing - I think makers thought two nails in each lap would keep it straight.
Put a spirit level on door frame verticles.
I had to get a 3x3 length of wood from top right to left bottom with a hydraulic jack on and straighten it up then made plywood T pieces to screw on uprights and top cross bar.
This year one side window doesn't open or shut when you get it open - That took eye bolts bottom rear and ratchet strap round frame top front and tighten up a bit each day till it was verticle.
Then put another cross piece in.
It looks quite good but basically it's rubbish. Put a lot of extra strengthening on it.
And after all that we never use it.

964rs · 25 Oct 2023 at 16:28

It could be a bad picture but in the second pic the door doesn't look square in the hole

SquirrelMadness · 25 Oct 2023 at 17:45

I think I fixed it. I took the massivly heavy composite door off and recessed the hinge into the door about 2mm deeper with a chisel. Then chiselled the frame side a bit just to get the hinge deeper on that part too. Seems to work good has created at least a 3mm gap where it was scraping. Kinda a hack method but works. Door doesn't look square in pic because it's part open.