DIY GUIDE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to fix an internal door that sticks, drops or will not latch yourself
An hour or two a door. €5–€40 in screws, hinges or a new handle.
Find where it catches, fix the hinges first, adjust the latch, ease the edge — and where to stop.
- Every step, start to finish
- Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
- Honest about when to call a pro
FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER
Do it yourself, or get a repairer?
Do it yourself if…
- It is an internal door that sticks, rubs, drops at the latch side or will not catch
- The door and frame are sound, with no rot or splits
- You are adjusting hinges, latch and keep, fitting a new handle or easing a few millimetres
- It is your own home, or your landlord has agreed in writing
Get a pro if…
- The door is a fire door, such as to an integral garage or on a stair in a three-storey house
- The frame or lining has moved, split or is out of square by a lot
- You want a new door hung in an old frame, or a whole new door set
- It is an external door, or a door in a rented home that is the landlord’s to repair
Safety first
- A door off its hinges is heavy and awkward. Lift it with a helper, as the HSA’s manual handling advice sets out, and stand it securely before planing.
- Keep both hands behind the chisel edge and clamp or wedge the work so it cannot move.
- Wear a dust mask when sanding and planing; the HSA treats wood dust as a respiratory hazard.
- Do not alter a fire door, its hinges, its gaps or its closer. Its fire resistance depends on them.
- Old painted doors may carry lead paint. Do not dry-sand old layers; plane or strip with care, or get advice.
Stop here: Fire doors, new doors and rented homes
The risks here are fire and the law. A fire door only holds back fire and smoke if its gaps, hinges, seals and closer stay as built, so its repair or replacement is for a competent installer. In a rented home, the 2019 Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations put the duty on the landlord to keep doors and windows in good condition and repair, and the local authority enforces those standards; tenants report the fault rather than altering the door. Replacing a whole door or door set is a carpenter’s job. How to hire a joiner →
| MATERIAL | COVERAGE | FOR THIS JOB |
|---|---|---|
| Longer wood screws | Same gauge as the hinge holes, longer, to reach the frame studwork | Three per hinge |
| Replacement hinges | Same size as the old ones | Two or three per door |
| Wooden dowels or matchsticks and wood glue | For stripped screw holes | As needed |
| Door handles | Lever on rose or on backplate to suit the latch | One pair |
How much to take off a sticking edge?
Close the door on a sheet of paper at several points down the latch edge: where the paper is gripped tight, the door is too close. Aim for a gap you can just slide a coin into. If the door rubs along the top 40 cm of the latch edge and the gap at the bottom is fine, the hinges have dropped — fix those first. If it still rubs after the hinges are right, plane only the rubbing section, taking a millimetre or so at a time, well inside the supplier’s limit of 6mm per edge.
Doors swell in damp weather and shrink in dry. Ease a door in winter only as much as it needs, or it rattles in summer.
Close the door slowly and look at the gap around it. A healthy door has an even gap at the top and both sides. If the gap closes at the top on the latch side and opens at the bottom, the door has dropped on its hinges. If it rubs along the whole latch edge, it has swollen or the hinges are standing proud. If the gap is even but it will not catch, the latch and keep are out of line.
Most drop and rub problems start at the hinges: screws that have worked loose in soft timber, a hinge leaf not sitting flush in its recess, or worn knuckles. One hardware maker’s maintenance advice is that hinges should be lubricated with a light non-acidic mineral oil twice per year, adjusted periodically, and their fixings tightened. Put the hinges right before you take any timber off the door.
Doors have limits. One door supplier’s fitting instructions allow 6mm off each edge and no more than 12mm off the overall height or width, shared evenly between the two sides — so to lose 8mm of width, take 4mm off each side. Fire doors, bi-fold doors and rebated pairs are excluded. Easing a sticking door should need far less than that.
The same supplier says three hinges should always be used, particularly on glazed, heavy and fire doors, and wherever temperature or humidity varies a lot, such as bathrooms. A heavy solid door hung on two hinges drops over time. Adding a third hinge in the middle is often the cure.
A lever that droops usually has a worn return spring or loose fixings; one hardware maker advises checking that handles return to horizontal and tightening their fixings. A latch that does not catch is usually a keep that needs moving a millimetre or two. Neither needs the door off.
THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH
Before you start — the door and the problem
Find the card that matches what the door is doing. Each starts the same way: open and close it slowly, look at the gaps, and check it is not a fire door.
Door has dropped, catches at the top or the bottom
The gap at the top of the latch side has closed up, or the bottom scrapes the floor.
- Open the door and lift the handle end: if the hinges move, the screws are loose
- Check each hinge leaf is flush in its recess on both the door and the frame
- Look for screws that turn without tightening — the hole is stripped
- Have wedges ready to support the door while you work
Door rubs along the latch edge
It sticks along the whole edge, often worse in damp weather.
- Rub chalk or soft pencil along the frame rebate, close the door and see where it marks the door edge
- Check the hinges first — a hinge standing proud pushes the door towards the latch side
- Look for heavy layers of paint on the edge and frame; sometimes that is all it is
- Plan to seal any bare timber after easing it
Door will not latch
It closes but will not catch, or rattles when shut.
- Look at the keep on the frame for scratches showing where the latch actually hits
- Check the latch springs out fully when the handle is released
- Check the hinges are tight; a dropped door misses its keep
- Have a sharp chisel and a pencil ready to move the keep
Handle loose or drooping
The lever wobbles, will not return to horizontal, or comes away.
- Check the screws holding the rose or backplate on both sides
- Pull off the lever to check the spindle and the grub screw
- Check the latch mechanism inside the door works freely with the handles off
- Measure the backplate and screw positions before buying new handles
THE JOB
How to fix a sticking or dropped internal door, in order
Check it is not a fire door and set up
10 minLook at the hinge edge for a label or a coloured plug, the frame for strips around the rebate, and the top for a closer. If it is a fire door, stop: its gaps, hinges and fittings are part of its fire performance. Otherwise, lay a dust sheet, set out your tools and open the door wide, with a wedge under the latch end so it cannot swing.
- Doors to an integral garage and on stairs in taller houses are often fire doors
- Keep children and pets away while the door is propped
- Take a photo of the hinges before you remove anything
Mistake to avoid: Planing or re-hinging a fire door like an ordinary one. It may no longer hold back fire and smoke for the time it was built for.
Find where it catches
15 minRub chalk or soft pencil on the frame rebate around the door, close the door gently, and open it again. The marks on the door edge and face show exactly where it rubs. Close it on a strip of paper at intervals round the edge to find tight spots. Look at the pattern: tight at the top of the latch side means it has dropped; tight all along the latch edge means it is swollen or the hinges stand proud.
- Check the gap at the hinge side too — a big gap there means the hinges are too deep
- Mark the tight spots on the door with pencil
- Check the floor: a raised threshold or new flooring can be the cause
Mistake to avoid: Planing the door before you know why it sticks. If the hinges are the problem, the door comes out too small and rattles.
Tighten and refix the hinges
20 minWith the door supported on a wedge, tighten every hinge screw on the door and the frame. Any that spin, remove; glue a dowel or a few matchsticks into the hole, let it set, trim it flush, drill a small pilot and drive the screw again. On the top hinge, replace one of the frame screws with a much longer one so it bites into the wall studwork behind the lining, which pulls the door back up.
- Use screws of the same gauge as the old ones so the heads sit flush in the hinge
- Pre-drill to stop the timber splitting
- Oil the hinge knuckles while you are there
Mistake to avoid: Driving a fatter screw into a stripped hole. The head sits proud, the hinge cannot close flat, and the door binds.
Correct the hinge recesses
30 minIf a hinge stands proud of the timber, the door is pushed towards the latch side; unscrew it and deepen its recess slightly with a sharp chisel, taking thin parings until the leaf sits flush. If a hinge is sunk too deep, the door binds on the hinge side; pack behind the leaf with thin card. Refit and test the door after each change.
- Work in thin slices with the chisel bevel down
- A sheet of card behind a leaf moves the door by its thickness
- Change one hinge at a time and test
Mistake to avoid: Cutting the recess too deep in one go. The hinge sinks and the door binds on the hinge edge instead.
Add a third hinge to a heavy door
45 minIf a heavy door keeps dropping on two hinges, add a third midway between them. Hold the new hinge on the door edge, mark round it, cut the recess with the chisel to the hinge’s thickness, and screw it to the door. Close the door with a wedge under it at the right height, mark the frame, cut the recess on the frame and fix the hinge.
- Match the new hinge to the existing ones in size and finish
- Fix one screw first in each leaf and test before driving the rest
- Pre-drill every hole
Mistake to avoid: Fixing the third hinge out of line with the other two. The door fights the hinges and springs open.
Ease a swollen edge
45 minIf the door still rubs once the hinges are right, take it off its hinges with a helper and stand it on its edge, wedged steady. Plane only where the chalk marks showed, working from the ends towards the middle on the top and bottom edges to avoid splitting the corners. Take thin shavings, refit and test often. Stop as soon as it closes freely with an even gap.
- Plane the hinge edge rather than the latch edge if the latch side has a lock or bevel
- Check the plane is set fine and the blade is sharp
- Wear a dust mask when sanding the planed edge
Mistake to avoid: Planing too much. The door rattles in summer, and you cannot put the timber back.
Move the keep so it latches
20 minWith the hinges right, close the door slowly and watch where the latch tongue meets the keep. If it hits high or low, unscrew the keep, mark its new position, and enlarge the recess with the chisel by the distance needed, then refit it. If the door rattles when latched, bend the tab of the keep slightly inwards or move the keep a little towards the door stop.
- Fill the old screw holes with glued dowel before refixing
- Move the keep a millimetre at a time
- Check the latch springs out fully — a sticky latch needs a little oil
Mistake to avoid: Filing the latch tongue to fit. It then fails to hold the door closed at all.
Fit new handles and seal the bare timber
30 minTo replace handles, remove the old ones, slide the spindle through the latch, fit the new handles on each side and screw the roses or backplates on firmly. Check that each lever springs back to horizontal. Finally, sand any planed or chiselled bare timber smooth and seal it with primer and paint or varnish to match, including the top and bottom edges.
- Measure the spindle length; it must engage both handles fully
- Fit the grub screws if the handles have them
- Seal the bottom edge even though nobody sees it
Mistake to avoid: Leaving planed edges bare. The timber soaks up moisture and the door sticks again by next winter.
The mistakes that make it worse
- Planing the door before fixing the hinges
- Taking too much off in one go
- Using fatter screws in stripped holes
- Leaving bare planed edges unsealed
- Treating a fire door like an ordinary door
Stop here and get a door hanging and repair carpenter
- It is a fire door, or you are unsure whether it is
- The frame or lining has moved, split or is badly out of square
- The door needs replacing, or a new door needs hanging in an old frame
- It is an external door, or the door is in a rented home
| WHAT YOU SEE | WHY, AND THE FIX |
|---|---|
| Door sticking at the top corner | The door has dropped on its hinges. Tighten the screws, fix stripped holes, and drive a long screw into the studwork through the top hinge. |
| Door will not close, springs back open | Hinges recessed too deep, or packed unevenly. Pack behind the leaves with card, or ease the recesses so they sit flush. |
| Door rubs along the latch edge | A hinge stands proud or the edge has swollen. Deepen the proud recess first; plane the edge only if it still rubs. |
| Door will not latch | Latch and keep out of line. Move the keep up, down or in by the amount needed and refit. |
| Door rattles when closed | Too big a gap at the stop. Move the keep towards the stop or bend its tab in slightly. |
| Hinge screws keep coming loose | Stripped holes. Glue in dowels, let them set, and drive new screws into fresh timber. |
| Handle droops and will not spring back | Worn return spring or loose fixings. Tighten the fixings; replace the handle if the spring has gone. |
| Door drags on new flooring | The floor is higher than before. Take the door off and trim the bottom evenly, within the supplier’s limits, then seal the edge. |
WHAT YOU SAVE
What it costs to do it yourself
| Butt hinges, pack of two or three | €4.50–€11.25 |
|---|---|
| Wood screws, pack of 100 | €6.60–€9.30 |
| Wood chisel | €10.95–€13.85 |
| Door handles, pair | €21–€35 |
| Total, a typical sticking or dropped door | €5–€40 |
| DIY total | €5–€40 |
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
Most doors need only screws and time. A sharp chisel and plane are worth owning if you have more than one door to fix; handles are the only real expense.
RATHER NOT?
Joiners near you, with prices shown
The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
Doors move with the weather. Check the gaps again in summer and winter and adjust the keep rather than planing again.
A drop of light oil on the hinge knuckles and the latch twice a year keeps the door quiet and stops wear.
Metal hinges and handles can go to the metal skip at your civic amenity site. Wood shavings in small amounts can go in the general waste; offcuts and old doors are bulky waste for the civic amenity site — mywaste.ie lists them.
Write down the hinge size and screw size inside a cupboard door so you buy the right ones next time.
Fixing an internal door that sticks, drops or will not latch: questions people ask
Usually the hinges have worked loose and the door has dropped, or the edge has swollen in damp weather. Tighten and refix the hinges first; plane only if it still sticks.
Only as much as it needs. One door supplier allows up to 6mm off each edge, to a maximum of 12mm in height and width, but not on fire doors. A sticking door usually needs a millimetre or two.
Make sure the hinges are tight, then see where the latch meets the keep and move the keep by that amount. Do not file the latch.
Heavy, glazed and fire doors, and doors in bathrooms, should have three. A heavy door on two hinges tends to drop.
Report it to the landlord in writing. Under the 2019 rented-housing standards the landlord must keep doors in good repair, and the local authority enforces those standards.
On the Locufy price guide for Ireland, door hanging and repair costs €100–€300 per door, typically €160. Easing and re-hinging is at the low end; hanging a new door at the top.
MORE GUIDES
More DIY guides
Sources — checked October 2026
- ERA — how do I maintain my doors: lubricate hinges twice per year, adjust and tighten fixings, check handles return to horizontal
- Howarth Timber — internal door fitting instructions: 6mm per edge, 12mm maximum, three hinges
- HSA — manual handling
- HSA — wood working information sheet: wood dust
- Irish Statute Book — S.I. No. 137/2019, Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019
- gov.ie — minimum standards in rented accommodation
- Fingal County Council — minimum standards in rented accommodation: landlord and tenant responsibilities
- MyWaste — what to do with wood and timber
- diy.ie — door hinges, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — wood screws, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — wood chisels, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — door handles, price check October 2026