DIY GUIDE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

How to hang an internal door or fix one that sticks yourself
Half an hour for a sticking door, a day for a new one. £10–£60 in hinges, a handle and tools, plus the door.

Fix the hinges first; if you are hanging a new door, acclimatise, trim evenly, recess the hinges and hang on one screw per hinge.

DIFFICULTY
Moderate
part of the job only
TIME
30 min – 1 day
a hinge fix is quick; a new door is a day of measuring, trimming, chiselling and hanging
MATERIALS
£10–£60
hinges, a latch and handle set, a chisel and wedges, plus the door itself
A PRO CHARGES
£60–£250
typically £150
  • 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 is not a fire door
  • The door sticks, drops or will not latch, and the frame is sound
  • You are replacing a door like for like in an existing frame
  • You have a helper to hold the door while you hang it

Get a pro if…

  • It is a fire door — between a garage and the house, on a flat's entrance, or on a stairway in a house of three or more storeys
  • It is an external door, or the frame itself is out of square, split or rotten
  • The door is a heavy solid or glazed one that two of you cannot safely hold in place
  • The new door is far larger than the opening and needs reducing well beyond the maker's limits

Safety first

  • Doors are heavy and awkward. Lift and hold them with a helper; HSE's lifting filter puts the guide figure for a close lift at 25 kg for men and 16 kg for women.
  • Clamp the door before you saw or plane it, and keep both hands behind the blade.
  • Wear eye protection and a dust mask when planing or sawing.
  • Do not trim, re-hinge or re-equip a fire door; it is part of the building's fire safety.
  • Keep the doorway clear while the door is off, and put it somewhere it cannot fall on anyone.

Stop here: Fire doors and external doors

A fire door's gaps, hinges, seals and closer are part of how it holds back fire and smoke, set under the building regulations' fire safety requirements; altering it can leave a house or flat without the protection the law expects. Replacing an external door is building work: in England and Wales it must meet the Building Regulations, usually shown by a certificate from a competent person scheme installer, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building standards. Book a joiner or an approved installer for either. How to hire a joiner →

MATERIALCOVERAGEFOR THIS JOB
Butt hingesSame size as the old ones, or the maker's specificationTwo or three per door
ScrewsLong enough to bite well into the frameThree per hinge leaf
Latch and handle setMatching backsetOne
Primer or sealer for the cut edgesWhatever finish the door takesA small tin

How much to trim

Trim = (door size − opening size) + the gaps. Split the width trim between the two edges, and the height trim between top and bottom, unless the maker says otherwise. A 762 mm wide door for a 755 mm opening, with a 3 mm gap each side: 762 − 755 + 6 = 13 mm to remove, about 6.5 mm from each edge. A 1,981 mm door for a 1,970 mm opening with 3 mm at the top and 8 mm under the door: 1,981 − 1,970 + 11 = 22 mm, taken as 11 mm from top and bottom.

Check the door maker's maximum trim for each edge before you cut; it is often small.

Measure the opening, not the old door

Measure the height at both sides and the width in three places, high, low and halfway, and work from the largest figures. Older frames are rarely standard or square. Buy the nearest standard door size above your opening and plan to trim it down. Check the door maker's limit on how much you may take off each edge; going past it cuts into the frame of the door.

The gap door makers use

One door maker gives an ideal gap of 3mm between door and frame, and advises that a reduction under 5mm comes off the hinge side, so the handle side stays pristine. Leave more at the bottom if there is a carpet or a threshold to clear.

Hinges

Most internal doors hang on two or three butt hinges. The common positions are about 150mm down from the top and 225mm up from the bottom, with an optional third between them, which one large retailer's guide also gives. Re-use the old positions if the frame already has recesses, and use the same size of hinge. Ball-bearing hinges run quieter and last longer on a heavy door.

Latch and handle

A tubular latch fits into a drilled hole in the door edge and a bored hole through the face. Buy the latch and handle together, or check the backset — the distance from the door edge to the centre of the handle spindle — matches. On a replacement door, a pre-drilled door saves a job but only if its holes line up with your frame's strike plate.

Fire doors are a different product

A fire door is tested as a set with its frame, hinges, closer and intumescent seals. Its gaps, hinges and the amount you may trim are set by its maker. Changing any part of that set, or trimming beyond the maker's limit, can stop it working. This guide does not cover them.

Let a new timber door lie flat in the room for a few days before you hang it, so it settles to the room's humidity. One large retailer's guide says three days.
Seal all six faces of a new door, including the top and bottom edges after trimming, or it will take up moisture and warp.

THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH

Before you start — the door and the frame

Find your situation. Every case starts with a check of the hinges and the frame, because most door problems are there.

Door sticks at the top on the latch side

The door has dropped on its hinges.

  1. Open the door and lift the handle: if the door moves up and down, the hinges are loose
  2. Tighten every hinge screw on the frame and the door
  3. Replace any screw that just spins with a longer one, or plug the hole
  4. Test the door before you plane anything
Door will not latch

Swings closed but the latch misses the strike plate.

  1. Look at the strike plate for marks showing where the latch hits
  2. Check the hinges are tight first
  3. Plan to move the strike plate a few millimetres, or file its opening
  4. Check the latch tongue springs back fully
Door swells and sticks in damp weather

Tight in winter, fine in summer.

  1. Mark the tight spots with a pencil when it is sticking
  2. Check whether the edges, especially top and bottom, are sealed
  3. Plan to plane only where it binds, on a dry day
  4. Seal the planed edge straight afterwards
Replacing an internal door

New door in the existing frame.

  1. Measure the frame at several points and check it for square and plumb
  2. Lay the new door flat in the room to acclimatise for the time its maker or retailer gives
  3. Check whether it is a fire door; if so, stop here
  4. Keep the old door until the new one is hung, to copy its hinge positions
Door rubs on the carpet

New carpet, or a door that has dropped.

  1. Check the hinges first
  2. Measure the clearance you need over the new floor
  3. Take the door off and trim the bottom only
  4. Seal the cut edge
Fire doors and external doors

Kitchen-to-garage, flat entrance, stairway doors in taller houses, front and back doors.

  1. Look on the door edge for a fire door label or plug
  2. Check for intumescent strips in the frame or door edges and a self-closer
  3. Do not trim, re-hinge or change the hardware on a fire door
  4. Treat external door replacement as a job for an approved installer

THE JOB

How to hang or fix an internal door, in order

  1. Check the hinges and the frame

    15 min

    Open the door, take the handle, and lift. If it moves, the hinges are loose. Tighten every screw. Where a screw spins, replace it with a longer one into the stud behind the frame, or glue a timber plug into the hole and refix. Check the frame with a level and a tape across its diagonals. Read the case above that matches your door.

    • Tighten the top hinge first; it carries most of the pull
    • A long screw through the top hinge into the stud behind often lifts a dropped door back into line
    • Check for a fire door label before going further

    Mistake to avoid: Planing a door that sticks because it has dropped. Once the hinges are tightened, there is a gap where you planed.

  2. Pack or adjust a hinge

    20 min

    If the door still binds on the latch side at the top, a thin packer of card behind the bottom hinge leaf on the frame tilts the door up at the latch side; a packer behind the top hinge does the opposite. If the door binds on the hinge side, the recess is too deep: pack behind that hinge. Small changes make a big difference. Test after each.

    • Take out the hinge screws one leaf at a time while a helper holds the door
    • Use thin card or a cut piece of plastic, trimmed to the leaf
    • Re-fit with the screws you know bite

    Mistake to avoid: Packing several hinges at once. You cannot tell which change fixed it, and the door ends up binding somewhere else.

  3. Acclimatise and measure a new door

    30 min

    Lay the new door flat on a level surface in the room for the time its maker or retailer gives, so it settles. Then hold it against the opening with wedges under it and mark the frame's top and sides onto it. Work out the trim using the calculation above, splitting it evenly between opposite edges, and adding the gaps. Check the maker's maximum trim for each edge.

    • Mark the top of the door so you do not swap ends
    • Measure the floor clearance you want at the bottom, over the carpet
    • Check the frame is square; if not, scribe the door to follow it

    Mistake to avoid: Taking all the width off one edge. The door's stiles become unequal, it can weaken, and the handle sits off-centre.

  4. Trim the door

    1 hr

    Clamp the door on a bench or trestles. For a small reduction, plane each edge from the ends towards the middle, so you do not split the corners. For a larger one, score the line with a knife, cut just outside it with a fine saw or a guided circular saw, and plane to the line. Offer it up in the opening with wedges and check the gaps all round before you move on.

    • Plane the end grain from each corner towards the centre
    • One door maker suggests taking small reductions from the hinge side to keep the handle side perfect
    • Seal the cut edges once you are happy

    Mistake to avoid: Cutting the whole trim in one go. A few millimetres too much and the door is scrap; take it down in stages.

  5. Mark the hinge positions

    15 min

    With the door wedged in the opening at the right gaps, mark the top and bottom of each hinge recess in the frame onto the door's edge. On a new frame, mark the hinges at the usual positions from the top and bottom. Hold a hinge in place and draw round it with a sharp pencil, and mark the depth of the leaf on the face of the door.

    • Use a combination square to carry the lines across the edge
    • The knuckle of the hinge sits just proud of the door face
    • Number the hinges top, middle, bottom

    Mistake to avoid: Marking the hinges with the door resting on the floor. The door then hangs at the floor's height, not the frame's, and binds at the top.

  6. Cut the hinge recesses

    45 min

    With a sharp chisel, cut down around the pencil outline to the depth of the hinge leaf. Then, holding the chisel bevel down at an angle, make a row of small stepped cuts across the recess a few millimetres apart — one door maker spaces them 5mm — and pare the waste out with the chisel flat. Check the hinge sits flush with the edge. Drill pilot holes through the hinge holes.

    • Keep the chisel razor sharp; a blunt one splits the edge
    • Cut with the grain, in small bites
    • Test-fit the hinge often; too deep is worse than too shallow

    Mistake to avoid: Cutting the recess too deep. The door then binds on the hinge side and springs open.

  7. Hang the door on one screw per hinge

    30 min

    Screw the hinges to the door. With a helper holding the door open at right angles, on wedges to the right height, line the hinges up with the frame recesses and fix one screw in each hinge. Swing the door. Look at the gaps and check it opens and closes without rubbing. If it is right, fit the rest of the screws; if not, take out the single screws and adjust.

    • Fit the screws in the middle hole of each leaf first
    • Doors are heavy; keep the helper holding until all hinges have a screw
    • Check the door with a level once it is hung

    Mistake to avoid: Fitting every screw before testing. A small error then means taking out a dozen screws and starting with chewed holes.

  8. Fit the latch, handle and strike plate

    45 min

    Mark the latch height on the door edge, matching the strike plate on the frame. Drill the hole for the latch body into the edge and the hole for the spindle through the face, at the sizes the latch instructions give, keeping the drill square. Fit the latch, chisel its faceplate flush, and fit the handles. Close the door, mark where the latch meets the frame, and fit or adjust the strike plate so it catches without rattle.

    • Drill the face hole from both sides to avoid splintering
    • Check the latch bevel faces the way the door closes
    • A small file on the strike plate opening fine-tunes the catch

    Mistake to avoid: Drilling the latch hole out of square. The spindle then binds and the handle never springs back.

  9. Seal, finish and test

    30 min

    Take the door off once more if you need to, and seal or paint every edge, including the top and bottom you trimmed. Rehang it on its screws. Check the gaps once more, the latch catches, and the door does not swing open or shut on its own. If it does, the frame is out of plumb; a hinge packer can correct a small drift.

    • Paint the top and bottom edges; moisture enters there
    • Fit a door stop if the handle reaches the wall
    • Check again after a week as the door settles

    Mistake to avoid: Leaving the trimmed edges bare. The door takes up moisture through them and swells or warps within a season.

The mistakes that make doors stick

  • Planing a door that has only dropped on its hinges
  • Taking all the trim off one edge
  • Cutting hinge recesses too deep
  • Fitting all the hinge screws before testing the swing
  • Leaving trimmed edges unsealed

Stop here and get a joiner

  • It is a fire door, or you are not sure whether it is one
  • It is an external door, or the frame is split, rotten or badly out of square
  • The door is too heavy for two people to hold safely
  • The new door needs more trimming than its maker allows
How to hire a joiner →

Door sticking at the top cornerLoose top hinge. Tighten it, or fit a long screw into the stud behind; pack the bottom hinge if needed.
Door will not stay shutStrike plate out of line or hinge recess too deep. Move or file the strike plate; pack the deep hinge.
Door swings open by itselfThe frame or the hinges are out of plumb. Pack behind one hinge to correct the lean.
Gap uneven along the latch sideDoor hung out of square or the frame is twisted. Adjust with hinge packers; a twisted frame may need a joiner.
Door creaksDry hinges. Lift the pin or the door and grease the knuckles, or fit ball-bearing hinges.
Door rubbing on the new carpetNot enough clearance. Take the door off and trim the bottom, then seal the cut.
Hinge screws keep working looseHoles stripped or screws too short. Plug the holes with glued timber and refix with longer screws.
Split at the hinge recessThe recess was cut with a blunt chisel or too near the edge. Glue and clamp the split; if it will not hold, a joiner can let in a timber patch.

WHAT YOU SAVE

What it costs to do it yourself

Butt hinges, pair or three£3–£10
Latch and handle set£12–£25
Chisel set£15–£22
Door wedges£3–£14
Total, hinges, handle and tools£10–£60
A standard internal door, if replacing£32–£75
DIY total£10–£60
A joiner charges per door
LOW
£60
TYPICAL
£150
HIGH
£250
Door Hanging & Repair price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

A sticking door usually costs nothing but a screwdriver. A new door adds its own price; a joiner's charge buys the trimming and recesses done right first time.

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.

Check it after a week

Tighten the hinge screws again as the timber settles, and check the latch still catches.

Keep the edges sealed

Touch up any edge that gets chipped, especially the bottom, so the door does not take up damp.

Dispose of the old door and offcuts

An old door and timber offcuts go to the household waste recycling centre, in the wood section; your council may also collect it as bulky waste. Remove the hinges and handles first for the metal skip.

Tool care

Hone the chisel after the job and store it with its edge guard.

Hanging an internal door or fixing one that sticks: questions people ask

Usually loose hinges letting it drop onto the frame on the latch side. Tighten the hinge screws, fit a longer screw at the top, and only plane once the hinges are firm.

One door maker gives 3mm between door and frame, with more at the bottom to clear the floor covering.

The usual spacing puts the top hinge about 150mm down and the bottom one about 225mm up, with a third halfway if the door is heavy. Re-use the frame's existing recesses if it has them.

Only within the limits its maker allows, and with its tested hinges, seals and closer kept. If you are not sure, leave it to a joiner.

Replacing an external door is building work covered by the building regulations. In England and Wales, use an installer registered with a competent person scheme so it is certified.

On the Locufy UK price guide door hanging and repair costs £60–£250 per door, typically £150. Fire doors and external doors sit at the top.

MORE GUIDES

More DIY guides

Fixing a stiff lock or changing a Euro cylinderPainting a roomAdjusting and fixing a uPVC doorFixing a window that sticks, drops or will not lockRegrouting tilesHanging wallpaperSpray painting small items outdoorsAssembling a bed, table, desk or sofa
All 90 DIY guides →How to hire a joiner →Door Hanging & Repair price guide →Joiners on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. LPD Doors — DIY internal door fitting (3mm gap, less than 5mm from the hinge side, 25mm chisel, 5mm stepped cuts)
  2. Wickes — how to hang an internal door (acclimatise three days, hinges 150mm and 225mm)
  3. HSE — manual handling at work, a brief guide (INDG143)
  4. GOV.UK — building regulations approval: replacing windows and doors
  5. FENSA — homeowners: replacement external doors and windows against the Building Regulations
  6. GOV.UK — dispose of household waste
  7. Wickes — door hinges, price check October 2026
  8. Wickes — door handles and latches, price check October 2026
  9. Wickes — chisel sets, price check October 2026
  10. Wickes — door wedges, price check October 2026
  11. Wickes — internal doors, price check October 2026