Interior Door Frame Not Level

An uneven door can be unsightly and annoying especially if it keeps catching and sticking to the door frame.

Interior door frame not level.

Cut an interior door bottom 1 2 inch or so above the flooring or threshold. Shim the jamb plumb to make it level and straight. You can check to see if the frame is twisted with a 6 level. Close door and check the spacing at the top and latch side of the door.

Mark the cutting line then scribe about 1 16 inch above the cutline with a utility knife. You can also add shims to a door frame if it s uneven or warped. If the door itself is uneven you can shim the hinges to adjust it. Luckily there are a few ways you can fix the issue and make your door level again.

Place the level on the side of the jamb. It s a lot easier to shim the hinge side of the rough opening before you put in the door frame. This will give the appearance of a warped door. After that it s a simple job to set the interior door frame in place screw or nail it to the shims and then shim the strike side.

Slip shims under the side jamb until the head jamb is level. Place the level on the length of the hinge side noting where the bubble is in the level. Steps to repair a skewed door. On the hinge side start with the bottom and top of the jamb.

Shim between the side jambs and the studs to fill in the spaces between them. Measure the distance between the top of the door and the. Strip the frame down to the side 2 by 4 inch studs top header plate and floor or subfloor. The door frame should be slightly smaller than the opening it fits to allow for adjustments.

In an older home with an out of square door frame the top of a door may be out of parallel with the top of the frame. Determine which hinge must be shimmed to adjust door and create even spacing. Using the rubber mallet hit the side of the door jamb in the direction needed to level it. Hit it with a moderate amount of force two or three times.

Remove any old door and molding such as a casing or bottom threshold inside the opening. Now check the latch side noting the bubbles need to be in exactly the same location. Remove appropriate hinge from door and jamb.