By Barry Stone
Dear Barry,
There is a door in my house that keeps swinging shut on its own. I'm tired of using a doorstop to keep in propped open. How can I fix it once and for all? -Diane
Dear Diane,
Sometimes, the slightest leaning of a doorjamb can cause a door to swing open or shut on its own. Fortunately, there is a simple three-step solution for the average handyperson:
- Remove the hinge pins. These are the long, smooth, bolt-like inserts that hold the two sides of the each hinge together.
- Bend the hinge pins. This is a simple process whereby you set the pin on the pavement, prop up one end on a solid object, and then strike the pin with a hammer.
- Reinsert the bent pins into the hinges. The pressure and friction caused by forcing the curved pins into the straight hinges will resist the self-closing tendency of the door.
. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our "