Interior French Doors

We purchased our present house a year ago and after installing new carpet we had to cut the doors off. After reattaching the doors, we noticed that when we tried closing the door it hits the jam before it is up against the stops. When the door is pushed shut, movement in the hinges is seen. The hinges bend or flex until the door is released. We noticed this before but had never really examined it until now. Any suggestions as to what the problem is and how to correct it?

 

You can check the hinges to see if they have been mortised too deep. When the door is open, you should be able to verify that the hinge plate is flush with the jamb- not recessed into the jamb too deep. If you place a ruler over the hinge and there is a space between the ruler and the hinge, it is probably mortised too deep. The same could be said for the side that mounts to the door. If the mortise is too deep the door would contact the jamb as the door closes.

If the hinges seem to be mortised the correct depth, it could be that the door needs a slight bevel cut (3 degrees or so) on the hinge side of the door so that the back corner of the door does not contact the jamb as the door closes.

If the mortises are too deep, you could try shimming them back out by loosening the jamb-side hinge screws and sticking a few pennies or nickels behind the hinge, but in all liklihood you'll probably have to remove the door from the hinges and take 1/16" to 1/8" off the hinge side of the door, then remount the hinges and test fit it. You'd want to clamp a straight edge onto the door to ensure that this cut is perfectly straight. You'd also want to use a nice skilsaw blade, such as a 40 tooth carbide, and protect the door by taping the foot of the skilsaw to prevent scratching.