Fixing a rattling door
Doors tend to rattle if the doorstop (thin length of beading around the inside of the frame) is badly positioned. It is simple to adjust the doorstop position and cure the problem, but you will need a little bit of filler and touch up paint to create a neat finish.
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1. With the door closed, check to see if there are any gaps between the edge of the doorstop and the face of the door. Lever off any badly fitting sections of doorstop with a chisel. |
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2. Turn the doorstop around and tap out the nails so they can be reused. |
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3. Use a chisel to remove any rough paint edges. Close the door and draw a pencil line from the top to bottom of the frame where the door closes. |
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4. Open the door and reposition the doorstop along the marked line. Gently tap the nails in halfway and check that the door shuts correctly. |
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5. Adjust the doorstop position if required and once you’re happy, knock the nails in flush and if necessary, use a nail punch to knock the heads in below the wood surface. Fill, sand, and repaint as required. |
Before removing any doorstop, you can try adjusting the strike plate slightly. A little movement forward or back may be all that is needed. Also there may be a metal flange on the inside of the plate that can be bent slightly with some pliers to hold the closed door tighter in the frame.
