Creaking
That familiar squeak is usually just friction, often caused by hinges or a frame that's slightly out of alignment.
Not operating smoothly
A door should open and close with barely any effort. If yours needs a solid shove, there's a good chance it wasn't installed quite right in the first place.
Marks on your floor
Scratches or lines on your wooden floor that follow the swing of the door are a telltale sign the bottom edge isn't sitting parallel with the floor.
Dragging on the carpet
Just had new carpet laid? If it's thicker than what was there before, that extra height can be enough to make the door stick or drag as it swings.
Not closing properly
If a door won't close cleanly, pulls open on its own, or grinds against the latch plate, the culprit is often a faulty latch.
Swinging open or closed on its own
A door that drifts shut when left open, or drifts open when left ajar, usually points to a door jamb that's slightly off vertical. That tiny lean is enough to send the hinges, and the door, off balance.
Sticking
A sticking door is doing its best to tell you where the problem is. Step back and take a look at the frame, and you'll often spot the exact spot where things are a little too tight.
Fixing and rehanging doors is trickier than it looks, and there's plenty that can go wrong without the right know-how. Your local carpenter has the tools and experience to sort these issues quickly or let you know if a new door is the more cost-effective option.
