Door Repair & Adjustment in Madison, WI
Doors in Madison get pushed around by the seasons more than almost anything else in the house. The ground under a foundation freezes deep in winter and thaws in spring, and older houses shift slightly with it, so a door that closed fine in October can rub at the top corner by March. Indoor air swings from bone-dry in January to muggy in July, and wood doors shrink and swell along with it. Add a hundred years of settling in an isthmus bungalow, decades of slamming in a busy household, and the wind that comes across the lakes and open ground, and you get doors that stick, sag, refuse to latch, rattle in their frames or let a stream of cold air across the floor.
We find out why a door misbehaves before we touch it. Often the cause is simple: loose hinge screws stripped in soft wood, a hinge that needs a shim, a strike plate out of line, or weatherstripping that's flattened or torn. We tighten hinges with longer screws into the framing, shim or adjust as needed, move or file strikes, and plane edges only when adjustment can't solve it, sealing any freshly cut wood so it doesn't absorb moisture. For exterior doors, we replace weatherstripping, door sweeps and thresholds to stop drafts, and tune storm doors so their closers and latches work through the winter. We bring a range of common hardware so most fixes are done in one trip.
What this covers
- Sticking, rubbing and sagging door adjustment
- Hinge tightening, shimming and replacement
- Strike plate and latch alignment
- Weatherstripping, door sweeps and thresholds
- Storm and screen door repair and closers
- Lockset, deadbolt and handle replacement
- Sliding patio door roller and track repair
- Interior door slab replacement in existing frames
How a door repair & adjustment visit usually goes
Find the Cause
We watch the door open and close, check the hinges, frame, strike and seals, and look for signs of settling or moisture before deciding on a fix.
Adjust the Hardware
Hinges are tightened with longer screws into the framing, shimmed or replaced, and strikes and latches are aligned so the door closes easily and latches firmly.
Trim and Seal
If adjustment isn't enough, we plane or trim the edge and seal any bare wood, then replace weatherstripping, sweeps or thresholds on exterior doors.
Test Through the Range
We open and close the door, test locks and closers, check the seal against daylight and drafts, and make sure everything works smoothly before we go.
Storm doors deserve a special mention in Madison, since nearly every house has at least one. They take the brunt of winter wind, snow piled against the bottom and kids pushing through in boots, and they tend to fail in predictable ways: closers that slam or won't hold open, latches that won't catch, sagging hinges, torn sweeps and cracked glass or screen panels. We repair or replace closers and latches, re-hang sagging frames, replace sweeps and seals, and swap glass and screen inserts for the seasons if needed. A storm door that closes properly protects the main entry door behind it and helps keep heating bills in check.
What shapes the price in Madison
Door repair cost depends on what's causing the problem and how many doors need work. Tightening hinges and adjusting a strike is quick. Planing and sealing an edge, rebuilding a loose old door, or replacing a damaged frame section takes more time. Exterior doors with new weatherstripping, sweeps and threshold adjustment add materials and fitting, and storm doors with failed closers or bent frames vary by model. Replacing locksets is straightforward unless the old bore doesn't match modern hardware. Fitting a new slab to an old frame is the most involved option. Taking care of every door in the house in one visit saves time and lets us bring the right parts.
Neighbors often ask
Why does my door stick only part of the year?
That's typical in southern Wisconsin. Wood absorbs moisture during humid summers and gives it up in dry winters, and in older houses the frame itself moves a little as the ground freezes and thaws. If a door sticks seasonally, we usually fix it by adjusting the hinges and strike so it fits all year, rather than planing it tight in one season and leaving a gap in the other. Sealing the edges of an old door also slows that swelling.
My front door lets cold air in. Do I need a new door?
Usually not. Most drafts come from worn weatherstripping, a missing or damaged door sweep, a threshold that's out of adjustment or a door that's not closing tight against its stop. We replace the seals, adjust the threshold and strike so the door pulls firmly into the weatherstripping, and check the storm door too. On a cold, windy day the difference is easy to feel, and it often cuts down on the frost that forms around the latch.
Can you fix old doors in a historic house without replacing them?
Yes, and we'd prefer to. Solid wood doors in older Madison houses are often better built than anything you can buy today. We tighten or rebuild loose joints, fill and re-secure stripped hinge screws, adjust the fit, and restore or replace hardware with pieces that suit the house. If a door must be replaced, we can fit a new slab to the existing frame and trim, matching hinge locations and the original swing.
My sliding patio door is hard to open. Can that be fixed?
Usually. Sliding doors drag when the rollers wear out or the track fills with grit, and in winter, ice and salt tracked in from outside make it worse. We clean the track, adjust or replace the rollers, align the door so it glides and seals, and replace worn weatherstripping and the latch if needed. Replacement rollers are available for most brands.
Can you re-key or change locks when we move into a house?
Yes. We replace locksets and deadbolts, install keyed-alike sets so one key fits every exterior door, and set up smart locks if you'd like. It's one of the first jobs we recommend in a new-to-you house, along with checking that every exterior door latches and seals properly before winter.
Folks pair this with
Drywall Repair
Drywall Repair →TV Mounting
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Ceiling Fan Installation →Door Repair & Adjustment around Madison
Door Repair & Adjustment is one of 14 jobs our Madison handyman crew handles, in Madison and in nearby communities:
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