and to open at the top. When inspecting these doors, you should check the following:

The jamb opening to ensure that the hinge and lock sides are plumb and parallel.

The doorhead to ensure that it is level.

The anchorage of the jamb and the hinges.

The lock face plates for projection beyond the face of the door.

Settling of the foundation or shrinkage and deflection of framing members often causes trouble at door openings. When the greatest settlement is on the hinge side of a door, the door will tend to become floor bound at the lock side. When settlement is greatest on the lock side, the door will bind at the head jamb. As a result, the bolt in the lock will not be in alignment with the strike plate, making it impossible to lock the door securely. Vertical settlement and horizontal deflection will cause the jamb opening to become out of square.

On most wood doors the simple correction is to plane as required at either the top or bottom for proper clearance. When the door itself has shrunk or is warped, swollen, or sagged, the procedures for corrective action are as follows:

1. When a door shrinks, remove the hinge leaves and install a filler (cardboard or metal shim) at the outer edge of the jamb and hinge mortise. This forces the door closer to the jamb at the lock edge; and if the hinge pins do not bend, the door should then operate satisfactorily. Each hinge should be shimmed equally to prevent the door from becoming hinge bound. When the door has swelled, place shims in the inner edge of the hinge mortise, as shown in figure 7-6.

2. Restore a warped door to its normal shape by removing it and laying it flat. Weighing it down may also be necessary. If it is still warped after a reasonable length of time, battens can be screwed to the door to restore it to true plane. Screw eyes, rods, and turnbuckles help straighten a door by gradually pulling it into place.

3. Install a diagonal batten brace from the top of the lock side to the bottom of the hinge side to repair a sagging door permanently. The diagonal brace must cover the joint between the rail and the stile and be securely fastened to both members, at the top and bottom, and other intermediate rail members. Temporary repair can be made by installing a wire stay brace equipped with turnbuckles and placed diagonally in the reverse direction from a batten brace.

4. Doors or door members may require rebuilding because of neglect or abuse. Remove the door to a flat surface and replace the damaged member. Carpenter's clamps assist in holding door members square while nails or screws are driven.

5. Trim the door when the preceding methods fail to correct the trouble. However, do not cut the doors immediately following rain or damp weather. When the door is dry, it may fit too loosely.

Failures in PANEL DOORS are similar to those in large wood doors. In addition, panel doors are subject

Figure 7-6. - Hinge adjustment for binding or sticking doors.