Door and cabinet adjustments in Chattanooga
We fix doors that stick, rub or will not latch, plus cabinet doors and drawers that sag, gap or slam.
$59 for one hour of small fixes and a full-home checklist with photos.
- Insured
- Uniformed local crew
- Photo report after every visit
- Upfront pricing
A door that sticks every July or a cabinet that hangs crooked is not a big problem. It is just one you deal with many times a day. Most of these issues come from loose screws, worn hinges, a strike plate that is a little off, or wood that swelled in the summer air.
Our crew adjusts and repairs interior doors, closet doors, cabinet doors and drawers in homes around Chattanooga, Signal Mountain, East Brainerd and the Georgia side of the state line. We tighten and reset hinges, move strike plates, fix sliding closet doors, and tune cabinet hinges so doors line up. When a door needs a light planing or sanding to clear the frame, we can do that too. It is the kind of small job that is easy to put off and often quick to fix.
Signs a door or cabinet needs adjusting
- A door that rubs the frame or sticks in humid weather
- A latch that will not catch without a hard push
- An uneven gap along the top of a door
- Cabinet doors that sit crooked or bump each other
- Drawers that stick, sag or will not close all the way
- Hinge screws that spin and will not tighten
What we adjust and repair
- Tighten hinges and use longer screws into the frame when needed
- Fill stripped screw holes so screws hold again
- Move or file strike plates so doors latch
- Plane or sand a door edge that rubs, then seal the bare wood
- Adjust cabinet hinges so doors close evenly
- Realign drawer slides and replace worn hardware
- Tune sliding and bifold closet doors
Why doors stick here, and why it gets worse
Wood takes in moisture from the air and swells a little, then shrinks when the air dries. Chattanooga summers are long and humid, so it is common for doors to stick in the warm months and loosen up again in winter. Sealing every edge of a wood door, including the top and bottom, can help slow that change.
Living with a sticking door usually means people slam it or yank it, and that loosens the hinges even more. Over time the screws strip, the frame can split, or the latch stops working. Cabinets follow the same pattern. A sagging door puts extra strain on one hinge until it fails. A small adjustment now is often all it takes to keep a door or drawer working smoothly for a long time.
The Summer Tune-Up starts with doors and cabinets that stick in the humidity, and the Winter Inside List includes cabinet hinges and hardware. That gives members two chances a year to catch these before they get worse, which is one of the perks of a handyman membership. New hardware is billed as materials. If one door is driving you crazy today, book the $59 Fix-It Hour.
Door and cabinet adjustments questions
Why does my door only stick in the summer?
Most likely the wood is taking in moisture from humid air and swelling just enough to rub the frame. When the air dries out in cooler months, it shrinks back. Shaving the door is not always the first step, because tightening the hinges often fixes it. If we do plane an edge, we seal it so it takes in less moisture.
Can you fix cabinet doors that do not line up?
Usually, yes. Many modern cabinet hinges have small screws that move the door up, down, in and out. A few turns can close a gap or stop a door from hitting its neighbor. Older hinges may need new screws, filled holes or a replacement hinge. Any new parts are billed as materials.
Do you work on outside doors too?
Yes. We can adjust exterior doors that stick or will not latch, and line up a strike plate so a deadbolt slides in easily. We also replace weatherstripping and door sweeps. We do not do any electrical work, so wiring for doorbells or lights near the door is outside what we do.
Often on the same list
Add door and cabinet adjustments to your list.
Tell us what needs doing when you book. Your tech starts on it during your Fix-It Hour and adds anything else to your home checklist.
Book your $59 Fix-It Hour
