Door balancing: A seldom-asked question when buying a home

Q: I read somewhere that when getting a home ready for sale, a person should balance any doors that won't stay open. How does one balance the doors? When I contacted a handyman and asked if he would give me a price to balance three doors, he didn't seem to know what I was talking about. Please help. -- Edna and Jim, via e-mail

A: 'Balance' probably means shimming up the doors so that they hang straight on their hinges, allowing them to open and close freely. But that doesn't guarantee that the door won't swing shut on its own. Houses sometimes settle onto their foundations at a very slight angle, just enough that doors opposite that angle will slowly swing shut on their own.

A balanced door is a nice touch, but personally, as a home buyer, a door that swings shut by itself is not one of the "big things" I would look for. I would be more interested in how well-cared for the interior and exterior look, and if the house is right for my needs, because I can fix a poorly hung door anytime.

If you must have balanced doors, though, you can adjust their angle by a few degrees using shims. A shim is just a thin piece of wood or cardboard inserted behind one or both hinge plates in the doorframe. The difference in thickness repositions the hinge angle just slightly to either lift or lower one corner of the door.

To match the angle of the door to the angle of the house, use a level (a straight measuring tool with bubble indicators, ideally for both vertical and horizontal measurements). Mark the bubble's balance point on both the wall next to the doorframe, and on the hinge end of the door itself.

Using a helper, unscrew the hinge plates from the frame and insert a shim (trimmed the same size as the hinge) in either the top or bottom inset, depending on whether the door's angle needs to go up or down. Screw the plates back on (the screws will go through the shim material) and check the level again.

Balancing a door to match the angle of the house this way will take several attempts, which is why I'm not sure it's worth the time spent. But if it's worth it to you, that's what is important.

HOME TIP: To remove paint or grime from door hinges or window handles, remove the parts and place in an old saucepan filled with four tablespoons of baking soda to one quart water. Heat until the water reaches a simmer, then turn off and let the hardware soak for 20 minutes. Remove and scrub with a soft brush.

Send questions or homerepair tips to homeguru2000@ hotmail.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

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