Things You'll Need:
- Screwdriver White household glue Wooden match stick or toothpick Hammer Pliers Vice 16-penny nail New hinge
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Step 1
Inspect the screws first. The screws on the frame or door that attach the hinge may just need tightening. Most are Phillips screws.
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Step 2
Check to see if there's a stripped screw bed. A quick fix is to remove the hinge, squirt some white household glue into the hole. Use a wooden match or broken wooden toothpick and insert it into the hole. Allow it to dry and cut the match even with the wood. Put the hinge back on and put in the screws. You created a new wood path so the screws stay tightened.
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Step 3
Turn your attention to the hinge pin if the screws are OK. The little cylinders are knuckles and the wide part of the hinge that attaches to the door and frame are the hinge leaves. When the screw is loose, the leaves jiggle. Lift the door by the handles and push. If the leaves stay in place but the knuckles move or don't line up properly, you have a problem with the hinge pin or knuckles.
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Step 4
See if the hinge pin is all the way in the knuckles. If it isn't, tap it down lightly with a hammer until the top is flush with the top of the knuckles. Sometimes hinge repair is this simple.
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Step 5
Pull the hinge pin if it looks like you need to straighten it. You may need to use pliers to do this. Take the pin out of the knuckles and straighten it out. If the pin is OK but the knuckles look bent or misaligned, remove the hinge from the frame and door, clamp them in a vice and use pliers to bend them into proper alignment.
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Step 6
Hunt for the hinge pin--if you don't see it, you've found the problem. If you notice a hinge pin missing in action, solve the problem temporarily with a 16-penny nail as a substitute.
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Step 7
Sometimes the pin and knuckles simply wear out and need replacing. If the pin is all the way in, not bent, the knuckles are straight, and the knuckles still move when you lift and push the door, you need a new hinge.
