How to Adjust a Door Jamb

Door jambs may need to be adjusted for a number of reasons. A wall may have settled over time; the jamb may have not been securely held in place with fasteners; or it may have been installed incorrectly in the first place. You can adjust the jamb yourself, using a hammer and wood shims. Wood shims help the jamb stay in place by raising it off of the floor.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wood shims
• Hammer

1. Determine where the door is binding with the jamb. There should be an even spacing around the entire door.

2. Decide what side adjustments are to be made to the door jamb; the adjustment needs to be made on the side that the binding of the jamb is occurring.

3. Once you have determined which side of the door jamb needs adjusting, slide wood shims under it to adjust the height of the jamb.

4. Tap the back end of the wood shims with a hammer so that the jamb is forced to rise. Tap each shim equally so that they overlap under the jamb.

5. After the proper adjustments have been made to the door jamb, cut or break off any exposed shim by using a hand saw or by scribing the shim with a utility knife and breaking it by hand.

Tips & Warnings

• For large adjustments, you may need to remove the trim and jamb nails from the side that is being adjusted using a flat prying tool and a hammer. Once the adjustments are made, replace the trim and nails.

References

• Door Adjustment Tips