How do you fix a warped door?

The fix for a warped door depends on the severity of the warp. If the door has a slight warp, things like shimming the hinges, adjusting the latch or adding a third hinge can rectify the problem. If the warp is too bad for these fixes, it can be straightened using weights, or planed.

Sometimes, simply tightening the hinges on a door can fix a warp. If that does not help, the following should be tried:

• Hinges - try shimming the hinges to adjust the angle of the door. Adding a third hinge between the standard two can also help.
• The stop - adjusting or repositioning the stop can fix warped doors
• Latch and strike plate - if the bow of the door is on the handle or knob side, try adjusting the latch.
• Using weight - if the door is badly warped it might be necessary to take it off its hinges and use weight to straighten it. The easiest way to do this is to use sawhorses to hold the door, and place sandbags on the bowed section until it is straight again. Make sure to protect the bowed section before adding the weight.
• Planing - an alternative for badly warped doors is to plane them. This fix again requires the door to be removed from the hinges.