Cabinet door falling off or misaligned
easy 15–45 min
Tools: screwdriver (Phillips and Pozidriv), drill, hammer · Materials: wooden toothpicks or golf tees and wood glue, hinge repair plates (metal plates that bridge a stripped hole), replacement hinges of the same type if the old ones are bent
Steps
- Lift the door off by loosening the hinge screws or releasing the clip on modern hinges, and look at the hinge and the holes; a stripped hole is the usual cause.
- Fill a stripped hole with wood glue and toothpicks or a golf tee, tap them in, let it set for an hour, and cut them flush; the screw now has new wood to bite.
- For a hole that has torn out entirely, screw on a hinge repair plate over it and mount the hinge to the plate.
- Rehang the door, then use the hinge's three adjustment screws: the front screw moves the door sideways, the rear one in and out, and the mounting slots up and down.
- Check the door against its neighbour and adjust until the gaps are even and the door closes without bouncing.
- Tighten the screws on every other door while you have the screwdriver out; they loosen together.
Stop and call a pro if
- the cabinet side is split or the particleboard is crumbling around the hinge
- the door is warped so no adjustment brings it flat
- the cabinet is pulling away from the wall — that is a mounting problem behind the box
What a pro does that you can't
A handyman rehangs a door with new hinges or plates in minutes, and a cabinet installer re-secures a box that has come off the wall.
DIY cost: $3–15 in toothpicks, plates or a pair of hinges