Engineering and fabrication

How do you correct a steel door Which is rubbing at the top of the door jamb?

I am a home remodeler with little experience with steel doors. This will be on a quiz for a new job. Please address what you do with a steel jamb.

Public Comments

1. You don't do anything with a steel jamb as it is set in block or concrete. If the steel door is rubbing at the top of the jamb on the latch side, try insetting the lower hinge a little.If this doesn't work, the steel frame was installed out of square and requires a qualified person to reset it.


2. Check the door hinges are not excessively worn, this will cause the door to drop/move and cause rubbing.


3. shim up the bottom edge of the frame or grind off some on top, of the door


4. Shim it.

   Loosen (partially unscrew) the top two hinges, or all if you must, until you have the right clearance, place steel shims over the screws (behind the hinge(s)) to balance and seal (close) the door and re-tighten.

   NEVER grind a steel door down. Shims are the easy, inexpensive, and safest alternative.



5. Steel frames/doors can and often do need adjustments. People are hard on doors. They put a wedge under the door to keep it open sometimes, kids hang on the doorknobs, lots of things.

   Take off the bottom hinge from the frame, leave it on the door and leave the door up. Now take a drill bit and drill a hole through the frame inside this hinge pocket - insert a 2" drywall screw or trim head screw and tighten it up so it sucks the bottom of the frame back a little.

   Check door and keep adjusting screw until door shuts ok.

   We call this *tweaking*.

   Not all metal doors are grouted in place, There are drywall frames,welded frames,knocked down frames,masonry frames with special clips that are set in the mortar joints of the block and then slushed or grouted in with grout through a hole in the top of the frame.

   Some frames are dimpled to be installed in a wood frame exterior wall.

   Large metal door companies are *Ceco*Republic*.

   These doors and frames are actually called *Hollow metal doors and frames* in the commercial construction trades.