Door and Door Hardware Maintenance Tips:

Keep the surface of the door and hardware dust free by dusting off loose dirt. Vacuum the door casing, jam, threshold and any tracks. Clean the door and hardware often with a lint free cloth, mild soap (like a dish soap) and warm water. Rinse with a separate cloth or sponge soaked in warm water that is squeezed out so it is not dripping. Wipe dry with a separate cloth. Glass doors can be cleaned with class cleaner or a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar and a lint free cloth or newspaper. Rinse and wipe dry. Clean and clear any weep holes in the bottom track of a sliding door.

Annually lubricate hinges, lock sets, latches and dead bolts with white lithium spray grease and tighten screws. As an alternative graphite can be used to lubricate the lock set, latch and dead bolt. Rubbing a pencil on the key and inserting it into the lock then turning it a couple of times. Rub a pencil on the dead bolt or latch as well. If a hinge loosens between scheduled maintenance it is useful to tighten all the door screws and hardware as well.

If a door rubs against the floor covering and/or is sagging try tightening the hinge screws. If this does not help replace the center screw in the upper hinge with a longer 2 ½ inch screw.

If a door does not close tightly usually the door stop or strike plate (metal plate where the door latch goes into the door frame) is loose. Securing the door stop or tightening the strike plate should help.

If the door is not latching properly. The strike plate may need to be adjusted.

The door sweeps at the bottom of the door and weather stripping around the door stops on exterior doors should be inspected twice a year. Replace, secure or adjust as needed.

Adjust the clearance on a sliding glass door that is dragging by taking off the weight with a shim and inserting a screwdriver into the access hole to adjust rollers to the proper height (clockwise raises). Sliding screen doors may have adjusting screws on all four corners. The lock strike may need to be adjusted after adjusting the rollers. If the door will not latch loosen the strike screws and adjust the height of the strike (up or down).