That stubborn door that needs a hip-check to close properly isn't broken—it's just misaligned. Before you call a carpenter or resign yourself to a lifetime of door wrestling, know that most door problems stem from three simple adjustments that anyone can make with basic tools.

Doors are surprisingly forgiving mechanisms. They're designed to be adjusted as houses settle, seasons change, and hinges wear. Understanding these adjustment points transforms an annoying daily struggle into a satisfying 10-minute fix that makes your home function smoothly again.

Most door alignment issues start at the hinges. When a door rubs at the top or bottom of the frame, the solution often lies in shimming—adding thin material behind the hinges to change the door's angle. A simple business card or piece of cardboard can work wonders here.

Start by identifying where the door sticks. If it rubs at the top on the latch side, the bottom hinge needs shimming. If it drags at the bottom, shim the top hinge. Remove the hinge screws from the frame side (not the door side—that's heavier), slip your shim material behind the hinge leaf, and reinstall. Each layer of cardboard moves the door about 1/32 of an inch, so start thin.

For doors that have sagged over time, you can also try the hinge pin bend trick. Remove the middle hinge pin, place it on concrete with a slight gap under the center, and tap it with a hammer to create a tiny bend. This bend creates upward pressure that can lift a sagging door by 1/8 inch—often all you need to clear that stubborn carpet.

When a door won't latch without lifting or pushing, the strike plate—that metal piece in the frame where the latch goes—needs attention. The latch and strike plate must align perfectly, but house settling often throws this relationship off by just a fraction of an inch.

First, mark where the latch actually hits by rubbing pencil lead on the latch bolt, then closing the door to transfer the mark. If the misalignment is less than 1/8 inch, you can simply file the strike plate opening larger with a metal file. Work slowly and test frequently—you can't put metal back once it's filed away.

For larger misalignments, unscrew the strike plate and reposition it. You'll need to chisel the mortise (the recessed area) to match the new position and fill the old screw holes with wooden toothpicks and wood glue before drilling new pilot holes. This sounds complex but takes just 10 minutes with a sharp chisel. Always chisel away from your body and take shallow passes—better to make five careful cuts than one aggressive mistake.

Wood doors expand and contract with humidity changes—up to 1/4 inch in width during extreme seasonal swings. That door that closes perfectly in winter might stick terribly in humid summer months. Understanding this natural movement prevents unnecessary adjustments that create new problems when seasons change.

During humid months, doors swell and stick. The temptation is to plane or sand the door edge, but this creates gaps when dry weather returns. Instead, first try adjusting the hinges to create more clearance, or wait for drier weather if the sticking is minor. If you must remove material, mark the high spots with pencil and remove the absolute minimum—you can always take more off, but you can't add wood back.

For persistent seasonal problems, focus on controlling indoor humidity rather than constantly adjusting the door. A dehumidifier in summer or humidifier in winter stabilizes wood movement. Also, ensure your door's edges are sealed with paint or finish—bare wood absorbs moisture much faster than sealed surfaces, amplifying seasonal movement.

Door problems feel overwhelming because we use doors constantly—every stick and scrape becomes a daily annoyance. But armed with cardboard shims, a metal file, and an understanding of wood movement, you can diagnose and fix most door issues faster than it takes to find a contractor's phone number.

Start with the simplest adjustment first: shim the hinges, then adjust the strike plate if needed. Save any cutting or sanding as a last resort, especially if you haven't lived through all four seasons with the door. Your future self will thank you when that 'problem' door starts working perfectly on its own.