Door Repairs Specialists

verified Professional Service
history Typical Duration 1 Hour
category Service Category Handyman
payments Starting Price From £60

Service Overview

When a door sticks in its frame, has dropped, rattles, will not latch or lets in a draught, we look first at its hinges, its latch and keep, and its edges, and put it right where it hangs. We also fit draught strips and adjust or fit door closers.

A door that catches on a new floor is a different job: that is Door Trimming & Shaving.

We charge £60 an hour for this work, with a one-hour minimum; after the first hour, time is billed in 30-minute blocks. Pick a time that suits you online: a £50 deposit secures your slot and comes off the final bill.

What we usually find

  • Loose hinge screws. The top hinge carries most of the door's weight, and when its screws work loose the door drops and rubs the frame at the top of the latch side.
  • A latch that misses its keep. When the door has moved, the latch no longer meets the plate in the frame, so the door will not stay shut or it rattles. The keep is moved or adjusted to meet it.
  • A door that sticks in damp weather. Bare or worn timber at the edges takes up moisture and swells. It is eased with a plane and the edge sealed again.
  • A closer that slams the door, or will not shut it. An overhead closer has valves that set how fast it swings and how hard it shuts.

The visit, step by step

  1. We open and close the door, and look at where it rubs, how it hangs and how the latch meets the keep.
  2. We tighten or refix the hinges first, since a door that has dropped needs no planing once they hold.
  3. We plane an edge that still rubs, or move the keep, and seal any bare wood we have cut.
  4. We check the door opens, closes and latches without force before we leave.

Before we arrive

  • If it is your flat's front door, ask the building's managing agent first. In most blocks it is a fire door, and the government's guidance asks residents to report its faults and not to tamper with its closer.
  • Add a photo of where the door rubs, or of the gap round it, to your booking.
  • If you have bought draught strips or a closer, keep them in their packets with the instructions.

What is included

  • Tightening, refixing or replacing hinges
  • Easing a door that sticks, and sealing the planed edge
  • Moving or adjusting the latch keep
  • Fitting draught strips and brush seals
  • Fitting or adjusting a door closer

What is not

  • Work on a fire door, including most flats' front doors: its seals, gaps and fittings are for a fire door specialist
  • New locks and handles: that is Lock & Handle Replacement

Questions about door repairs

Why does my door stick only in winter? expand_more
Because the timber takes up moisture in damp weather and swells, then shrinks back when it dries. Easing the edge and sealing it again keeps the damp out of the timber. We plane off only what it needs, or the door will have a gap in summer.
How can I check that my flat's front door closes properly? expand_more
The government's guidance gives a simple test: open the door fully and let it go, then open it to about 15 degrees and let it go. Both times it should close fully into the frame and latch without help.

Deposits, cancelling and paying are on our FAQ page.

Worth doing in the same visit

Door Trimming & Shaving from £60 Lock & Handle Replacement from £60 Painting Touch-Ups from £60

Areas we cover

Ashtead Banstead Cheam Chessington Cobham Dorking Epsom Esher Guildford Kingston upon Thames Leatherhead Molesey New Malden Reigate Richmond Surbiton Sutton Twickenham Walton-on-Thames & Weybridge Wimbledon Worcester Park & Ewell
Zapryan - Owner & Lead Handyman
Your Local Expert

Hi, I'm Zapryan – Owner & Lead Handyman in Surrey

I've been in the construction industry since 2004, and I believe the secret to stress-free renovations is simple: turn up on time, manage the trades properly, and do the job right the first time. I personally survey every project and work alongside our teams on-site until the final checklist is complete. You'll always have a direct line to me, and my personal guarantee that the work is finished to perfection.