Door drags on the floor – what to do?
Difficulty: Medium · Time: approx. 30 minutes
First a faint scratching, then one day the door leaves a visible track across your wooden floor or carpet: a dragging door is annoying – and over time it ruins the floor. The good news: you can usually fix it without a carpenter.
The key is to find the cause first. Either the door has sagged in its hinges over the years – or a new, thicker floor covering has literally taken away its clearance. Depending on the answer, one of three routes leads to the goal.
What you'll need
- Set of Allen keys (for adjustable door hinges)
- Hinge washers (small spacer rings for the hinge pins)
- A second person to help lift the door off
- Pencil and a marking gauge for scribing the cut line
- Sanding block with sandpaper
- Hand plane or a saw with a guide rail (for more than about 5 mm)
- Masking tape to prevent frayed edges
Step by step
- 1
Find the cause
Look at where the door drags and since when. If it only started after a new floor went in, the door is simply missing clearance underneath – then steps 4 and 5 are your route. If the dragging crept in over months, the door has sagged in its hinges – then continue with step 2 or 3.
- 2
Adjust the hinges (option A)
Modern door hinges have small hex socket screws for adjustment, often hidden under a cover cap. Turn the height screw with an Allen key in small increments and check after every quarter turn whether the door swings freely again. This lifts the door by a few millimetres without taking it off.
- 3
Add hinge washers (option B)
Classic steel hinges without adjustment screws are evened out with hinge washers. To do that, take the door off: open it slightly and lift it straight up with two people. Slip a washer onto each hinge pin and rehang the door – every ring raises it a little.
- 4
Mark the door for trimming (option C)
If the new floor is the culprit, first mark how much has to go: run a marking gauge – or a pencil resting on a flat block – along the floor and transfer the line onto the door leaf. Add a few millimetres of clearance so the door also swings freely over carpet and thresholds.
- 5
Sand or saw it down
Take the door off and lay it on a stable, padded surface. A few millimetres come off with a sanding block and sandpaper; for more than about 5 mm, use a plane or a saw with a guide rail. Tape the edge with masking tape first so the surface doesn't fray. If that feels like too much, hand this part to a carpenter.
- 6
Rehang and test the swing
Hang the door back in and swing it once through its full range – including over carpet edges and transition strips. If nothing drags any more and the lock closes cleanly, the job is done.
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Upload a photo →Frequently asked questions
- How do I tell if the door sagged or the floor is too high?
- Look at the gaps: if the gap around the door has become uneven – wider at the top on the lock side, tighter at the bottom – the door has sagged. If it only drags since a new floor or a thicker mat went in, it's simply missing clearance underneath.
- What are hinge washers and where do I get them?
- Hinge washers are small metal rings you slip onto the pins of the door hinges – the door then sits a little higher. Every hardware store sells them for a few cents. Important: pick a diameter that matches the hinge pin, and measure first if in doubt.
- How much can I saw off a door?
- A few millimetres are almost always fine and can be handled by sanding. For noticeably more, you'll work with a plane or saw – and lightweight hollow-core doors only have a limited strip of solid wood at the bottom. If a lot has to go, better ask a carpenter.