11 Signs You Need Interior Door Repair in Metro Boston

Interior door repair may not be as critically important to your house as maintaining exterior entry doors. In fact, many homeowners in Metro Boston take their interior doors for granted; they don't give them a second thought. But when your interior doors have suffered damage, aren't functioning properly, or clash with the style aesthetic of your home, you can't help but notice how annoying those problems are.

Interior doors provide us with privacy and noise separation, and do a lot to enhance the appeal of your home. If they aren't doing those jobs properly, you need interior door repair services from a qualified Metro Boston handyman.

But what types of issues warrant interior door repair in Metro Boston? This guide lists 12 signs that indicate it is definitely time to seek help from a Metro Boston handyman team like Mr. Handyman of Central - Eastern Norfolk County & South Shore. We have plenty of experience with commercial and residential interior door repair of all varieties, and we can get your interior entries looking as good and functioning as well as they did the day they were installed.

1. Difficult to Open and Close

Do you have to heave and shove to get your interior entry open or closed? That is a clear indication that something's not right and your Metro Boston home needs interior door repair. Your entries should swing smoothly on their hinges, or glide freely on sliding tracks, so you can operate them without effort—not grind against your door or frame, or require you to put both hands on it and push as hard as you can to budge it an inch.

There are several reasons why this problem can occur. Sometimes, especially in older homes, an entry and jamb have been painted over so many times that a buildup of paint interferes with their operation and causes them to grind together. It's also possible that a wood slab has taken on moisture and swelled, causing it to not fit properly in its frame anymore. Other common reasons are either your door wasn't installed correctly from the start, or it has fallen "out of square" over time due to your house shifting and settling.

2. Squeaky Hinges

Screeeeeeeeeeeech... does your entry make an unpleasant squeal or screech whenever you open it? If you live alone, it might just be a minor annoyance. But if you share your home with light sleepers—or babies and toddlers—squeaky hinges might as well be as loud as a blaring alarm clock in the middle of the night. You shouldn't cringe whenever you open an entry or have to inch it open by degrees in hopes it won't make an ugly noise.

Luckily, this is a pretty simple problem with a simple fix. Some lubrication on the hinges may be all that is required for the interior door repair, and it will move silently again. But if they are rusted or corroded, your interior door repair professional will likely need to remove your slab, replace hinges, and rehang it.

3. Broken Latch

When you close your interior entryway, your latch should click into place securely without any extra effort or fuss on your part. But if your latch is broken and jammed in a pushed-in position, that entry isn't going to latch—and if it's jammed in a sticking-out position, you won't even be able to close it all the way. That certainly takes the "private" out of a privacy door and can make for some very awkward moments with your family or roommates. It also means locking your interior entry is not an option, which further compromises your privacy.

The cause could be a latch that has become misaligned and is stuck in one position, or it could be broken tumblers within the latch mechanism. It could also be an issue with the latch-side jamb if your entry or jamb has fallen out of square and the latch isn't properly aligned with the latch hole on your jamb. Your handyman will be able to figure out what is causing the issue and get it repaired or replace the latch itself.

4. Misaligned Sliding Door

When people hear "sliding doors," they think of glass patio entries. There are several types of interior entries that also qualify as sliding, including pocket doors, barn doors, closet doors, and bi-fold doors, which are usually found on linen closets or coat closets. They're very convenient, especially in tight spaces where there isn't necessarily room to have an entry swinging open. But all that convenience goes right out the window when the wheels come off their track, are misaligned, or have suffered some other type of damage that prevents them from sliding open and closing easily.

Interior door repair for this type of issue may involve just taking the sliding part off and then putting it back onto its tracks to align it correctly. But if it has problems such as a bent, broken, or rusted track, or wheels are mangled, rusted into position, or missing altogether, a full replacement is likely the most cost-effective option.

5. Rotten Wood

Wood rot is a very common problem with exterior entryways, but it isn't as likely to be a problem inside your house. That's because wood rot is a form of decay caused by fungi that needs wood to have a moisture content of 20% or higher to begin growing, and of course, the exterior of your house is frequently exposed to water from rain and snow melt. But it isn't unheard of indoors. For example, if you have a beautiful wood entry leading to a poorly ventilated bathroom, it will be repeatedly exposed to excess moisture when steam from your shower condenses on it and seeps into the wood.

Wood rot causes wood to soften and crumble, and there isn't really any way to restore rotted wood to its former condition. That's why interior door repair for this particular issue usually means replacing the entire affected area. Check out our answers to questions homeowners should ask when planning a door installation.

Suppose there are only some small patches of rot. In that case, your Metro Boston handyman can likely repair it by scraping out the rotten parts and filling them with epoxy wood filler, then sanding it down and painting over it. Our team of service professionals is skilled at wood rot repair and can also carry out a wide variety of carpentry projects that add beauty and character to homes.

6. Peeling Paint or Wood Stain

Is the paint or wood stain on your interior entry peeling off in shreds or flaking away in big chunks? This is an unsightly cosmetic problem that lowers the tone of your house since it is a very noticeable sign of deterioration. In this case, the interior door repair solution is to have your handyman remove the slab, strip off the remaining paint or finish, and give it a fresh coat of paint or stain before rehanging it on its hinges.

But if your entry is wood, there is an additional problem that you should take into account. Peeling paint or stain on wood can signify that the timber is taking in moisture—and as we explained above, excess moisture leads to wood rot. When wood absorbs water, it swells, and that swelling can push on paint from behind, causing it to peel. If that's the case, your handyman will also need to eliminate the source of moisture, so you don't have a rotten entry in the near future.

7. Loose, Wobbly Hinges

Your entry should be firmly held on to the jamb by the hinges, not wobbling or shifting around on the jamb whenever it moves. If you have noticed loose, wobbling hinges that don't seem to be firmly attached to the jamb, that's another problem that an interior door repair can solve. Your handyman may be able to take care of hinge repair quickly by tightening up a few loose screws. But, if the hinges have become loose because the jamb or slab is damaged where the screws connect, the hinges may need to be repositioned. If that's the case, it may make more financial sense to replace the whole thing rather than trying to complete interior door repairs.

8. Knob Doesn't Turn

If the knob doesn't turn, no matter how much you try to twist and pull, something is definitely wrong. This problem either prevents a door from latching properly or makes it very difficult to get the entry back open once it has latched. The issue may be a broken locking mechanism that keeps the knob permanently locked, or it could be that something is preventing it from turning like a buildup of paint. There may be a simple way to spring the lock open and get it back in full working order, but if not, the whole knob will need replacement.

9. Impact or Pet Damage

Has your interior entryway suffered impact damage from something like a careless furniture mover or ill-timed amateur karate move? Or, maybe you have a naughty or anxious pet that has gouged a hole in your door by scratching away at it. Minor problems such as scuffs or small chips can probably be solved with interior door repair by sanding them down and repainting. But if there is an actual hole or crack in the structure, it will probably be less expensive to get a new slab installed than try to have your handyman repair the old, severely damaged one.

10. Misaligned French Doors

Many homes feature a lovely set of French or double doors leading into rooms, such as the master bedroom or study. Instead of latching on to the jamb, one of the doors latches to the other when they are closed. At least, that's what is supposed to happen. But if the doors are not correctly aligned with each other, the latching mechanism isn't aligned either, and they can't close properly. Instead of the elegant, attractive style they are meant to exude, they just look busted and don't function how they should.

The misalignment may be caused by your house settling over time, which is normal, particularly in older houses. It could also be that they were not installed correctly or there is an issue with the hinges on one side. Whatever the problem, our handyman service professionals can get the doors rehung with the proper alignment, so they meet in the middle as intended and the latch closed.

11. Outdated Appearance

Maybe there is nothing technically wrong with the function of your interior entry, but you just don't like the way it looks. It could be the wrong color or a style that doesn't mesh well with the rest of your décor. Maybe it used to look great, but then you got a remodel, and now it clashes with the room. Or, maybe you don't like its appearance and never did.

When appearance is the main problem, interior door repair could involve giving the door a fresh coat of paint in a color that is better suited to the rest of your Metro Boston home. But if you don't like the style of the entry itself, you are probably better off having your handyman put in a brand-new one that perfectly matches your design vision.

Call Your Local Handyman for Interior Door Repair in Metro Boston!

Whether you are in Quincy, Milton, or another nearby community, you can trust the interior door repair professionals at Mr. Handyman of Central - Eastern Norfolk County & South Shore for expert workmanship and outstanding customer care. We also offer all-in-one installation service for exterior and interior doors, along with dozens of other dependable handyman services.

Pick up the phone and get in touch with us at 508-465-2092 to schedule a convenient appointment time or chat with our knowledgeable customer service staff about other ways we can help with home repairs.