Door won't latch unless I lift up on bottom front. Can't quite see if it's a latch or a hinge problem. Seems like it is sagging but can't see any problem with the hinges. Suggestions?
Hearthstone Homestead Door Won't Close Properly
- Thread starter bcnu
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Check to see if you have the bushings on the hinge blocks.
They are basically small washers used to level the door & protect the paint on the door & frame.
The blocks are the cast features on the door frame with the holes for the hinge pins.
There should be two bushings, one on the top & one on the bottom.
If the door is sagging, the lower one may be missing.
If you still have one on the top & not the bottom, try moving it to the lower hinge block.
Put a level on the top of the door when it's closed, then check it when it's open.
That will give you an idea of what the sag is & what size bushing is needed...
They are basically small washers used to level the door & protect the paint on the door & frame.
The blocks are the cast features on the door frame with the holes for the hinge pins.
There should be two bushings, one on the top & one on the bottom.
If the door is sagging, the lower one may be missing.
If you still have one on the top & not the bottom, try moving it to the lower hinge block.
Put a level on the top of the door when it's closed, then check it when it's open.
That will give you an idea of what the sag is & what size bushing is needed...
Yeah, I never noticed those washers until I took the door off the hinges to clean the glass. I saw it on the floor and wondered what it was from until I put the door back on and saw the second one in place.
If the door did close fine before, seems that washer would be the issue, or you have a cracked hinge block which has moved a little. Unless somehow the door frame, itself has shifted somehow. Owing to some construction inaccuracies I saw in the two Homesteads I purchased, I would not be surprised.
If the door did close fine before, seems that washer would be the issue, or you have a cracked hinge block which has moved a little. Unless somehow the door frame, itself has shifted somehow. Owing to some construction inaccuracies I saw in the two Homesteads I purchased, I would not be surprised.
Thanks for the ideas.
1. Have never had the door off
2. had problem last year with door closing but resolved it by working on door handle.
Latch hits below the opening now so handle adjustment doesn't seem to be it.
2. bushings are tight - no damage or problem there
4. I only see one washer on each door - they are in the middle. Doesn't look like it's
designed for a bottom washer as the hinge pin doesn't extend thru bottom of bushing
5. top hinge works fine( no washer on the top of the bushing - only middle)
6 I open the door a ways and it has some slop in it. I can take the handle and rock the door
up and down some (from handle toward hinges).
Could I have caused the slop when trying to lift up on door to get it to latch? Doesn't seem like I could put that much pressure on the hinges but maybe so. Also. it does look like the washer on the bottom hinge has a sligh gap betewen it and the pin whereas you don't see that on the top washer(however, it may have always been like that for the past two years)
1. Have never had the door off
2. had problem last year with door closing but resolved it by working on door handle.
Latch hits below the opening now so handle adjustment doesn't seem to be it.
2. bushings are tight - no damage or problem there
4. I only see one washer on each door - they are in the middle. Doesn't look like it's
designed for a bottom washer as the hinge pin doesn't extend thru bottom of bushing
5. top hinge works fine( no washer on the top of the bushing - only middle)
6 I open the door a ways and it has some slop in it. I can take the handle and rock the door
up and down some (from handle toward hinges).
Could I have caused the slop when trying to lift up on door to get it to latch? Doesn't seem like I could put that much pressure on the hinges but maybe so. Also. it does look like the washer on the bottom hinge has a sligh gap betewen it and the pin whereas you don't see that on the top washer(however, it may have always been like that for the past two years)
Has the door always been sloppy on the hinges? It sounds like the fit of the door to the hinge blocks is not very good to begin with. It's unlikely you can cause the play in the hinges by lifting up on the door a little just to close it. It's cast iron. Unlikely you could do that with a regular house door metal hinge on wood.
Had a door problem last year - the door latch would not fully engage on the stove side - off a little. Seemed to have fixed that by loosening set screw in handle and adjusting. Stove is 3 years old and that is the only door problem - until this one came along about 6 weeks ago. I agree that a house door wouldn't do what my stove door is doing.
Just looked at the door and all the blocks, pins, welding ect. looks fine. I lifted up on the door and(surprize to me) it came right out of the blocks. Guess that's the way it works - like a house door - no nut or anything on bottom holding it tight.
Just looked at the door and all the blocks, pins, welding ect. looks fine. I lifted up on the door and(surprize to me) it came right out of the blocks. Guess that's the way it works - like a house door - no nut or anything on bottom holding it tight.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
My front door on the heritage has slop in it. Meaning I can lift up on the latch side and get some clockwise play in it. I can't imagine a perfect design that would prevent this type of slop. Do the hinge pins themselves wear out which would slowly allow the door to sag more and more? I have seen this on an old Lopi. Maybe try swapping the pins from top to bottom.
I don't see those little washers as making any difference at all in the sloppiness of a door hinge. All they can possibly do is raise the whole door up off the hinges a bit.
I don't see those little washers as making any difference at all in the sloppiness of a door hinge. All they can possibly do is raise the whole door up off the hinges a bit.
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