Door hinge adjustments.
Fix sagging, sticking, and misaligned doors.
Is your door scraping along the floor, letting in draughts around the edges, or refusing to close unless you give it a hard shove? These usually aren't signs that something's broken with the door or lock - more often, it means the hinges have become misaligned.
Aside from being frustrating, misaligned hinges can cause deeper problems over time:
Dragging or sticking accelerates wear on the frame, hinges, and locking mechanism, leading to more serious (and more expensive) repairs
Gaps around a misaligned door let in draughts and let out heat, which can push up your energy bills over time
A door that's not sitting correctly in its frame may mean the locking bolts aren't fully engaging with the keeps, leaving your home more vulnerable than it looks
Luckily, these issues can often be fixed quickly with a professional hinge adjustment or realignment. This can save you from replacing the door or lock and help prevent a more expensive repair further down the line.
At Safe House Locksmiths, we provide professional door hinge adjustments across much of Southern England. We work with timber, composite and uPVC doors, and have the tools and experience to assess and adjust most standard hinge types on the spot, meaning most jobs can be sorted in a single visit. If we find that a hinge is worn or damaged beyond adjustment, we’ll explain your options for repair or replacement and get your door working as it should in no time.
Whatever the issue with your door, we're here to help. Book your hinge adjustment online or call us on 07857 386456 today.
Expert door frame and hinge adjustments.
Adjustments for every hinge type
We work with standard butt hinges, flag hinges, and the adjustable hinges commonly found on uPVC and composite doors. Whatever's fitted to your door, we'll know how to assess and adjust it properly.
Most jobs completed in one visit
Hinge adjustments are usually a quick, straightforward fix. In most cases, we can identify the issue and make the necessary adjustments during our first visit, with no need to order parts or come back another day.
Adjusted, tested, and checked for security
We don't just adjust the hinge and leave. We test the door thoroughly afterwards, checking that it opens, closes, and locks properly, and that your home's security hasn't been compromised in any way.
What happens during a hinge adjustment visit?
Here's the process we typically follow, step by step:
When you get in touch, we'll ask a few quick questions about the problem you're experiencing - whether the door's sticking, sagging, draughty, or not locking properly - so we know what to expect before we arrive.
We'll arrive at the agreed time and take a close look at the door, the frame, and the hinges to work out exactly what's causing the issue. In most cases, this comes down to one or more hinges needing to be adjusted - vertically, horizontally, or in terms of compression - to bring the door back into proper alignment.
We'll make the necessary adjustments using the correct tools for your hinge type, checking the door's fit against the frame as we go.
Once the door is sitting correctly, we'll test it thoroughly - opening, closing, and locking it several times - to make sure everything's working smoothly and securely.
If we find that a hinge is too worn, damaged, or rusted to adjust effectively, we'll explain your options for repair or replacement before doing any further work.
Trust us to get your doors working smoothly again.
Ready to get started? Book your hinge adjustment online or call us on 07857 386456 today.
Door hinge adjustment FAQs.
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Here are some of the signs your door hinges may need adjusting:
Your door scrapes or catches on the frame or floor when opening or closing
The door doesn't sit flush, leaving visible gaps around the edges
You're getting noticeable draughts or heat loss around the door
The lock or multi-point locking system won't engage smoothly, or needs to be lifted or forced
The door has started to swing open or shut on its own
You can hear creaking, grinding, or squeaking when the door moves
The door looks like it's dropped or sagged on one side
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Common causes include the sheer weight of the door pulling on its hinges over time, screws working loose in the frame, timber swelling or contracting with seasonal changes in humidity, general wear on the hinge mechanism itself, or a frame that's shifted slightly as the property has settled. Heavy composite and uPVC doors are particularly prone to this, simply because there's more weight for the hinges to support day in, day out.
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In some cases, yes. If your door has dropped slightly or shifted out of alignment, the locking bolts may no longer line up properly with the keeps in the frame, making the lock difficult or impossible to engage. Adjusting the hinges can bring the door back into the right position and solve the problem without any work being needed on the lock itself.
That said, hinges aren't always the cause. The lock itself may be faulty, especially if it's old or has been damaged, and it may need to be repaired or replaced. It can be difficult to tell whether the problem is with the hinges or the lock, so if you're not sure, we're happy to take a look, identify what's causing the issue, and let you know what needs to be done.
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We work with most hinge types found on domestic doors, including:
Standard butt hinges (timber doors)
Flag hinges
Adjustable hinges on uPVC and composite doors
Multi-point locking system hinges
Rising butt hinges
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Yes, this is a common sign that a door isn't hanging level, usually due to a hinge issue. We can assess the hinges, check the door's alignment, and make the adjustments needed to stop it swinging on its own.
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We provide door hinge adjustment services across a wide area of Southern England, including Southampton, Portsmouth, Chichester, Worthing, Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne, and surrounding towns and villages. We also cover many locations across Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, and East Sussex. You can check your exact area by viewing our service map.