That cheap door level trick nobody tells you about

I was fighting a set of elevator doors in a 1980s building in Denver last month. The header was sagging just enough to make the doors drag on the sill. I tried shimming the track and adjusting the hangers for two hours but nothing worked. Then an old timer I was working with told me to try a cheap laser level from Harbor Freight. I set it up on the sill and shot a line across the header. Turns out the whole frame was twisted by about a quarter inch. I just loosened the tie bolts and gave the header a solid whack with a deadblow hammer. Doors closed smooth after that. Has anyone else fixed a door bind issue with just a laser and a hammer instead of tearing everything apart?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

riverp375mo ago

My buddy fixed a stuck door in his garage with a laser and a hammer after fighting it for an hour.

5

anthony_fox905mo ago

Ngl riverp37, a garage door is way less complex than elevator doors so the fix isn't really the same.

4