Is your door out of whack? Try these tips to fix it

What do you do when a door won't close easily or gets stuck? There are a couple of things you can do to deal with this issue besides get a bodybuilder to help.

First, you need to determine where the problem is. Use a square to check the door frame first. If the door frame is out of square, then you need to try to straighten it. See if a few taps with a rubber mallet can push the jamb into place. If that doesn't do it, remove the trim and see if you might be able to rearrange the shims to straighten it out.

If you still have problems and feel like the door frame is reasonably straight, the hinges usually are the next culprit. With the door closed, take a look at the space around the door to see if it is even between the door and jamb. If it appears that the top is farther away from the hinge than the bottom, then you can tighten the screws on the top hinge to bring the door into line. You may have to loosen the screws on the bottom hinge in order to tighten the top screws more. If the door slants the other way, then tighten the screws on the bottom hinge first.

Another problem that can occur is a door that is swelling. Of course, this can only happen with a wooden door. If it isn't sealed around the edges, then moisture can get in and cause the wood to swell. If this happens, your best bet is to take the door down, sand or shave off the bulging area and prime and paint the wood to seal it back up. Then you can rehang the door.

Storage between the studsGarage space usually is at a premium for most of us, and squeezing a few more tools in, like shovels and rakes, is asking a lot. Most are relegated to a shed, or even left outside. But if you have exposed studs, then you can place pieces of PVC pipe across the face of the studs, up about 4 feet off the ground, to store some of these long-handled tools. To attach them horizontally, cut the ends off at an angle. Then pre-drill holes through the pipe and into the studs, and permanently attach the pipe to the studs with screws. You can use short pieces and just fill one cavity between studs, or make the pipe longer and fill two or three cavities.Tape trickWhen installing a doorknob or doing some other project where a screw must be installed horizontally, a magnetic screwdriver is a must. If you don't have one, you are going to have trouble - that is, unless you try our secret tip. Just get a small piece of masking tape, about 1 inch long, and poke the point of the screw through the tape, sticky side first. Now you can place the screwdriver on the head of the screw, bring the sides of the tape up and stick them to the sides of the screwdriver shaft, and the screw will be held in position while you turn it into place. Just pull the tape off when you are finished, or at least have the screw started.Super hintsbull; Save those wood scraps and shavings from hardwoods like oak and pecan, and use them in your smoker for added flavor the next time you are cooking outdoors.bull; If you are looking for a really creative wall border, chair rail or embellishment for floor or ceiling trim, check out your fabric store. You can glue braid, fabric trim or even cord of some type along the wall. It comes in just about any color and design, and could really jazz up the place.bull; Magnetic clips we commonly use in our offices are super in the shop, too. Hold receipts, instructions and other paper right on your tool cabinet, toolbox, water heater or any number of other metal surfaces.Q. My wife and I are new homeowners. We know we will have to do some home repairs but don't know where to begin. What would you suggest?A. You can go to our website and print a list of what we consider to be basic tools for every homeowner. You also might buy a basic home-repair book to keep on hand. Some of the larger home centers have free classes on weekends to help you learn how to make some improvements around your home. Just be brave, and have fun!Q. My washing machine is trying to escape from the laundry room! Not really, but it does wobble around a lot. Every time I do a load, I have to push it back into place before I close the door. What can I do to stabilize it?A. It sounds like it's just out of balance and needs to be leveled. Use a bubble level in all directions to determine where the low and high spots are, and then adjust the front legs by turning them in or out to raise or lower the washing machine. That should fix the problem, and your washing machine will stay home.Q. Our picnic table was stained once, but most of the stain has worn off. Unfortunately, the stain has worn unevenly. We aren't sure how to apply new stain so that it will look even. What do you recommend?A. The stain is going to penetrate more in the worn areas and less in the stained spots, so if you use the same color, you should get good results. Practice on the side or end just to test this on your table.Q. The brass knobs on my china cabinet are dingy, and I would like to clean them. What would work best?A. Brass cleaner is easy to use and is available at most hardware stores. If your knobs have a clear coating on them, use a paint stripper first to get that off, then use brass polish. Apply another clear coat of polyurethane once the brass is clean. This will keep it shiny and new-looking.Reader tipsbull; I sprayed WD-40 on my bathroom counter before painting the room. I thought it would help protect the counter from dripped paint, and it did. I accidentally dripped a couple of times myself, and my wife helped drip some more. The WD-40 kept the paint from sticking. All we had to do after we discovered our mistakes was wipe them off with a rag. Then we cleaned the counter completely once we had finished painting. That WD-40 really is amazing stuff.bull; I hope my son never has a breakdown in his truck, but since he's off to college now, I packed a small box with some things like radiator tape, Fix-A-Flat and a few tools. I also included some reflective tape. I told him to put it on his truck, the road or even himself if he ever has to change a tire on the shoulder of the road. Reflective tape is inexpensive and really does alert drivers that you are there.bull; We ended up with several large plastic storage boxes in our garage without any lids. I don't know what you are supposed to do with the ones that don't have lids, but I got to thinking about how they could still be used. I decided to hang them on my garage wall and use them to store sports equipment in. They are up off the floor, and the kids are using them to store their balls, helmets and other equipment. They can hold everything the boys have, and probably some more.bull; My daughters had the bright idea to paint their bathroom. They wanted to put stripes on the walls, so I made them some smaller paint rollers. I cut a large roller in half and let each of them have half to put on their roller handles. They each had a different color of paint, too. Each rolled her color on the wall in a striped pattern, and it looks kind of neat. At least, they like it, and that's what really matters to me.bull; I don't have a workshop or many tools, but I do have a ladder. I have used it several times and am very glad I bought it. I even have used it as my workbench. I opened it up and laid it down on the ground on its side, and placed a sheet of plywood over the top of the legs. I had to bend over to use it, but it was a suitable workbench for the project I was doing.Shop talkbull; There's a new automobile jack in town, and it's really cool. The Titan Exhaust Air Jack uses your car's own exhaust gases to inflate and raise your auto or truck up off the ground to help you get out of the mud or snow, install your chains or change a flat tire. It also can be used on trailers, campers and ATVs. To learn more about how it works and where you can purchase one for yourself, visit www.airjackusa.com. It's available in three sizes to fit just about any need.bull; Wood is the perfect material for outdoor projects, and if you are thinking about building a wooden arbor, gazebo or some custom outdoor furniture, check out www.realoutdoorliving.com. This website will give you all the information about what types of wood to use, how to work with wood and how to finish and take care of your projects. There are some great plans for several things you can make from wood that are easy to download for free right off the website, and the materials lists and complete instructions are included.bull; Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrells' website at thesuperhandyman.com.#169; 2010, Cowles Syndicate Inc.