Doors get used dozens of times a day, and when one stops working properly it is a constant irritation. A front door that has to be shouldered open on wet mornings, a bedroom door that will not latch, a laundry door that swings shut on its own, a sliding door that grinds along its track, a robe door that has jumped off its rail. Door problems are among the most frequent jobs on our lists in Warragul and the surrounding towns, partly because of the district’s weather and partly because of the way houses settle on local soils.

We repair, adjust, re-hang and install doors in homes, rentals and small businesses across Warragul, Drouin, Trafalgar, Yarragon and the surrounding Baw Baw district.

Why doors stick in West Gippsland

Understanding why a door has stopped working is the first step to fixing it properly rather than just planing a bit off the edge.

Moisture

Timber doors and frames absorb moisture from the air. West Gippsland has long, damp winters, and a solid timber front door that closes easily in February can bind badly by July. External doors, laundry doors and doors in bathrooms with poor ventilation are the worst affected. Unsealed edges, especially the top and bottom of a door that were never painted, let moisture in and make the problem worse.

House movement

Many homes in the district sit on reactive clay, and older houses on timber or concrete stumps move as the soil wets and dries. When a stump drops, the floor and the door frame go out of square. The door then rubs at the head on the latch side, or the latch no longer lines up with the strike plate. Newer slab homes move less, but frames still shift slightly in the first few years.

Worn or loose hinges

The most common cause of a dropped door is simply the top hinge. Screws pull out of the frame, especially if they were short to begin with, and the door sags toward the latch side. Hinge pins also wear, giving a door a loose, rattling feel.

Paint build-up

In older homes, decades of paint on doors and frames can make them bind. Each new coat adds thickness to edges and rebates.

Damage

Doors that have been kicked, slammed, swollen by water or chewed by pets may need repair or replacement.

Door repairs we carry out

• Easing sticking doors. We find where the door is binding, correct the cause where possible (such as tightening or packing hinges) and only plane where necessary. Planed edges are sealed so they do not absorb moisture.
• Re-hanging dropped doors. Replacing short hinge screws with longer ones that reach the framing, packing hinges and re-setting doors so they sit square in the frame.
• Hinge replacement. Worn, broken or rusted hinges replaced with matching or upgraded hinges.
• Latches and strikes. Adjusting strike plates so doors latch cleanly, replacing worn latches and fitting new handles.
• Door stops and holders. Fitting skirting, floor or hinge-pin stops to protect walls, and magnetic holders to keep doors open.
• Door closers. Installing and adjusting closers on gates, screen doors and commercial doors.
• Cavity sliding doors. Repairing jumped or stuck cavity sliders, replacing rollers and adjusting tracks where accessible.
• Robe and wardrobe doors. Adjusting sliding robe doors, replacing worn rollers, guides and bottom tracks.
• Bifold doors. Re-aligning pivots, replacing broken hinges and adjusting tracks.
• Aluminium sliding doors. Cleaning tracks, replacing worn rollers, adjusting doors so they slide freely and lock properly.
• Weather seals. Fitting draught seals, door snakes, door bottoms and weather strips to stop wind and rain getting in.
• Small timber repairs. Repairing split stiles, filling damaged areas and replacing damaged sections of door frames and architraves.

New door installation

We install new internal doors into existing frames, which is the most common type of door replacement in homes. The process involves:

1. Measuring the existing opening accurately, as older homes rarely have standard sizes or square frames.

2. Sourcing a suitable door: hollow-core, solid-core, panel or glazed.

3. Trimming the door to fit the frame with appropriate clearances.

4. Cutting hinge recesses and the latch and handle bore.

5. Sealing all edges, including the top and bottom, with primer or paint.

6. Hanging, adjusting and fitting hardware.

We can also install:

• Pre-hung door units in new openings that have been framed by a builder.
• Screen doors and security screen doors on existing frames (supply through you or a specialist supplier).
• Cavity sliding door kits where a wall is being built or opened up by a builder.
• Barn-style sliding doors on surface-mounted tracks, which work well where there is no room for a swinging door.
• Garage side doors and shed doors.

New external doors in new openings, and doors that form part of fire-rated or structural assemblies, may require a builder and sometimes a permit. We will advise you if your job falls into that category.

Front doors and period homes

Many older homes in Warragul, Trafalgar and Yarragon have original timber front doors, often with leadlight or etched glass panels. These doors are worth keeping. We can ease them, re-set them, replace worn hinges with heavier-duty ones, repair loose joints and fit new seals without changing the character of the door. Where the original hardware is worn out, we can source period-style replacements.

Sliding doors on decks and patios

Aluminium sliding doors to decks and alfresco areas are common in homes of all ages. Over time, dirt and grit build up in the tracks, and the small rollers that carry the door wear flat. A sliding door that has to be dragged open is usually running on worn rollers or a damaged track. We clean the tracks, replace the rollers where parts are available, and adjust the door height so it runs smoothly and the lock engages. Where rollers for older doors cannot be sourced, we will tell you before we start.

Locks and security

We fit and replace standard door hardware: handles, levers, privacy sets, passage sets, deadbolts and keyed entry sets in existing doors. For master-keyed systems, restricted keys, commercial access control, re-keying and safes, you need a locksmith, and we will refer you. See also our page on end-of-lease repairs, where lock changes between tenancies are a common request (we fit new hardware; re-keying is a locksmith job).

Draughts and energy efficiency

Gaps around doors let warm air out and cold air in, and in a West Gippsland winter that adds up. Sealing doors is one of the most cost-effective improvements you can make to a home’s comfort. We fit:

• Self-adhesive or screw-fixed weather strips around the frame.
• Door bottoms with brush or rubber seals.
• Automatic door seals that drop when the door closes.
• Threshold seals for external doors.

Doors that won’t stay shut or open

A door that swings open or closed by itself usually means the frame is out of plumb. Small adjustments to hinges can often fix it. Where the frame has moved significantly due to house movement, we may recommend a restumping or building inspection before investing in door repairs.

Accessibility

For older residents and people with mobility needs, door hardware can make a real difference. Lever handles are easier to use than knobs, lighter closers make doors easier to open, and lower thresholds reduce trip hazards. We can also widen clearances by fitting offset hinges in some cases. See our grab rails and accessibility page.

What we do not do

We do not install fire-rated doors in commercial premises, automatic doors, garage door motors or electrical access control. We do not do re-keying or master key systems; that is locksmith work.

Getting a quote for door work

Send us photos of the door from both sides, a close-up of the hinges and the latch area, and a short description of what is happening (sticking at the top, not latching, dragging on the floor). For new doors, measure the height and width of the existing door and tell us whether it is hollow-core or solid. We will reply with a written scope and free quote. There are no prices online; each door, frame and fault is different.

Areas we serve

Door repairs and installation in Warragul, Drouin, Trafalgar, Yarragon, Nilma, Darnum, Rokeby, Buln Buln, Neerim South and Longwarry. See our service areas and all services.

A typical door visit

A common request is a “door list” across a whole house: a front door that binds in winter, two bedroom doors that will not latch, a robe door off its track and a laundry door that slams. In one visit we work through each door in turn, diagnosing the cause, tightening and packing hinges, adjusting strikes, replacing robe rollers and fitting a closer or stop where needed. Planed edges are sealed before we leave. At the end we open and close every door with you to confirm it works properly, and we note anything that suggests wider movement in the house, such as cracks over doorways or sloping floors, so you can decide whether to have the stumps checked.

Looking after your doors

A few simple habits keep doors working well between visits. Tighten hinge screws when you notice a door starting to feel loose, before the holes wear out. Vacuum sliding door and robe tracks regularly, because grit wears rollers quickly. Keep external doors painted on all six faces, including the top and bottom edges. Use door stops so handles do not punch through plaster, and in winter run bathroom exhaust fans so internal doors are not soaking up steam.

Doors in rentals

Rental properties see heavy door wear. Between tenancies we often replace damaged hollow-core doors, fit new stops, tighten handles and fix robe doors so the property presents well at the next inspection.

Frequently asked questions