How do you get French doors to line up?
Sarah Scott
Updated on April 25, 2026
There are two techniques that you can try to fix misaligned doors. These include tightening or replacing the screws of your door's hinges. If this does not work, you can insert a wood shim on the jamb that needs it. You can determine this by checking the outer top corners of the doors where they meet.
Why are my French doors not closing properly?
The reason your external French door won't close could be the door hinges. An easy fix will be to tighten the hinges. If the screws won't tighten, you may want to replace them with larger screws or use some form of packing or wall plug when tightening the screw.How do you fix a misaligned door?
Tighten Hinge ScrewsIf the door is misaligned so that the top of the door scrapes against the door jamb's side near the top, the door's top hinge screws may need to be tightened. With the Phillips screwdriver, tighten the three screws holding the hinge to the jamb and the three screws holding the hinge to the door.
Why do French doors drop?
If this is happening to your French doors (also known as French windows), then it's most likely because they have become misaligned. Either due to wear and tear on the hinges (if they're older doors) or a poor installation (if they're newer).How do you align a uPVC French door?
How to adjust a dropped uPVC door that drags on the floor
- Use an Allen key on the screw at the door side of the hinge.
- Start by adjusting with the door closed.
- Turn 1-2 rotations clockwise and then test to see if it still drags.
- Tweak the hinges until you get a smooth open and close.