Doors and Windows - snugging up exterior doors

was replacing weather stripping today on exterior doors and noticed gaps at the top handle side of door. appears that bottom of door fits against weather stripping but the top does not fit snugly. does the top hinge need to be moved in and the bottom out or is there another fix for this? thanks in advance for your responses.

mike

First, check all hinge screws to make sure that they are not stripped.
If they are, you can (a) install a longer wood screw into the framing, or (b) remove the existing screw and break off a wooden kitchen match (not the striking end, of course...lol) or toothpicks to fill the hole, and tighten the old screw back in.
IF the problem is not being caused by stripped screw(s), you can shim behind the hinges to make the door plumb and level.
Loosen the top hinge screws. (In this case, the top hinge needs to go out toward the gap.)
Slide a shim behind it, and tighten the hinge back down. Repeat until gap is even.
For "shims", I've used everything from pieces of wooden tongue depressors or popsickle sticks to old utility knife blades for this (whatever works and that's hidden behind the hinge).
Good Luck!
Mike

If the gap is small then you might try to find a weather stripping that compresses more easily and is thick enough to catch the top and bottom. You might need to adjust the latch plate so the door stays tight to the stop. Otherwise it sounds like the jam is not plumb and should be adjusted. One method is to remove the inside casing and run a sawzall down to cut the fasteners. Adjust the jam so the door shuts evenly, shim and secure the jam.

I appreciate the responses. Looking at the door today it looks like it warped in the top left hand corner, handle side. I guess i will pull the weather stripping out of the kerf and fasten it to the jamb so the door will close tight against it. If anyone knows how to straighten the warp out, please let me know. It is a solid front door and is only 3 yrs old. I have kept it in good shape but not good enough i guess.

mike

I am going to throw another idea at you. I believe Lefty is correct in that your frame is our of square. This in not an uncommon problem. The chance your door is warped is very minimal. It is usually the casing. Try this. Take off your brick mold or outside trim on the handle side of your door. Next with a sawall cut the nails or screws in the frame down about half way. Then close your door, and insert a shim or shims from the outside to push the top of the frame over a little. When the crack disappears, then rescrew your frame, and reattach the molding. These types of cracks are usually the result of minor shifts in the home. Good Luck