What happened to our shed door??

[matticus]

Shed's almost new - one of the hinges is either self-destructing, or someone's tried to break in (although I can't see any tool marks, so I'm confused)

(We paid for the installation - don't blame me for any odd woodwork!)

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Softwood expands up to 8% across the grain in winter and shrinks again in summer. It only expands 1% swith the grain.
That hinge and its screws tried to constrict the expansion and the wood won. The hinge is made from mild steel and the screws easily ripped open the countersunk holes. Had the hinge been strongerl the screws would have turned sideways, forcing a slot in the wood.

Skilled carpenters know how to design doors and panels so that the entire system works with this feature of timber. However, such a door will cost more than you're willing to pay for a shed door.

 

[Jameshow]

Softwood expands up to 8% across the grain in winter and shrinks again in summer. It only expands 1% swith the grain.
That hinge and its screws tried to constrict the expansion and the wood won. The hinge is made from mild steel and the screws easily ripped open the countersunk holes. Had the hinge been strongerl the screws would have turned sideways, forcing a slot in the wood.

Skilled carpenters know how to design doors and panels so that the entire system works with this feature of timber. However, such a door will cost more than you're willing to pay for a shed door.

Modern screws are not heat treated a brittle.
Drill out and use bigger bolts perhaps in oversized holes filled with silicone and penny washers.

 

[oxoman]

Personally I'd fit coachbolts on it, both on the door and the hinge as any self respecting tealeaf will carry a screwdriver and undo the screws.

 

[Windle]

The outer two holes in the hinge look too big for the screw heads, so maybe they've just broken through what little metal was stopping them?
I'm puzzled by the bend in the hinge though, it's as if someone has tried to prise the hinge off from the end and bent it, popping the screws out at the same time. But as you say, there don't appear to be any tool marks to indicate this. Maybe the hinge was bent when it was put on and whoever fitted it simply pulled it straight by screwing it to the door, which has resulted in the hinge pulling back out over time and popping the screws? Is the door difficult to close? Perhaps they've popped out when the door was closed if the hinge was stiff? It's a conundrum for sure.

 

[fossyant]

It does look like it's been pried or if hinge was stiff ?

I hope there is nothing valuable in there and it's just for storage. Coach bolts, or bigger screws with timber behind that area on the door (the hinge should be on the area where the door is reinforced though).

 

[matticus]

I hope there is nothing valuable in there and it's just for storage. Coach bolts, or bigger screws with timber behind that area on the door (the hinge should be on the area where the door is reinforced though).

Yeah, I never intended it to be secure* (although the door is kept locked - I view this as "Cafe Lock" level of deterrence.)

*Due to the location and the contents.

 

[Drago]

Personally I blame the Freemasons.

 

[BrumJim]

Looks very similar to what happened to our back gate, mainly due to instability caused by loss of a couple of those screws holding the hinge on.

My gate was a lot older, and cause was rotting wood. Have now replaced the old horizontal spars with new wood and the hinge, and all working well again.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Personally I'd fit coachbolts on it, both on the door and the hinge as any self respecting tealeaf will carry a screwdriver and undo the screws.

Funny ish) thing

before I met her my now wife was having a new kitchen fitter
the men doing it stored their stuff in the brick shed overnight

One day they arrived and discovered they had forgotten the shed keys!!
not being the greatest workers (they were hired by my wife's previous husband who new "they were good bloke as he knew them from the pub") then didn;t go and get them
They discovered they had some tools in their van and used a hacksaw to break through the bolt

Anyway - she just had to use the other loop on the bolt from then on

Sooooo
many years later we had met and she had moved in with me
I went round there every week to check her house was OK and everything
One week I went round and noticed that the lawn needed mowing - but i had not thought it would so I had not brought the shed keys with me

I was wondering if she had a hacksaw in the house to break in again
found one in a drawer and went out to do it
then realised the whole bolt system was just held in place by screws - I just undid 2 screws and the shed was open

Professional kitchen fitters (allegedly) had not noticed that and broke the lock instead!!

 

[Sharky]

Lord Lucan must have escaped .....

 

[stephec]

Looks like someone's had a go at it.

Something similar happened to our shed, but on that occasion they tried to jemmy the other side of the door at the top and bottom. I reinforced the splits with a hard man made wood called Trespa by bolting it to the rear of the door with M8 bolts and nyloc nuts.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Looks like someone's had a go at it.

Something similar happened to our shed, but on that occasion they tried to jemmy the other side of the door at the top and bottom. I reinforced the splits with a hard man made wood called Trespa by bolting it to the rear of the door with M8 bolts and nyloc nuts.

That would be easy to determine. Simply push the hinge back into position and see if the screw holes still line up.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

My old wood shed was designed for screw fixings

I changed them to use bolts and made sure the nuts of the back were protected by big washers so the force was spread out
the original fixings only needed a basic screwdriver to take the hinges off and the door would just fall off

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

To me looks like hinge is bent at point of remaining screw. Can't see how timber movement would cause the hinge to bend there. Left of remaining screw hinge is straight and right of bend straight in contact with wood.