Question: This may seem to be a stupid question but can anyone tell me how to remove the pins from the door hinges? I have been able to drive the top of the middle pin up a bit but the others are painted over and I can't seem to get the edge of the screwdriver under the head. There also seems to be a portion of pin in the bottom. Does this need to be removed also? There are three hinges on this outside door. Does it make any difference in which order I remove them to do it safely? The reason I need to do this quickly is because the humidifier has swollen the door to the extent that it can't be pulled open from the inside. I need to plane off just a little on the bottom of the side with the latch and a small strip in the bottom. This is my front door and it is currently out of use.
Answer: There are three types of hinge pins:
- The first is the basic pin, which goes through the hinge and protrudes about 1/8" out of the bottom.
- The second has a cap on the end, which is molded from one side of the hinge - the bottom of the pin seats itself in this cup.
- The third has a cap on the bottom that unscrews - it is threaded into the bottom of one side of the hinge and when removed you can see the hinge pin.
All that being said, when hinge bolts are painted over it is usually easier to unscrew the hinge from either the door or the frame then to fight the bolt. Make sure you have someone balancing the door when your remove the screws. Take all but one screw out of each hinge then remove the others.
Question: I think that maybe I have the third type. My question now is if that is the case, what tool is needed to remove the bottom piece? With the paint it is hard to tell. Is it a screwdriver or is an allen wrench needed?
Answer: There are so many manufacturers of hinges, it is impossible to say.
Some require a pair of pliers and just turn to unscrew the cap at the bottom. If there is an allen key hex hole at the bottom of the cap, then you can use an allen key. You may want to take a utility knife and scratch a line where the cap meets the hinge, basically just cutting the paint so that it makes it a little easier to unscrew.