Why Doors Stick in Rochester, NY, and How to Fix Them

Why doors stick: the three common causes

Why doors stick shows up in what the door does: a door that rubs or will not close is usually telling you one of three things. This Old House lists them as humidity swelling the wood in summer, hinge screws that have loosened or stripped so the door drops, and settling in the house itself, such as foundation movement or a warped frame.

Why doors stick more in Rochester: the area gets a lot of seasonal weather change. The 1991 to 2020 average is about 102 inches of snow a year, according to Current Results, and houses go from closed-up and heated to open-window humid in a few months. Wood takes on and gives off moisture as the air changes, so doors that fit in February can rub in August.

What you see and what it usually means

How to fix a sticking door, in order

1. Tighten the hinge screws. This Old House says to tighten or replace loose hinge screws before planing anything. HomeTips agrees that loose hinges are the most common culprit and that many doors get trimmed when they did not need it.
2. Use a longer screw where the hole is stripped. The upper hinge does the most work. HomeTips suggests swapping one upper hinge screw for a 2½ to 3 inch screw that reaches the framing behind the jamb and pulls the door back into line.
3. Find the exact rubbing spot. Look for shiny or scuffed paint on the door edge or frame. Work only there.
4. Sand or plane lightly. The target is a gap about the thickness of a coin, a nickel according to This Old House and a dime according to HomeTips.
5. Seal the bare wood right away. Prime and paint the trimmed edge. This Old House says this slows moisture getting back in.
6. Manage the humidity. The EPA gives 30 to 50 percent as the ideal indoor range and says to keep it below 60 percent. A dehumidifier and better ventilation help.

Do not over-plane

This Old House warns that taking off too much wood leaves a loose door when the wood shrinks in dry seasons. A door that fits tightly in July may need a little room, but a door planed in July can rattle in January.

When to stop and call someone else

• The gap changes a lot from one side of the room to the other, or cracks run above doors and windows. This Old House says to bring in a professional if sticking points to foundation or significant structural problems.
• The frame is rotted or twisted, so hinge screws will not hold in it.
• The lock or latch hardware itself is broken, not just out of line.
• The door is in a home built before 1978 and you plan to sand or scrape painted surfaces. Paint disturbance has its own rules. Read our guide to lead paint and asbestos in older Rochester homes first.

For a straightforward door that sticks, rubs or will not latch, see our door repair service. We look at the hinges and frame first and give you a written quote before work starts.