Why does my interior door stick only at certain times of year?
A straight answer first, then what you can do yourself and when to call a handyman.
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Your door is taking on moisture. Humidity swells wood and composite doors in the wet season, so they rub the frame, and they shrink back in the dry months when the air dries out.
The fix that lasts is sealing every edge of the door, not just trimming it. If the door sticks only in the wettest weeks, taking material off the edge can leave a gap for the rest of the year.
Why it happens
Wood and wood-composite doors absorb and release moisture with the seasons. When the air is damp, the door grows slightly in width and height. The gap between the door and the frame is small to begin with, so even a little swelling shows up as rubbing, a tight latch or a door that needs a shove to close.
Moisture gets in mostly through bare edges. Most doors are painted or finished on the faces, but the top edge and bottom edge are often left raw, and the edge along the latch side can have worn finish. Those unsealed surfaces soak up humidity first, which is why a door can look fine and still stick every year.
Loose hinge screws can make it worse. If a hinge has worked loose, the door sags slightly, and a small amount of swelling is then enough to make it catch. That is why a door can seem to stick only at certain times: the sag was there all along, and the damp season exposes it.
What you can check yourself
Note when and where it sticks
Check whether it only sticks in humid weeks and whether it rubs at the top corner, the latch side or the bottom. Where it rubs tells the technician a lot.
Look for rub marks
Shiny or scuffed spots on the door edge or the frame show where the two meet. Bare, dull wood on the top or bottom edge is a sign the door is unsealed.
Check the gap
With the door closed, look at the gap along the top and latch side. A gap that is even on a dry day and nearly gone on a damp day points to swelling.
Test the hinge screws
Gently check whether any hinge screws are loose with a screwdriver that fits the head. Snug them up without forcing them. If a screw just spins, leave it for the technician.
Check the latch and strike plate
See whether the latch lines up with the hole in the strike plate. A latch that has to be pushed in to catch can be a swelling issue or a small alignment issue.
When to call a pro
Call a pro if the door rubs hard enough to scrape paint, if tightening the hinge screws does not help, or if you are thinking of planing it yourself. Planing is easy to overdo: take too much off a door that only sticks in the wettest weeks and it will rattle in the frame the rest of the year. Sealing all the edges is the part people tend to skip. One Call Handyman Repairs can line up an independent, vetted handyman technician to do both.
A garage-to-house door is a special case. It is usually a fire-rated door, and planing it or removing its self-closer can affect that rating, so ask the technician about it before anything is changed. If the frame itself seems to have shifted, with cracks above the door or a gap that changes shape, that points to a structural issue that is for a licensed trade, not a handyman. Licensing for handymen varies by state, so check with your state's licensing agency if you want to confirm what applies where you live.
What the technician will do
- Find where the door bindsThe technician checks the door in the frame, finds the rubbing points and decides whether swelling, sag or latch alignment is the cause.
- Tighten or replace hinge screwsLoose hinge screws are tightened, or replaced with longer ones that bite into the framing so the door hangs true.
- Plane lightly and seal every edgeIf the door is swollen, it is planed only as much as needed, then the top, bottom and sides are sealed so it stops taking on moisture.
- Realign the strike plateThe strike plate is adjusted so the latch catches cleanly without a push or a pull.
- Replace hardware like for likeWorn handles, privacy sets and door stops can be swapped for matching ones, and bifold or closet doors can be re-hung.
Related questions
- Should I plane the door when it sticks in the humid months?
- Usually only a little, if at all. The door will shrink back in the dry months, so heavy planing leaves a gap later. Sealing the edges and checking the hinges often solves it with little or no planing.
- Will the door stop sticking once the edges are sealed?
- Sealing slows how much moisture the door absorbs, which is what stops the yearly swelling. The technician looks at the door first and tells you what is likely to help.
- Why does the top corner on the latch side rub?
- That is a classic sign of a sagging door, often from loose hinge screws, since the door drops on the latch side. Tightening or replacing the screws with longer ones often fixes it.
- How do I get an estimate for a sticking door?
- The estimate is free. Call (888) 471-8212 or send a request through the form on the website. A handyman looks at the door and gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first.
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