Help With Doors Sticking

If you have a doorframe that has become distorted, your door may stick at the corners or be hard to close. As well, the latches might not fit the strike plate. A door that binds or sticks against a doorframe may also be caused by loose or ineffective hinges, by the frame settling, by the door or frame swelling, or by the door warping. Hinges that are loose either on the top or bottom will cause the door to sag. It’s possible to take the door off and plane it down so that the size will fit again provided the problem is not the hinges, but this does nothing to fix the underlying causes. 

The best way to check if the hinges are loose is to push the door back and forth toward them. If the hinges move you can either tighten the original screws, insert wood plugs in the screw holes, or substitute with longer screws.  You should also check for loose strike plate or lock faceplate screws. These could be the problem as well.

Here’s the way to go about planing the door down if that’s the method you decide to use. Mark where the door binds and remove the door to see where the finish has been rubbed.  Sand it down or if necessary, plane lightly on the edges moving towards the center. And then you should replace the door and check the fit. Remember to remove only as much as needed because the wood will shrink as humidity drops.

Here's another helpful hint. If the door binds at the hinge edge but has clearance on the lock side, you can try inserting cardboard shims under the outer hinge leaves. Those are the ones set in the jamb. If the lock bolt does not enter the hole in the strike plate, check to see if it strikes the plate too high or too low.  Then take out the screws, remove the strike-plate, and file the metal opening until it is large enough for the bolt.

Some final points. If the margin of the door is even along the top and bottom edges, and the hinges are firm, either the hinge or lock edge can be planed. However, it’s usually best to plane the hinge edge, because hinges are easier to remove and reinstall than locks.

And then there's that other problem that we have with doors and that's with the locks.  Most of the mechanical devices we use wear out and get broken. Barring that, some preventative maintenance can help prevent problems. It's a good idea to periodically inspect the locks, apply lock lubricants, and make any necessary adjustments to strike plates.  If you find a lock that is frozen, try warming the key you have used and reinserting it. Another good hint is to make all your keys easily identifiable. When having duplicates made, go to a qualified locksmith who uses only top quality duplicates. 

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