Why Your Doors Stick in Summer (And How to Fix It)

You're not imagining it - that door really does stick worse in summer. It's frustrating, but it's also predictable once you understand why.

Why Doors Swell in Summer

Wood absorbs moisture from the air. When humidity rises in summer, the wood expands. When it's drier in winter (central heating running), it shrinks.

The cycle:

• Spring/Summer: More moisture → door swells → sticks
• Autumn/Winter: Drier air → door shrinks → gaps appear

In Devon, our damp climate makes this worse than in drier parts of the country.

Most affected:

• Exterior doors
• Bathroom doors
• Kitchen doors
• Older doors (less sealed)
• Cheap doors (poor quality wood)

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Quick Fixes (If You Need the Door to Close Today)

Fix 1: Rub the Sticking Edge

Find where it sticks (look for shiny worn patches or close slowly to see where it touches).

Rub the sticking point with:

• Candle wax
• Bar of soap
• Furniture wax

This lubricates the surface and may be enough for a minor stick.

Fix 2: Sand the Edge

For slightly more serious sticking:

1. Mark where it's rubbing
2. Sand the high spot with 80-grit sandpaper
3. Test fit, sand more if needed
4. Finish with fine sandpaper

Important: Only sand a little at a time. You can't put it back.

Fix 3: Adjust the Strike Plate

Sometimes the door isn't too big - the strike plate has just shifted over time.

1. Check if latch meets strike plate properly
2. If it's close, file the strike plate opening slightly
3. Or move the strike plate - fill old holes, drill new ones

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Permanent Solutions

Solution 1: Plane the Door

If sanding isn't enough, you need to plane the edge.

Method:

1. Remove door from hinges
2. Identify exactly where it sticks
3. Plane the edge - take small amounts
4. Check fit frequently
5. Seal the planed edge (crucial - see below)

How much to remove: Take off the minimum needed when the door's at its most swollen (peak summer). Accept there'll be a gap in winter.

Solution 2: Seal All Edges

Unsealed edges absorb more moisture. Even if you plane the door, if you don't seal the edges, it'll happen again.

What to seal:

• Top edge
• Bottom edge
• Hinge edge
• Lock edge

With what:

• Primer + paint (painted doors)
• Wood sealer + varnish (natural finish)
• Or at minimum, PVA diluted 3:1 as a cheap seal

Most forgotten: The bottom edge. Water soaks up from the threshold into an unsealed bottom edge.

Solution 3: Replace with Stable Door

If the same door is a problem every year and it's an internal door, consider replacing it with an engineered or composite door.

Options:

• Engineered timber: More stable than solid wood
• Composite doors (external): Very stable, no swelling

For external doors, modern composite doors have nearly eliminated this problem.

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Should You Plane It?

This is the dilemma: if you plane the door to fit in summer, it might have gaps in winter.

The approach:

1. Mark the problem area in summer
2. Decide how much to remove
3. Accept you're compromising - no door fits perfectly year-round
4. Seal properly to minimise future movement

Alternatively: Some people live with it - plane for a reasonable fit in summer, use a draught excluder in winter for the gaps.

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Prevention

For existing doors:

• Seal all edges properly
• Maintain finish (repaint/revarnish before it breaks down)
• Keep house humidity consistent (not always practical)

When fitting new doors:

• Leave room around edges (2-3mm gap)
• Seal before hanging, including edges
• Choose stable door materials for problem areas

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Bathroom and Kitchen Doors

These rooms have the highest humidity, so doors here swell most.

Solutions:

• Improve ventilation (extractor fans actually running)
• Seal doors thoroughly
• Consider engineered timber or moisture-resistant doors
• Accept some seasonal adjustment is normal

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Old Doors in Older Homes

Victorian and Edwardian doors are often solid timber and have been swelling and shrinking for over a century.

The gentle approach:

• These doors have character - don't butcher them
• Adjust hinges first
• Plane minimally
• If they're wildly wrong, the frame may have shifted - that's a bigger job

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When to Call a Professional

Get help if:

• Multiple doors affected (could be house movement)
• Door or frame is damaged
• You don't have tools to plane safely
• It's a fire door (must be adjusted to spec)
• Door is valuable or original to the house

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Sticky doors driving you mad? I adjust and repair doors across Exeter - usually in under an hour. Call 01392 964094 or get a quote.