If your bedroom door closes fine in January and then scrapes the frame every July, your house isn’t falling apart. Minnesota’s big swings in humidity make wood doors and frames swell in summer and shrink in winter. Add a few years of loose hinges and settling, and a door that used to swing freely starts to stick, drag or refuse to latch.
The good news: most sticking doors come down to a handful of causes, and several take only a screwdriver.
First, find where it’s rubbing
Close the door slowly and watch the gap between the door and the frame. It should look even, about the thickness of a nickel, along the top and the latch side. Look for:
- A tight gap at the top corner on the latch side. The door is sagging, usually from loose hinges.
- A shiny or worn spot on the edge of the door. That’s exactly where it’s rubbing.
- A latch that hits above or below the hole in the frame. The strike plate and latch no longer line up.
6 fixes to try, easiest first
1. Tighten the hinge screws
Open the door and tighten every hinge screw, on both the door and the frame. Loose hinge screws are the most common reason a door sags into its frame.
2. Use one long screw in the top hinge
If a frame-side screw just spins, the hole is stripped. Replace one screw in the top hinge with a 2½ to 3 inch screw that reaches the framing behind the door jamb. Snug it gently, because overtightening can pull the jamb out of shape. This one change often pulls a sagging door back into place.
3. Adjust the strike plate
If the door closes but won’t latch, the latch is missing the strike plate. Small misses can be fixed by filing the strike plate opening slightly larger. Bigger misses mean moving the strike plate up or down.
4. Wait out the season
If a door sticks only in the most humid stretch of summer and is fine the rest of the year, sometimes the best fix is patience, or running a dehumidifier. Planing a door that’s swollen in August can leave a gap you notice in January.
5. Lightly sand the rubbing spot
For a door that rubs year-round in one small spot, sanding that edge a little can do it. Afterward, paint or seal the bare wood. Unsealed wood soaks up moisture and swells again.
6. Check for paint buildup
Older homes often have many layers of paint on doors and jambs. Thick paint on the edges or in the hinge recesses can be enough to make a door bind.
When to call someone
- The door sticks badly in every season, even after tightening the hinges.
- You see cracks in the drywall above the door, or the frame looks out of square.
- The door needs to come off its hinges to be planed or trimmed.
- It’s an exterior door that also lets in drafts. Weatherstripping and a door sweep usually need attention too.
Doors are one of the most common items on our customers’ lists, and they pair well with other small fixes in the same visit. See everything we help with on our door repair and small carpentry page.
Questions homeowners ask
Why do my doors stick in summer but not winter?
Wood absorbs moisture in humid weather and swells slightly, then shrinks again in dry winter air. Minnesota’s seasonal swings make this especially noticeable in older wood doors and frames.
Is it okay to plane a sticking door myself?
You can, but take off as little as possible and seal the bare wood afterward. If you’re not comfortable taking the door off its hinges, it’s a good job to add to a handyman visit.
Can a sticking door be a sign of a bigger problem?
Usually it’s just humidity or loose hinges. If you also see new cracks in walls or several doors suddenly stick at once, it’s worth having someone take a closer look.