Interior doors are one of any home's more functional and often abused parts. There are probably doors in your house that you open and shut several times per day, which can put a surprising amount of wear on the door hardware. Seemingly small issues can also become far more annoying when you have to deal with them whenever you open or close a door.
Sticking and sagging doors are among these common problems. These issues can make opening or shutting your doors a big hassle, and a door that sticks too much can damage the interior of your door frame. What causes this problem, and is fixing this seemingly minor annoyance worthwhile? Keep reading to find out!
Understanding Sticking vs. Sagging Doors
Doors tend to stick for two primary reasons:
- Excessive humidity
- Sagging
The former is more common in homes without air conditioners or unconditioned parts of a house. As the wood in the door absorbs moisture, it will physically expand and potentially rub against areas where the gap is small. If your doors only seem to stick in the summer, humidity is at least partially to blame for the problem.
On the other hand, sagging will affect your doors year-round, although humidity may worsen the problem. In most cases, you can identify a sagging by checking if it's rubbing near the top of the frame. Since sagging doors tend to "lean" over, they'll usually make contact in this upper area. A door rubbing in multiple places may be sagging severely or suffering from severe humidity or other issues.
Fixing Your Problematic Doors
While sticking and sagging might seem like a minor problem, it can lead to more issues with your door in the future. First, consider checking the humidity near the door. If the humidity level is above 70%, your first step should be to address this issue and see if your door stops sticking. Since high humidity can cause damage in other ways, dealing with the root cause may be more important than fixing the door.
On the other hand, you shouldn't ignore a door that sticks at more normal humidity levels or one that sags. The rubbing will inevitably damage the door frame, and sagging due to weak hinges or a damaged frame will worsen over time. The extra force required to open and shut a sticking door can negatively affect the frame or even lead to drywall cracks if you frequently slam the door shut.
Fortunately, a professional contractor should be able to size up the problem and arrive at a solution quickly. Depending on the underlying issue, the solution may be to replace the existing hinges or hardware. For swollen doors, planing the affected area is usually the best solution. These options should get your door operating smoothly again, helping to protect your door frame and the rest of your home.
Reach out to a local door repair service to learn more.
