A sticking door is an annoyance no one wants to deal with. So when it happens, many people are quick to seek a way to fix their sticking door as soon as they can.
But did you know that a sticking door can be more than a simple source of frustration? In fact, sticking doors can result from one of several causes, some of which may indicate a deeper underlying problem with the structural integrity of your home.
In this article, we’ll explore the causes of sticking doors and a few ways to fix them. Read on to learn how to fix a sticking door and much more.
Reasons Why Your Door Sticks
As noted in the introduction, there are multiple causes behind sticking doors. As you’ll soon learn, some of these are much easier to address than others–but before we begin to discuss solutions, let’s cover the most common reason why your door could be stuck.
Your Sticking Door is Dirty
The simplest cause of a sticking door is that your door is actually sticky in a literal sense. Over time, your doors can accumulate dust and filth just like any other surface. If enough sticky filth accumulates, it may cause your door to stick to the threshold each time you close it.
Fortunately, the fix for this kind of sticking door is straightforward. Simply give your door a thorough cleaning, and it should become unstuck. If it doesn’t, you’re likely dealing with one of the following sticking door causes.
Your Sticking Door Is in a Humid Location
Relative humidity can also cause a door to stick. Materials like wood tend to expand and contract based on the amount of moisture in the air.
When the air in your home becomes more moist than usual, your doors may start to swell. While this swelling is not often something you can see with the naked eye, it is enough to cause your door to fit improperly in your door frame.
Your Sticking Door Was Installed Improperly
Another cause of a sticking door is improper installation. Although it seems like installing a door correctly should be an easy task, there is plenty that can go wrong during the process. Whether the hinges, the latch, or any other part of the door experienced an incorrect installation, you’ll likely notice right away when your door fails to open and close properly.
Your Sticking Door Has a Broken Hinge or Latch
Even when your door is installed correctly, it remains possible for it to become damaged later on. When the hinges or the latch of your door begin to break down, one of the first signs will be that the door starts to stick.
Loose hinges cause a door to hang at a slight angle, making it difficult for it to fit correctly into its frame. Similarly, latch malfunctions can make it tough for you to turn the door’s handle and open it easily.
Your Sticking Door is a Sign of Foundation Damage
Our final cause of a sticking door is the most serious. If you have considered all of the previous sticking door causes and none of them seem to be relevant in your case, then your sticking door may be the result of foundation damage.
Foundation damage can cause your entire house to become slightly askew, including the doors and windows. Unfortunately, this sticking door cause requires the most effort and professional expertise to resolve.
How to Repair a Sticking Door
Now that you know some of the main reasons why a door might become stuck in your home, it is time to learn how to fix that problem. In the sections below, we’ve presented a few reliable ways to fix a sticking door–each of which relates to one or more of the causes we listed above.
Fixing the Door Itself
If your door is stuck because of a faulty installation, broken hinges, or a malfunctioning latch, the odds are that you can take a DIY approach to fix it. Repairing a door is not all that difficult to do, and does not require many specialized skills.
Instead, with a simple set of tools, you can either repair or replace the elements of your door that are causing it to stick. If a replacement is necessary, you’ll be pleased to know that hinges, latches, handles, and other hardware pieces are commonly available in many stores.
After determining which component of your door needs repair and gathering your necessary supplies, you shouldn’t have too much of an issue unsticking your door on your own. Of course, if DIY is not your preference, you can always hire a repair person to fix your door, which is unlikely to be a costly expense.
Adjusting Relative Humidity
At times, your sticking door may be the result of high relative humidity. This issue is most common in climates that are naturally humid, or during the summer months in areas that are otherwise not that humid.
Again, the solution to this sticking door cause is quite simple. In many situations, all you will have to do is find a way to lower the relative humidity in the area surrounding your door. Often, running a dehumidifier is enough to resolve this problem.
Foundation Repair
Our last approach for repairing a sticking door is the one you should use when all other measures have proven ineffective. In such situations, there’s a good chance that your sticking door comes from foundation settling or significant foundation damage.
If that is the case, you must understand that you cannot fix the issue on your own. Instead, you’ll need to seek the assistance of a foundation expert who can evaluate the condition of your basement and suggest the most appropriate foundation repair solution for your situation.
Getting Your Doors Unstuck
As you now know, a door can become stuck for one of several reasons. Each of those causes calls for a different repair approach. While it’s reasonable for you to fix some of those causes on your own, other causes require the help of a professional.
If you have tried cleaning your door, repairing it, or adjusting the humidity in your home and your door continues sticking, it’s time to find a foundation team you can trust. At HydroHelp911, we specialize in evaluating and repairing foundations in the Charlotte, NC area. If you’re dealing with a sticking door you can’t fix on your own, reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help.
