swollen wood frame

Rosemin
by Rosemin
My door does not close due to water leak. The insurance is not going to replace frame or door. The carpenter will sand the door to fit the frame. I am a bit worried . Will I have problems in the future if weather is humid the door may not close?
  1 answer
  • Your water leak has that been corrected? Or is it really the swelling of the door due to high humidity that has caused the door to stick open/closed? If the door was properly installed there should have been more then enough space surrounding it to take into consideration of humidity swelling. In fact even if the door became wet it should have not stuck as you said. Sanding is the quick fix for this, but its not solving the issue. You need to correct the moisture if it is a leak, and have the door and its frame pulled and reset properly square so it works as it should. It sounds as though there has been some settlement where the door was installed, perhaps insect damage below or shifting of the wall system that supports the door itself. If you look at the door when its closed, the gap should be exactly the same on both sides and top. If you find that the door space it tighter on the upper area above the door handle then the door frame has settled below that space. If the door has got tighter on the middle of the sides then the wood shims that are used when installing the door have swollen and have pushed the door together. In any case, the correct repair is to remove the door trims, both sides and rehang the door properly so its square and true. If leaks from liquid water has indeed caused this issue, you need to properly flash and seal out this leak, or additional damage will occur causing a much larger expense later on.