what can cause a door to stick and be hard to open
by
Ann K
+7
it's a basement door and sticks when you try to open from either side, but especially the inside
10 answers
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get some wax paper and try rubbing it on the door and the frame and see if that works.
Amber
on Oct 18, 2012
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Swelling from moister or heat is my guess. I have a door doing the same thing that did not stick until I started using a heat gun in that room to remove glue from the wall. Not sure how I am going to fix it though... I will be watching this post I am sure @KMS Woodworks or @Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com will have good tips.
Carroll A
on Oct 18, 2012
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Do you notice it sticking more some days and less others? That might be moisture! If it's consistent, it could be age or settling and your door may need to be re-hung or altered slightly.
AK Complete Home Renovations
on Oct 18, 2012
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It sticks every day. Waxpaper won't work.
Ann K
on Oct 18, 2012
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Is this a wood door? If so my guess learns toward a moisture issue. Wood is a Hygroscopic material which means it absorbs and releases moisture with its environment. I have seen lots of doors where the top and bottom was never properly sealed or painted. If the door is metal or fiberglass then my instinct tell me you have some sublte settling issues in the home. or Another possible thing for either type of door is worn hinges. take a very close peek at the hinges. If you have a small gap between the round knuckles on the leaves this is a clue that the are worn. Replacing a hinge is a bit easier than trimming a door and is the prefered route, if a door that has worn hinges gets trimmed ...then down the road the hinges are replaced it will leave gaps where it was trimmed. for really heavy doors is is sometimes a good idea to get ball bearing hinges.
KMS Woodworks
on Oct 19, 2012
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It is a wood door. Sticks badly when trying to open from either direction and rattles glass in door. It has been weatherstripped and trouble began shortly thereafter.
Ann K
on Oct 19, 2012
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New Weather strip...that is a good clue..By its very nature weather striping is designed to close gaps between the door and the jambs / threshold. If not done properly it can cause binding. I would take a close look at those area...you may see some signs of wear of tearing on the weather strip due to this..
KMS Woodworks
on Oct 19, 2012
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What is the fix?
Ann K
on Oct 19, 2012
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It depends a bit on the type of weather strip...V channel metal... adhesive backed foam...tubular rubber with nailing flange? can you post a pic? Being in GA...your weather is very mild compared to the -40 and 80 to 90 mph windy winters we have here in the high Rockies. If the door is not used much I would just tolerate the stickyness....if it used used as a primary entrance I would remove the troublesome weather strip and either go without or look into a different kind. Adding a storm door could also help in weather sealing.
KMS Woodworks
on Oct 20, 2012
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no one ever contacted me from the two providers I accepted.
Ann K
on Oct 24, 2012
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