If a wooden door closes perfectly in summer but sticks, drags or will not latch once autumn arrives, you are not imagining it. Timber takes on moisture from damp air and swells, then shrinks back when the air dries out. Older houses, with frames that have settled over the years, feel it most.
Here is why it happens, what you can safely check, and what a proper fix looks like.
Why timber doors move with the seasons
Wood is never completely still. In damp weather it absorbs moisture and expands, mostly across the grain, so a door gets slightly wider and taller. In dry weather, or once the heating is on, it shrinks back.
Herefordshire and the Welsh borders get plenty of damp autumn and winter weather, and external doors take the brunt of it. Internal doors can be affected too, especially near kitchens, bathrooms and porches.
Signs your door is swelling, not dropping
- It sticks at the top or along the lock edge, then frees up again in dry spells
- You can see bare or worn patches where it rubs the frame
- It is fine in summer and only binds in autumn and winter
- The latch or lock will not engage unless you push the door hard
If the door catches all year round, or the gap is clearly wider at the top than the bottom, it has more likely dropped on its hinges. That is a different fix, and it is common on UPVC doors too, as our guide on doors that have dropped or are hard to lock explains.
What you can check yourself
- Hinge screws. Loose screws let a door sag. Tighten them, and if a screw just spins, the hole needs proper repair rather than a bigger screw forced in.
- Where it rubs. Close the door slowly and look for the tight spot. Marks on the frame or worn paint show you where.
- Bare timber. Look at the top and bottom edges. Unpainted edges soak up moisture much faster.
Why planing is not always the answer
The quick fix is to plane the door until it closes. Done carelessly, that can leave a gap once the timber shrinks back in summer, letting in draughts and making the lock harder to line up. It also exposes bare wood that will swell again if it is not sealed.
The better approach is to find out why the door is binding first. Often it is a combination of a slightly sagging hinge and some seasonal swelling. Adjusting or packing the hinges can bring the door back into line with very little taken off.
What a proper fix involves
- Checking the hinges and frame, and correcting any sag
- Easing only the tight spots, with the door's summer size in mind
- Sealing every edge, including the top and bottom, once it has been eased
- Resetting the latch keep or lock strike so the door closes cleanly
Where the frame or the bottom of the door has started to rot, the damaged timber should be cut out and replaced, not filled over, or the problem comes straight back.
When the lock is the real problem
A swollen door puts strain on the lock. If you have to lean on the door or pull hard on the key to lock it, the mortice lock or night latch can wear quickly and eventually jam. Easing the door now is usually cheaper than a lockout later.
Sticking door near Ludlow or Leominster?
Steve is a carpenter as well as a locksmith, so he can ease and rehang a door and set the lock so it works properly, all on one visit. He works across Ludlow, Tenbury Wells and north Herefordshire.
Read more about carpentry and door fitting and lock repairs, or call 07948 117374.