Summer is here, and with it comes glorious weather, great days to spend outdoors, and doors sticking.
Over the summer, you may have noticed your wooden door sets sticking and becoming more difficult to open or close, and this can be caused by a range of factors relating to the summer sun. In this article we discuss, why do doors stick in summer and how to stop them.
Why are my doors sticking?
The main reason why wooden doors in particular stick more (and floorboards creak more, coincidentally is an increase in humidity, which causes wood to expand just enough to become annoying.
Humidity is the amount of water vapour held in the air all around us, and can vary depending on a range of factors.
Sometimes this affects the door frame, but in other cases, it can affect the door itself. Depending on the materials it has been made from, the finish used on it, the humidity of the area and a range of other factors.
How to fix a door that sticks due to humidity?
With this, there are solutions but it is important to know where the door is sticking precisely. Get some chalk and apply it to the edge of the door, and see where the chalk rubs off when you open and close it.
After this, you have a range of options. If the door only causes problems in the summertime, it may be worth investing in a dehumidifier. Which reduces the humidity of the air in a room, which can help to shrink the door.
Humidity can be caused by the weather, the particular climate, as well as particular rooms that cause more humidity than others. Bathrooms naturally have a lot of humidity, as there is often a lot of water vapour year-round that can cause the door to stick.
As well as this, kitchens and basements can often be humid, and this heat can rise upward, affecting the floor above.
Typically, most stains and paints that cover the door entirely will create a seal that will stop the wood from expanding, and so if you are having a problem with a treated door, check to make sure the finish has not worn off, chipped or cracked.
Doors stick due to little too large
In some cases, the issue is that the door was a little too large in the first place, and so it can be worth carefully and gradually sanding or planing away at the edges that are sticking against the door frame.
If you are planning on planing the door, be careful; doors will often shrink in winter if they have not been sealed and so you risk having a door with a considerable draft wherever the gap is.
In some cases, a sticking door can be caused by a slipped door. Which is where a loose hinge causes a door to subtly drop downwards and rub against the frame or floor. If you have been using chalk to find where the door has been rubbing against the frame, this can be easier to see.
Check your hinges and make sure they are not too loose, nor too squeaky or sticky. Oiling the hinge can also fix rather unexpected door issues.