Short answer
If a door sticks or rubs the frame, look for the shiny, worn spot where it rubs. Usually it is the top corner on the latch side, from a loose top hinge. Tighten the hinge screws and swap one for a 3-inch screw that reaches the stud. Still rubbing? Sand that spot lightly and seal the bare wood. Plane the door only as a last resort.
How to fix a door that sticks
1The door sticks at the top corner
You have to push or lift it to close it. Most of the time the door sagged and its top corner, on the latch side, rubs the frame.
Read all the steps
- The door sticks at the top corner. You have to push or lift it to close it. Most of the time the door sagged and its top corner, on the latch side, rubs the frame.
- Find where it rubs. Look for shiny, worn paint on the door edge or the frame. The gaps tell you too: wide at the top hinge side, tight at the top corner.
- Long screw in the top hinge. Tighten all the hinge screws. Then swap one screw on the frame side of the top hinge for a 3-inch screw. It reaches the stud and pulls the door up.
- Still rubs? Sand that spot and seal it. Sand the rubbing spot lightly with a sanding block, then paint or seal the bare wood so it does not soak up moisture and swell again.
- It swings free. Open and close it a few times. The gap should look even all around, about 1/8 inch.
- Still not fixed? Call a handyman Especially if: several doors started sticking at once, or there is a new crack in the wall near the frame.
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Why doors stick
- Loose hinge screws, especially on the top hinge: the door sags toward the latch side.
- Humidity: wood swells in a wet summer and shrinks in winter. A door that sticks only part of the year is usually this.
- Layers of paint on the door edge or the frame.
- The house settling. If the door sticks along with a new crack in the wall nearby, it could be the foundation.
What not to do
- Do not plane the door in a humid summer: in winter you will have a big gap.
- Do not leave planed or sanded wood bare. Unsealed wood swells even more.
- Do not force a stuck exterior door with your shoulder: you can bend the hinges or split the frame.
When to call a handyman
- Several doors started sticking at once, or there is a new crack in the wall near the frame.
- The door needs planing and you cannot take it off and seal it.
- The frame is out of square or the wood is soft or rotten.
- It is an exterior door that also lets in water when it rains.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my door sticking all of a sudden?
Most often humidity: the wood swelled. If the weather is dry, the top hinge probably worked loose and the door sagged. Check the hinge screws first.
How do I fix a door that sticks at the top?
Tighten the top hinge, then swap one of its screws on the frame side for a 3-inch screw that reaches the stud. That pulls the door back up and away from the frame.
Should I plane a sticking door?
Only as a last resort. Try the hinges and light sanding first, and plane in dry weather. Seal the bare wood afterward or it will swell again.
Can a sticking door mean a foundation problem?
It can, if several doors stick at once or new cracks show up in the walls around them. One door that sticks in summer is usually just humidity.
How much gap should a door have around it?
About 1/8 inch along the top and both sides. An even gap means the door hangs straight.