Written by Micky Down, Micky's Property Services ·
Seasonal swelling is the most common cause
Timber doors move with the weather. In damp or humid spells the wood absorbs moisture and swells slightly, which is often enough to make a door bind against the frame along the top or the latch edge. Many homeowners notice it worst in winter or after a run of wet weather, then find the door eases again once things dry out.
If the sticking comes and goes with the seasons rather than being constant, this is usually the explanation, and it does not always need a permanent fix. Planing a door back to cope with a few damp weeks a year can leave it rattling loose for the rest of the time. A door that sticks only along the top or latch edge, rather than all the way round, often points towards swelling rather than a dropped hinge.
Loose or worn hinges
Hinges take a lot of strain over the years, and the screws holding them to the frame can work loose, especially in older houses where the timber has dried out around them. A loose hinge lets the door drop slightly out of alignment, which changes how it meets the frame and the latch keep.
A safe first step you can try yourself is to check whether the hinge screws are tight. Open the door, hold it steady and look at each hinge for any gap or movement, then tighten the screws with a screwdriver. If a screw spins without tightening, the hole has worn and will need a longer screw or a plugged hole rather than just retightening, which is where it is worth asking a carpenter for help.
A dropped door
If the top corner of a door has dropped, it usually catches on the frame on that side and drags across the floor or carpet underneath. This can be caused by worn hinges, a weakened frame, or simply the age and weight of the door. It is different from swelling because it tends to be a one way, permanent change rather than something that comes and goes. Heavier doors, such as solid timber internal doors fitted in older houses, are more prone to this over time than lighter hollow core doors.
Latch and keep misaligned
Sometimes a door closes into the frame perfectly well but the latch will not catch the keep, the metal plate set into the frame that the latch bolt slides into. This happens when the door has shifted slightly, the frame has moved, or the keep itself was never quite lined up. You will notice the door looks closed but springs open again, or needs a firm slam to stay shut. Bedroom doors and bathroom doors tend to get this complaint reported quickest, simply because a door that will not stay shut is noticed much sooner in those rooms.
Paint build-up and new flooring
Years of repainting without sanding back first can leave a thick layer of paint along the door edges, which reduces the clearance between door and frame. On an older house this builds up slowly and is easy to miss until the door starts catching.
New flooring is another common trigger. If thicker carpet, underlay or a new floor covering has been laid since the doors were last hung, the extra height at the bottom can be enough to make the door drag or stop closing cleanly, even though nothing about the door itself has changed.
What a carpenter actually does
Fixing a sticking or non-closing door properly usually means working out which of the causes above applies, rather than planing away at the first point of contact. That can mean rehanging the door on its existing hinges once they are tightened or replaced, planing the edge that is catching by a small, measured amount, adjusting or repositioning the keep so the latch engages cleanly, and repainting any planed edge so bare wood is not left exposed to moisture.
If you have a door that sticks, drags, or simply will not stay shut, it is worth getting a carpenter to look at the actual cause rather than forcing it. You can read more about this kind of work on our internal doors page, see the full range of joinery we cover under carpentry, or get in touch to arrange a visit. Call 07735 852901 and we can talk through what you are seeing before booking anything in.