Reasons Why Your Door Is Sticking
The door sticks in the door frame when you try to open it. Or if you try to close it, it doesn’t close completely. Or if it does move, it’s always scraping and making noises. Why is your door sticking in the first place? If this is an older home, one common cause is that your home’s foundation may be subsiding. Subsiding foundations affect many parts of the house. Over the years, windows start to stick. Drywall or plaster around doors and windows develops cracks, and your floorboards may begin to pop and crack. More often, it’s a localized problem centered around the door frame and jambs. The door hinges may be loosening from the door frame. Hinge screws slowly turn out on their own. For this, it’s just a matter of turning the screws back in. Another possible reason: the door hinge screws are pulling straight out. The fix is still on the simple side but does require new, longer screws.
Pull in the Door by Tightening Hinges
For tools, it is best to use a ratchet or hand screwdriver for better control with these small hinge screws, as they are prone to breaking or stripping. If you use a cordless drill or driver, be sure to set the clutch very low so that you do not risk stripping or breaking the screws. This is especially important because door hinges often are hung with brass screws, which are softer and easier to strip than steel decorative or drywall screws.
Instructions
If you break off a screw head or strip it, use an inexpensive device called a screw extractor to remove it.
Adjust the Door Stop or Jambs
Sometimes, the problem is that the door itself is warped and does not close tightly. If it’s an antique door of great value, a skilled woodworker may be able to bend the door back in shape gradually. This is an expensive and time-consuming repair. An easier fix is to adjust the doorstop to fit the curvature of the door. The door stop is the vertical strip of wood that runs down the center of the door casing, which serves to stop the door from swinging any farther. You can carefully pry up the doorstop with a thin pry bar, and re-nail to fit the warped door.
