Door Swelling As we all know, excess moisture is wood's natural enemy and your wooden doors swell because it absorbs moisture that is present in the air. In the summer, it is not uncommon for doors to swell and start “sticking” as the humidity levels outside increase.
To prevent a wooden door from swelling due to humidity, treat it with a high-quality sealant or water-repellent finish. Products like polyurethane or marine varnish can provide a protective barrier. Additionally, ensure proper ventilation in the area and consider using a dehumidifier if necessary.
swelling is caused by humidity and temperature changes, which cause the wood to expand and contract. Over time, the door will adjust to the new conditions and return to its original shape. However, a hot air gun or hairdryer can be applied to the sides of the door to bring out moisture then can be sealed and re-hung.
Humidity: Expansion of wood due to humidity is the most common reason for a sticky door. Humidity is the only reason for a door to be sticking seasonally in the summer. In the winter, humidity levels are usually lower, because cooler air cannot hold as much moisture.
The simple answer is yes - any door can swell during the warmer months, no matter how well-made. Composite doors, although challenging, are no different and can expand during prolonged exposure to direct sunshine, meaning you may have problems closing your door easily later.
If the swelling is due to humidity, using a fan or dehumidifier can help reduce the moisture and make it easier to open. Will a swollen door go back to normal? Sometimes, yes! If the humidity drops, a swollen door might shrink back to its original size.
Timber tends to swell more with moisture (and some composite doors do contain timber), and humid weather can bring a double whammy of heat and ambient moisture to swell your doors with! Swelling in heat/humidity isn't anything you need to be worried about, as this is a natural process that affects these materials.
To help you unstick a swollen wooden door, here's our five simple tips and tricks…. If your door latch and handle work efficiently, try lining the surface between your door and door frame with a small amount all-purpose lubricant. Use either a squirting bottle or a narrow spatula to apply lubricant to the closed door.
High humidity can also cause the lubrication in the door's hinge pins to degrade more rapidly and make the door more difficult to operate. Builtup dirt and grim around door and window frames can lead to sticking year-round, but higher humidity levels can cause it to clump together and become even more problematic.
If the door is sticking at the top of the frame, the issue is likely caused by loose hinges or a sagging frame. A door stuck in the middle of the frame is typically the result of a loose strike plate, while a door that's sticky in any other part of the frame may be a swelling issue caused by high humidity levels.
Solid wood doors tend to expand or shrink because of moisture and temperature changes, whereas solid core doors resist these fluctuations and will maintain their shape over time.
What Causes Doors to Swell? Swollen doors happen due to a combination of changes in temperature and humidity levels inside and outside the home. As the air begins to cool, it contracts to leave very little room for moisture, which often collects around door frames.
The biggest issue that can cause problems for doors, especially externally facing doors, is the presence of moisture. Temperature also can play a part – warmth can cause the wood to expand, meaning doors can become hard to close.
The swelling is caused by humidity and temperature changes, which cause the wood to expand and contract. Over time, the door will adjust to the new conditions and return to its original shape.
In the summer, it is not uncommon for doors to swell and start “sticking” as the humidity levels outside increase. Similarly, your doors can absorb moisture after a period of heavy rainfall. Even in relatively dry weather conditions, your internal doors may still swell if you like taking hot showers, for instance.
DOOR HINGE ISSUES
One of the common reasons for closing door problems is the hinge. The screws that hold the hinge in place start to work loose and cause the door to sag or become tight. It results in the door not meeting the latch-side strike plate or scraping the door.
Tighten screws or bolts on the door frame and strike plate
The screws or bolts that secure the strike plate should be checked periodically to make sure they are tight. If they are loose, the strike plate will not be able to properly receive the bolt, and the door will not close securely.
Humidity is usually the culprit for sticky doors since high moisture levels cause the material to expand, pushing the door into the frame. This only happens in wooden doors, but steel and fibreglass doors tend to stick, too, if the wooden door frame swells.
The best way to loosen a stiff stuck or broken door latch is to lubricate it. Before doing this you should completely remove the latch from the door first and check it for rust and other damage.
You could achieve a reasonable repair job by sanding back the swollen area until it's flush with the rest of the door. You can then fill the chipped laminate edges with Builder's Bog and sand it back to form crisp corners. Once everything is looking good, you can use the laminate primer and then paint your cabinetry.
Wood expands in the heat, and if it expands too much, it will be too snug in its frame. This is especially true for wooden front doors and exterior wood doors. The doors of your house exposed to the elements are more likely to become stuck due to the heat.
Wood fibers expand when exposed to heat and humidity. Wood is naturally porous, and when left untreated, it readily absorbs moisture. When this happens, the wood swells. Heat also affects wood fibers through thermal expansion.