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Humidity swelling up doors...
Kato
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've got a problem with our house. The side door that goes in to the garage for the last few months is incredibly difficult to open and shut. My wife can't do it. I can do it, but I have to very forcibly throw my weight and shoulder in to it. We just got our garage door fixed and in working order again so it would be really nice if we could put the car in the garage and then come in through the side door like we are meant to do.
I think it's hard to open and shut due to humidity and the wood expanding in the door. I can't say for certain as I'm not a big handyman or anything like that, but it is quite annoying and this is something I'd like to fix. You can look at the inside of the door frame and see where people in the past have had a similar issue and that metal lining (really not sure what it is called, but it runs up and down the door and is nailed to the inside of the frame where the door closes) is bent up in a few places. I've tested it and I'm pretty sure it's not getting caught on any of that metal stuff because when we first moved in, we didn't have this issue with the door. It's swelled up so bad that we can't even get the deadbolt to go all the way in to the wood.
Anyone have some experience with an issue like this and can give me some good advice on how to fix it? Something that is preferably easy and not very cost intensive. I don't have a garage with a ton of tools just sitting around waiting for me to use or anything like that.
I think it's hard to open and shut due to humidity and the wood expanding in the door. I can't say for certain as I'm not a big handyman or anything like that, but it is quite annoying and this is something I'd like to fix. You can look at the inside of the door frame and see where people in the past have had a similar issue and that metal lining (really not sure what it is called, but it runs up and down the door and is nailed to the inside of the frame where the door closes) is bent up in a few places. I've tested it and I'm pretty sure it's not getting caught on any of that metal stuff because when we first moved in, we didn't have this issue with the door. It's swelled up so bad that we can't even get the deadbolt to go all the way in to the wood.
Anyone have some experience with an issue like this and can give me some good advice on how to fix it? Something that is preferably easy and not very cost intensive. I don't have a garage with a ton of tools just sitting around waiting for me to use or anything like that.
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If you give it too much room when you re-frame it, you'll run into the problem where it might not click shut properly in the winter.
IF, AND ONLY IF the door is SOLID, and NOT hollow in the middle (knock on it in a few places to judge if it sounds hollow anywhere throughout), THEN you may rent a hand planer from a hardware store, remove the door knob and lock(s), plane down the side of the door like an 1/8 of an inch, and then re-assemble that stuff. This solution requires maybe a couple hours and a screw driver.
If it's a hollow door, this is a bad, bad, bad idea. But you might still be able to use a hand planer to adjust the frame very slightly (although this will be less easy).
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
It's an exterior door. A dehumidifier is not going to solve this.
Even if it's only exterior to his garage, his garage likely isn't sealed and insulated the way the interior of a house is.
EDIT:
Also it could be the wood in his walls that is swelling slightly. This does in fact happen.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
You can also sand it if you don't have a planer. This is slower and a wee bit less precise, as it's easier to make the door a bit, ummm, ?wavey? Basically, the door may not be sanded the same in all places, so that the line of the door isn't perfectly straight. I'm having trouble coming up with the right word, hopefully you know what I mean. Not a big deal anyway.
Remember to seal the thing when you're done with it, and account for the sealer when you're fixing it. Get it perfect, then take slightly more off to compensate for the sealer.
I don't recommend reframing the doorway. It's a pain in the ass, particularly if you're not skilled with that type of stuff. I was in a similar situation when I moved into my house, and I ended up ripping the old door out, reframing and installing an aluminum one instead. It worked out fine, but I think I would have saved myself a lot of grief and expense if I'd just planed the old door.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
What should I use to seal it? It's been painted this off white color and that color will be gone once I'm done sanding it. Any suggestions?
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Unless he's a midget, he shouldn't need a ladder to plane a door. Just take the hardware off the doorknob side.
If it is swelling due to humidity, it is most likely swelling all around and he would probably want to sand/plane the top as well. I'd second taking the door off the hinges if this is the route you go. Although if you plane it down so that if fits right, it is going to shrink when the humidity drops in the winter, and you may end up with a drafty door. The best long term solution would probably be to just replace the door with a metal one.
Using power tools over your head is not a good idea. And unless you define "midget" as anyone under 7 feet tall...
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Less chance to screw up too, if you're unfamiliar with using a power planer.
Metal doors and frames will still swell on hot days if they’re in the sun.