Timber door – sticking

Causes

The door frame is out of square due to building movement/settlement

The door is too heavy for the number/size of hinges 

Glue and/or joint failure of timber frame or door frame joints 

Listed under: Interior, adhesives and sealants, adhesives, timber and wood-based, timber, Subfloor, doors, framing, fixings and hardware

Cause

The door frame is out of square due to building movement/settlement

Repair

  • it is not unusual for old villas to experience settlement that can lead to doors sticking. The ideal long-term repair is likely to involve repiling and/or relevelling the building. You could ask a repiling company for advice

  • old villa doors and jambs sometimes have multiple coats of paint. Sanding and/or planing of the door edges or scraping and sanding the jamb rebates may be enough to allow clearances for the door to close easily. Where paint layers are likely to be many decades old, be aware that the bottom layers may contain lead. You can find more details here

  • if the building was built in recent decades, building movement/settlement should not be happening. Contact the original builder or a chartered professional engineer for advice

  • the fastest and easiest repair will be to re-build the door frame so it is square. Contact a joiner or carpenter for advice

Back to top

Cause

The door is too heavy for the number/size of hinges 

Repair

  • if the door was installed by a tradesperson in recent years, call them back to fix it

  • take the door off and replace the existing hinges with stronger hinges or replace old screws with new longer ones. (Old screws were steel without protection, so the threads may have rusted off and damaged timber around the existing screw holes.)

  • you can find more help in the BRANZ publication Good Repair Guide: Hinges

Back to top

Cause

Glue and/or joint failure of timber frame or door frame joints 

Repair

  • if the door frame was built by a tradesperson in recent years, call them back to fix it

  • you will need to re-build the door frame so it is strong and square. Contact a joiner or carpenter for advice

Back to top