# Why Your Doors Stick in Summer: 5 Causes and How to Fix Each One > Doors sticking when it gets humid? The five most common causes, from swelling wood to loose hinges, and how to fix each one before you reach for a plane. - URL: https://www.bqhs.com/blog/home-repair/why-doors-stick-in-summer - Topic: Home Repair - Published: 2026-10-20 - Updated: 2026-11-04 - Author: The BQHS Team, Baeumler Quality Home Services (BQHS) ## Quick answer Doors usually stick in summer because humidity makes the wood swell, hinge screws have loosened, the frame has shifted as the house settles, layers of paint have built up on the edges or the latch and strike plate no longer line up. Lowering indoor humidity and tightening or adjusting the hinges fixes most sticking doors. A door that closed easily in January can start rubbing and sticking by July. It's one of the most common small repairs we see in Canadian homes. Wood takes in moisture from the air and gives it back. In a humid Canadian summer, doors and frames swell a little, and in the dry winter, they shrink again. Sometimes the swell just shows up a problem that was already there, like a loose hinge. Before you take a plane to the door, we recommend working through these five causes in order. The fix for most of them is simple. ## Practical Takeaways - Look at where the door rubs. It tells you a lot about the cause. - Check the hinge screws first. Loose hinges are one of the most common causes and the easiest to fix. - Keep indoor humidity in a healthy range, especially in basements and bathrooms. - Seal all six sides of a wood door when you paint it, including the top and bottom edges. - Only plane or sand a door as a last resort, and do it in summer when the wood is at its largest. ## First, find where it sticks Close the door slowly and watch the gap around it. On most doors, the gap should be even, about the thickness of a nickel, along the top and the latch side. Look for shiny, worn spots in the paint, which show exactly where the door is rubbing. Then use that to narrow down the cause. ## 1. Humidity is making the wood swell If the door sticks all the way around, only in summer, and is fine again in winter, humidity is the most likely cause. You'll see it most on bathroom doors, basement doors and older wood doors. The fix starts with the air. Try to keep [indoor humidity between 30% and 50%](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/addressing-moisture-mould-your-home.html), and a dehumidifier or air conditioning will usually bring it down. Run the bathroom fan during and after showers. Then check the edges of the door. Many doors are painted on the front and back but never sealed on the top and bottom, so moisture gets in there. Take the door off its hinges, let it dry out on a dry day and seal the top and bottom edges with paint or a clear sealer. ## 2. The hinge screws have come loose If the door rubs at the top corner on the latch side, or drags on the floor, the door is probably sagging. That usually means the hinge screws, especially on the top hinge, have worked loose over time. - Open the door and check every hinge screw with a screwdriver. - Tighten any that are loose. - If a screw just spins, the hole is stripped. Replace it with a longer screw, about 7.5 cm (3 inches), that reaches through the frame into the wall stud behind it. A longer screw in the top hinge pulls the whole door back up and into place. ![Interior door in a bright hallway](https://whhcdpfddpbfzglzpays.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public_media/blog/2026/why-doors-stick-in-summer/why-doors-stick-in-summer-2.webp) ## 3. The frame has shifted Houses move. New homes settle as the framing dries out, and older homes shift slowly with the seasons. When the door frame moves even slightly, the gap around the door closes up on one side. You'll usually notice an uneven gap: wide at the top on one side and tight on the other. If you've recently moved into a new build, this kind of movement is common in the first year or two, along with [nail pops and small cracks](https://www.bqhs.com/blog/new-home-ownership/first-winter-new-build-myths). Small shifts can often be fixed by adjusting the hinges. A thin shim behind a hinge leaf can move the door just enough to clear the frame. If the frame itself is out of square, or the door is binding badly, it's time to have the [door and frame adjusted](https://www.bqhs.com/services/carpentry-and-finishing/windows-doors-and-trim) by a pro. ## 4. Too much paint on the edges Doors in older homes may have been painted many times over the years. Each coat adds a little thickness, and eventually the door and the frame rub. You'll often see paint sticking to paint where they meet. The fix is to remove the extra layers. Scrape or sand the edges of the door and the inside of the frame where they rub, then repaint with one thin coat. Let the paint dry completely before closing the door, or it will stick again. ## 5. The latch and strike plate don't line up Sometimes the door closes fine but won't latch, or you have to push hard or lift it to get it to catch. That usually means the latch on the door no longer lines up with the strike plate on the frame. Look closely at the strike plate. You'll often see a scratch mark showing where the latch is hitting. If it's only off by a little, you can file the opening in the strike plate slightly larger. If it's off by more, the strike plate can be moved, or you can fix the real cause, which is often a sagging door from cause 2 we mentioned earlier. Replacing worn [door hardware](https://www.bqhs.com/services/installations-and-assembly/hardware-installation) can help too, especially on doors that get a lot of use. On exterior doors, new weatherstripping that's too thick can also make the door hard to close and latch. In that case, a thinner or more flexible weatherstrip usually solves it. ## When planing is the answer If you've worked through all five causes and the door still sticks, it may need to be trimmed. Do it in summer, when the wood has swelled to its largest, and take off only a little at a time. Seal any bare wood right away, or the same problem will come back. ![Technician tightening door hinge screws with a cordless drill](https://whhcdpfddpbfzglzpays.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public_media/blog/2026/why-doors-stick-in-summer/why-doors-stick-in-summer-3.webp) ## Small fixes, done on time A sticking door is a small repair, but it's easy to put off until it won't close at all. With a [BQHS membership](https://www.bqhs.com/memberships), small fixes like an adjusted hinge or a sticking door can often be taken care of during your regular visit. Disclaimer: This article is general information for homeowners. Removing and rehanging doors can be heavy work, so get help when taking a door off its hinges. If a door, frame or wall shows large cracks or keeps shifting, have it checked by a qualified professional. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Why do my doors stick in summer but not in winter? Humid summer air makes wood doors and frames absorb moisture and swell. In the dry winter, they shrink again. Lowering indoor humidity and sealing the door's edges usually helps. ### How do I fix a door that rubs at the top? Check the top hinge first. If the screws are loose or stripped, replace one or two with longer screws that reach into the wall stud. That usually pulls the door back into place. ### Should I sand or plane a sticking door? Only as a last resort. Check humidity, the hinges, the frame, paint build-up and the latch first. If you do plane it, do it in summer and seal the bare wood right away. ### What humidity should my home be in summer? Health Canada recommends keeping indoor relative humidity between 30% and 50%. A dehumidifier or air conditioning can help in humid weather. ### Why won't my door latch? The latch and strike plate probably don't line up anymore, often because the door has sagged. Tighten the hinges, then adjust or file the strike plate if needed. ### Is a sticking door a sign of foundation problems? Usually not. Most sticking doors are caused by humidity, loose hinges or normal settling. If several doors suddenly stick and you see large cracks in walls or the foundation, have it checked by a professional.