KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – MAKE YOUR DOOR CLOSE EASILY AND PROPERLY

KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – MAKE YOUR DOOR CLOSE EASILY AND PROPERLY

A lot of rain or humidity can make a door stick. Chances are the problem is at the top of the door. The wood can swell and make closing difficult. Take some powder and sprinkle on the entire top of the door. Close the door until you feel resistance. Look at the powder on top of the door. Where the door first starts rubbing it will show some of the powder scraped away. This is the high spot. You can remedy by planing scraping or sanding. Sometimes you need a combination of all three. Take off small amounts but further along the top than you think is necessary.

Sometimes the hinge is the problem. If screws are stripped the hinge can loosen. Buy longer screws. You can also fill the holes with a couple of toothpicks covered with wood glue to adhere to the old screws to make them fit.

Especially in older homes we have paint buildup problems. Over the years a door may be painted many times resulting in a thicker door prone to sticking. Use rough sandpaper or a scraper to remove excess paint then smooth with less coarse sandpaper. This causes problems along the sides and bottoms too.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO