Door Not Closing Properly In Summer

Over time screws used to hold a hinge in place start to work their way free causing the door to sag.

Door not closing properly in summer. Lipstick to the rescue to check if a door s latch and strike are out of alignment smear lipstick on the edge of the door s latch and stick masking tape to the strike plate. The moisture expands the wood making your doors too tight in their frames. If that doesn t solve the problem try this trick. The door frame changes shape and size as a result of humidity and ground movement.

Doors usually stick in summer when relative humidity is high. However something as simple as a loose screw may be the culprit. If a door refuses to shut or keeps swinging open first diagnose and fix the underlying problem then spray the hinges regularly with an oil based lubricant. As the weather changes it is not unusual for doors to stick or to not close.

As a result the door may scrape the door frame when closing or may no longer properly meet the latch side strike plate. Tighten the hinges first if you find that the latch contacts the strike plate too high or too low make sure all the door s hinge screws are tight. Check for door hinge issues. Wooden doors swell as humidity increases.

If your door will close but it won t latch see our article on doors that won t latch.