Fixing a Sticky Door

There is something annoying about a door that won't open and shut easily. We call this a sticky door. A general rule of thumb for keeping a door from sticking in the jamb is that the reveal - basically the space between the door and the jamb - should be 1/8 to 3/16 inch wide. This is the same as the thickness of a nickel. Here's what you should do if you run into this problem:

First, you should check for loose hinges and reattach properly. If this doesn't solve the problem you should then deepen the hinge mortises. You do this to avoid disassembling the doorknob. You'll want to remove the hinges so you can chisel their mortises 1/8 inch deeper - the same amount you will plane from the door's edge.

Now, you'll move on to planing the door. If your door has lead paint on it, you will first want to use a chemical stripper, to avoid having hazardous particles being released into the air while planing. Now, run the plane at a slight angle in long, smooth strokes along the length of the door. The plane iron will leave the edges sharp, so you will need to round them down with sandpaper to better accept the paint.

Now, test what you've done, by sliding the hinges back into the mortises, to make sure they are flush with the door's edge. Then, take the hinges back out and prime and then paint the edge you just worked on.

Your last step is to rehang the door once the paint is dry. Reattach the hinge leaves, put the door back in place and screw everything back together.

And there you have it! A door that no longer sticks, all fixed without the help of a professional door repairman.