How to Fix a Door That Sticks

Tired of forcing your door open or shut? A sticking door can cause a lot of frustration, especially if it’s a commonly used door. Luckily, there are several easy ways to find the source of the sticking and resolve it quickly.

How to Fix a Door That Sticks

Gather Tools and Materials
Clean the Door and Lubricate Hinges
Tighten the Hinges
Tighten the Strike Plate
Add Longer Hinge Screws
Draw in the Door Jamb
Trim the Door
Replace the Door

In most sticking door cases, you don’t need to be a skilled handyman to fix the door. All you need is a few simple DIY skills, such as how to use a screwdriver and drill. However, if you don't feel comfortable with any of these steps at any time, you can always call a local handyman to help.

So, gather your materials, inspect the door, and follow our step-by-step instructions on how to fix a door that sticks.

Why Do Doors Stick?

Before we jump into how to fix a stuck door, it’s helpful to understand why doors stick. This information will help you find the exact sticking point and prevent your doors from sticking in the future.

Doors stick for many reasons. A wooden door could be swelling from moisture in the air, which causes it to rub against the door frame and door jambs. This often results in a squeaky door. Other times, the issue is as simple as a debris buildup on the door jambs.

Loose or stuck hardware, like hinges or the strike plate, can cause issues. Sagging hinges from a loose screw can make the door not fit properly in its frame. If the hinges are seized, they’ll need lubrication to loosen things up. If the strike plate has loose screws, then it won’t align with the door latch and cause the door to stick. If you have a door that won’t latch, the issue is usually a misaligned strike plate or loose hinges.

The doorframe itself could also cause a sticky door. For instance, consistent wear and tear can cause an old wood door frame to warp. The home’s foundation could even be the culprit for a sticking door if it has shifted out of place.

How to Inspect a Sticky Door

It’s important to inspect your sticky door before you start fixing it. That way, you’ll know where to start your door repair.

For example, you’ll want to look at the gap between the door and the door frame to see if there are areas where the gap is larger or smaller. This will show you whether you have a swollen door or if your door frame is damaged.

To check whether your hinges are weak or loose, gently move the door from side to side. If there’s play with your hinges, you’ll need to inspect and tighten them.

We recommend checking out our Parts of a Door article to familiarize yourself with common door terms. This will help you better understand the instructions.

How to Fix a Door That Sticks

Now that you know why doors stick and have inspecting the door, it's time to gather your materials and fix your sticky door once and for all.

1. Gather Tools and Materials

We recommend the following tools when it comes to fixing a stuck door:

Tarp or drop cloth
Bucket filled with warm, soapy water
Cloth
Lubricant
4-in-1 screwdriver
3-inch screws
Drill and drill bit set
Pencil
Hammer and nail
Belt sander or planer
Safety glasses
Table or sawhorses
Measuring square
Paint sponge or paintbrush
Wood varnish/Stain
Wood paint (if necessary)

2. Clean the Door and Lubricate Hinges

Start with the simplest step first: cleaning the door frame. If debris is causing your door to stick, you won’t need to mess with the door hinges or jambs. External doors, such as the front or patio door, are far more likely to accumulate grime than internal doors.

Lay out your drop cloth or tarp to protect the floor around the door. Clean the frame, door jamb, and door edge with a cloth and a bucket of warm soapy water. Wipe down the hinges to prepare them for lubrication.

After cleaning your door, lubricate the hinges. The best hinge lubricants include olive oil, petroleum jelly, dish or bar soap, silicone spray, or lithium grease.

Start with a little lubricant and rub it all over the metal hinges. Ensure the hinge knuckle and top of the hinge pin are fully lubricated. The door should be in its open position for this step.

After applying the door hinge lubricant, swing your door open and closed to see if that fixes the sticking. If your door is still sticking, you’ll need to move on to the next step.

3. Tighten the Hinges

Now it’s time to tighten your hinges. Something as simple as a loose screw can cause your door to sag and stick to the frame or door stop.

Tighten each of your hinge screws with a screwdriver. Do not use a drill for these screws. Hinge screws are usually short, and the force of the drill could cause them to strip out the hole.

If one of the screws keeps spinning when trying to tighten it, that means you have a stripped screw. This could be the source of the problem. If that’s the case, you’ll want to move directly to step five.

After tightening the hinge screws, check to see if the door sticks. If it still isn’t fixed, move on to the next step.

4. Tighten the Strike Plate

A loose strike plate could stick out from the frame, causing your door to get stuck. Tighten the strike plate screws like you did with the hinge screws. Again, use a handheld screwdriver for this step rather than a drill. In this scenario, a screwdriver gives you more control and accuracy than a drill.

5. Add Longer Hinge Screws

If you find stripped screws while tightening the hinges or strike plate, you may want to replace them with a longer screw.

First, take the stripped screws out. Then, using a drill, replace them with three-inch screws. Drill the screw into the screw hole until the screw head is tight against the hinge. Be careful not to drill it too far, as you don’t want the screw to cut into the metal hinge. To ensure the screw is tight, use a screwdriver to give it another quarter turn.

As you can see, the old hinge screws are quite short. Longer screws go deep into the door jamb and reinforce the door hinge and strike plate.

After replacing the hinge or strike plate screws, check to see if the door sticks. If it’s still having problems, move on to the next steps.

6. Draw in the Door Jamb

In older homes, it’s common for the door frame to loosen or become misaligned. This can affect the door jambs, causing them to slightly stick out. When this happens, it causes your door to stick.

The door jamb is inside the door frame and only visible when the door is open. The jambs, located on both sides, are structural parts that support the entire frame.

To fix this, you can “draw in” the door jamb with a drill and three-inch screw. What you’re doing is tightening the jamb against the doorframe with a screw. This will help pull the entire door frame back into alignment.

Focus on the latch side of the door, opposite the hinges. Find where the door rubs against the frame the most. In the center of that spot, drill in a three-inch screw. You can add more screws along the door jamb of the latch side to reinforce the frame at multiple points.

With this method, you’ll have one or more screw heads visible in your doorframe. You can cover them with wood putty to give the frame a more seamless appearance. Once dried, sand down the filler and apply a wood stain/paint that matches the rest of your door frame.

7. Trim the Door

If you’ve tried all the steps above and your door is still sticking, you can trim the door edge. This is the best solution for a swollen door due to humidity. In order to trim the door, you’ll need to sand down or plane the edge of the door on the latch bolt side; not the hinge side.

This step requires you to take the door off the doorframe. You can use an orbital sander, belt sander, or planer. Consider contacting a door repair professional for help if you’re fully comfortable using these tools.

To start, use a pencil and a straight-edge ruler or masking tape to mark how much you need to sand off the door’s edge. Sand off about ⅛ of an inch; any more than that could create too wide a gap between the door and the frame.

Next, with the door closed, use a hammer and nail to knock out the hinge pins. Remove the door from the frame and carry it to your workstation. You might need someone to help lift and carry the door.

Lay the door down on a table or sawhorse. Use the orbital or belt sander to trim the door edge. Stop to check your work every so often to ensure the edge is straight and even. Sand up to the marked line, but stop before sanding into it.

After sanding down the edge, you’ll need to varnish or paint the sanded edge. This will help match the edge to the rest of the door and seal it from moisture. Allow your door to dry for 24 hours and then place it back on the doorframe.

7. Replace the Door

In cases like a damaged door frame, the best option is to buy a new pre-hung door. Pre-hung doors come with a door frame, so you replace both the door and the frame.

If you've tried all the steps above and your door still sticks, it's time to buy a replacement door (an