How to Fix a Door That Sticks or Won't Close Properly

Difficulty: Easy • Time: 30 min active, 45 min total • Estimated cost: $0-25 • Safety: DIY-friendly

Overview

A door that sticks, rubs against the frame, or won't latch properly is one of the most common and most annoying home problems. It becomes especially bad in summer when humidity causes wood to expand, or in older homes where settling has shifted the door frame out of square.

Before you pull out a plane or saw, know that 80% of sticking door problems are caused by one of two simple things: loose hinge screws or swollen wood — and most of those are fixed in under 15 minutes without removing the door. The instinct to immediately start sanding or planing is usually wrong; start with the hinges first.

This guide walks you through a systematic approach from the simplest fixes to more involved ones. You'll diagnose where the door is sticking, address the root cause, and end up with a door that opens and closes smoothly. We cover tightening hinges, repairing stripped screw holes, shimming hinges to realign the door, planing or sanding rubbing spots, and adjusting the strike plate so the door latches properly.

Note: if your door started sticking suddenly (especially after rain or high humidity), try the humidity first. Run a dehumidifier or let dry conditions prevail for a week — the door may resolve itself. Only do permanent modifications after confirming the sticking persists in dry conditions.

Tools Needed

Screwdriver (Phillips, #2)
Hand plane or electric sander (for planing sticking spots)
Hammer
Chisel (for strike plate adjustment)
Level
Pencil
Nail set

Materials Needed

Longer hinge screws (3" wood screws, #8) — $5-8
Wooden toothpicks or golf tees (for stripped holes) — $3
Wood glue — $5-8
Hinge shims (thin cardboard or commercial) — $5-10
Strike plate (if replacing) — $5-10

Step-by-Step Instructions

Diagnose exactly where the door sticks: Open and close the door slowly and watch where it makes contact with the frame. Look for shiny spots or worn paint on the door edge or door frame — these are the contact points. Rub a piece of chalk or crayon on the door edge, close the door firmly, and open it — the chalk marks on the frame reveal exactly where the contact is. Common contact zones: top corner of the latch side (usually a hinge problem), bottom of the door (settling or warped door), or along the latch edge (swelling or out-of-square frame).
Tighten all hinge screws first: This is the most important step and fixes the majority of sticking doors. A door that's sagging even 1/8" can rub against the frame. Open the door fully and tighten every screw in every hinge (usually 2-3 hinges, each with 4-6 screws on the door side and 4-6 on the frame side). If a screw spins without tightening — it's stripped. Fix stripped holes by removing the screw, pushing 2-3 toothpicks coated in wood glue into the hole, letting it dry 30 minutes, breaking them off flush, then re-driving the original screw. For better holding power, replace standard short hinge screws (3/4") with 3-inch screws that reach into the stud behind the frame — this transforms a wobbly hinge into a rock-solid one.
Shim a hinge to realign the door: If the door rubs on the hinge side of the frame, the hinge mortises (recesses) may be cut too deep. If it rubs on the latch side, the hinges may need to go slightly deeper. To shim a hinge (add material to push the door away from the frame on that side): remove the hinge from the frame side, cut a piece of thin cardboard the same shape as the hinge leaf, and place it in the mortise before reattaching the hinge. This shifts the door away from the frame at that hinge. Adding a shim to the top hinge tilts the latch side of the door upward; shimming the bottom hinge tilts it downward. Experiment with different combinations to get the door hanging evenly.
Plane or sand the sticking area: If hinge adjustments don't fully solve the sticking, you need to remove material from the door edge. For minor rubbing, coarse sandpaper (60-80 grit) on a sanding block or electric sander works well. For significant sticking, a hand plane removes material more efficiently and gives you more control. You can plane the door in place if you have room to swing it open — no need to remove it for minor work. Plane in the direction of the wood grain. Remove a little at a time and test the fit frequently. Remember: if the door sticks due to seasonal swelling, don't remove too much or it will be loose in winter.
Adjust or relocate the strike plate: If the door closes without sticking but the latch bolt doesn't engage the strike plate hole properly, the strike plate needs adjustment. Apply lipstick or chalk to the latch bolt, close the door, and open it — the mark shows exactly where the bolt is hitting. If the bolt hits too high, low, or to the side, try bending the strike plate slightly with a screwdriver, or file the strike plate opening to enlarge it in the direction needed. For major misalignment, remove the strike plate, chisel the mortise slightly in the new direction, and reinstall it in the correct position.
Seal the door edges to prevent future sticking: Once the door closes smoothly, seal the planed or sanded edges with paint or polyurethane to slow future moisture absorption. Unpainted wood absorbs humidity and swells much faster than sealed wood. This simple step significantly reduces how often the door will need adjusting. Pay particular attention to the bottom edge of the door, which is often left unpainted and absorbs the most moisture from the floor.

When to Call a Professional

Call a carpenter or contractor if the door frame itself is visibly out of square or bowed (you can check with a level), if there are cracks in the wall or ceiling near the door frame (could indicate foundation settling or structural movement — have a structural engineer assess), if multiple doors throughout the house started sticking at the same time (possible foundation issue), or if the door is a fire-rated exterior or fire door that requires precise fit for safety reasons.