Yes, it can happen if your door is suddenly hard to open or close when it’s warming up. Materials expand, frames move slightly, and hinges bear more load in the summer than at any other time: These are all reasons why doors can stick. Thankfully, most stuck doors are easy to fix with a little common sense.
1) Swelling and expansion
How does a door relate to the temperature changes? Warm weather (or humidity) can cause some materials that make up your door to expand. While timber doors are more likely to swell, even composite and uPVC doors can be affected by temperature variations. For Windows and Doors Cardiff, contact choicetradeframes.co.uk/upvc-windows-doors/cardiff
You might notice:
Top corner of the door binding
Latching Side: A snug fit
The lock is becoming sticky
Expansion is a strong hint that the problem occurs with the weather.
The frame moves along with the alignment changes (that is a good thing).
Sometimes it is not the door. Frames might move slightly over time as buildings settle, as well as the door, especially if it has been hung a little too tightly already.
Common signs include:
Uneven gaps around the door
The door rubs the threshold
The latch does not keep unless you hold the handle. Unlocking only when the handle is raised or lowered.
And, if you have to force the handle down in order to lock it, you may want to look at ASAP, as forcing can wear on an internal mechanism.
2) Hinges loosening or dropping
The trouble might also be due to hinges that have loosened over the years, screws coming loose, or a door that has sagged from its own weight.
Quick checks:
Are hinge screws tight?
Does it move if you pick the door up slightly when it’s open?
Are hinge pins worn or stiff?
However, a simple refit of the hinges (or replacing any worn screws) is sometimes all that will be required to smooth out their closing.
What you can do (and when to call in the pros)
Lubricate the hinges and lock (preferably not a heavy grease).
The simplest way to find out where the door is catching on an edge or frame is to look for obvious rubbing marks.
If it is a new door, do not sand or plane until you have tried adjusting the door first.
If you encounter these failures, contact the installer or a locksmith:
The multi-point lock won’t engage
You have to slam the door
The door well is causing trips.
Bottom line
A warm-weather stick is typically due to expansion, a bit of misalignment, or movement in the hinges. It could be that a small adjustment now could help avoid an expensive repair further down the line.
