5 Common Door Problems & Solutions for Them

Identifying the most common door problems and solutions may help you find the answer if your door is sticking, squeaking, or refusing to close properly. Door problems can be frustrating and inconvenient and interfere with the everyday function and flow of your home.

Many common door issues have simple solutions that don’t require door replacement. Others can be prevented by opting for modern interior doors. Diagnosing and fixing door problems promptly will restore their smooth operation and unimpeded passage throughout your interior.

1. Sticking Doors

A sticking door is one of the most common door problems. It can occur for various reasons. Sometimes a door sticks because of a simple problem like a dirty hinge. Try these solutions:

• Clean the hinges. This may stop the door from sticking.
• Tighten the hinges. If the door feels wobbly or unstable, the hinges have probably come loose. Tighten them with a screwdriver and see if the problem resolves.
• If that doesn't work, check the door jamb. You may need to add some space by sanding down the door.
• If neither of these solutions works, you may have various sticking points. In this case, you may need to sand down various places on the door or frame.

Be Mindful of the Impact of Weather on Wooden Doors

Wooden doors expand and contract with the weather in some regions. A door that is sticking due to expansion may contract and work smoothly again when the weather cools down. In this case, it’s advisable not to sand down the door as the gap could end up being too large and allow drafts through during the cold season.

Check Your Door Installation

Sometimes a door rubbing against the frame or floor can indicate that it wasn't installed properly. When this happens, you may not be able to close the door properly. In this case, try realigning the door or contracting professional door installation services for a definitive solution. When choosing new doors, choose prehung doors over slab doors for easier installation.

2. Problems with Door Hinges

Door hinge problems can occur with traditional swinging doors. This can cause significant problems as hinges play a pivotal role in the door's ability to open and close properly. The good news is that squeaky or loose hinges are easy to repair even for DIY laymen.

Loose Hinges

A door's hinges can become loose over time as a result of natural wear and tear. If you see a loose hinge, tighten any loose hinge screws with a manual or electric screwdriver.

Squeaky Hinges

A squeaking door is a common door problem and one of the easiest to fix. Take some WD-40 or silicone spray and lubricate the entire hinge, including the hinge pins and the tops of the pin slots.

If your door keeps squeaking even after lubricating the hinges, replace the hinge. If it's old and/or rusty, it may be time for a new hinge

Top Tip: Leave Traditional Swinging Doors in the Past!

Sliding doors like magic doors are modern, hingeless alternatives to the traditional swing door. Magic doors slide along a concealed rail to reveal the threshold behind them.

Magic doors are ideal solutions for homes where space-saving, minimalism, and chic design are key priorities. Sliding doors also avoid common problems associated with swing doors including hinge problems and slamming doors.

3. Your Door Won't Close Properly

Doors that don't latch properly won't stay closed and you will find that the door swings open by itself. Instead of trying makeshift solutions like wedging it shut with a heavy object, check how well the door fits the door’s frame. A door that doesn't close properly has various potential solutions:

• You may need to install longer screws. 
• Try readjusting the strike plate up or down. It must align perfectly with the door latch to latch perfectly.
• Install new door hardware options to fix the problem and breathe new life into your door.

4. A Drafty Door

A drafty door can be uncomfortable, especially in the winter months. A drafty door will also impact your energy bills as you'll need to use your heating system more often to regulate the temperature. Optimizing your energy usage is particularly important seeing that electricity prices have risen by an annual average of 7% between 2021 and 2023 in the U.S., with another 1% year-on-year increase expected for 2024.

Fixing a drafty door requires pinpointing how drafts are entering. Move your hand around the door frame to identify where the draft is coming in. The solution will depend on whether drafts are coming in under the door or through gaps around the sides. Possible problems and their solutions include the following:

An Uneven Floor

Drafts can enter if your floor is uneven—even if you install your door perfectly. The same is true if you leave a gap between the bottom of the door and the threshold.

This problem is easily solved by installing a door sweep. Door sweeps are thin strips of plastic or metal that are attached to the bottom of an interior door. This simple solution seals the gap by sweeping along the threshold as you close the door. For a drafty exterior door, you may need to replace the weatherstripping.

Gaps Between the Door and the Frame

Gaps can form between the door and the frame when doors aren’t installed properly or in especially cold weather. The easiest way to narrow the gap between the door and the frame is to pad out the hinges. This narrows the gap on the latch side. 

5. A Warped Door

Warping is a distortion in wood that happens when the fibers change unevenly over time. This leads to distortion in the shape of the wood and can cause cracking or splitting. Though there are ways to solve a warped door, prevention is the best course of action. You can reduce the likelihood of your doors warping by:

• Choosing high-quality wooden doors: Oak, mahogany, maple, cherry, and walnut are more resistant to warping than other kinds of wood. 
• Apply a sealant or wood finish: This will protect the door from moisture and heat infiltration to an extent. At Trendy Doors, we can apply up to seven layers of Sherwin-Williams enamel to our modern interior doors (on request) to make them more durable and damage-resistant.
• Regular maintenance: Nip any problems with warping in the bud before they worsen.

Fix Your Doors to Save Energy and Improve Functionality

Addressing common door problems is often something you can do simply and easily. By understanding typical issues and their solutions, you can get your interior doors working properly again and enhance your home's overall comfort.

Remember, strategic door selection and proper maintenance are key to preventing future problems. Contact a professional if you are unable to resolve your door problems yourself to restore functionality and prevent the problems from worsening.