My wooden door swells in the heat, impossible to lock

[sparklaire]

Hello,

My wooden front door swells in the heat, and is impossible to lock until the sun has gone away/in the evening or from the inside. it has to be locked to shut properly.

Is there a screen or shading device which I can buy to stop this? Anyone have a similar issue? How have you dealt with it?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

the device you need is a plane.

Show us some pics of the door, frame, and the edge of the lock and its keep. Also the hinges (door open and door closed) as they might be loose or sagging.

When were the door and frame last painted?

 

[ree]

Cellulose wood fibre typically distorts, with heat. It sometimes shrinks especially if it was previously pretty damp.

Perhaps your wood door is distorting, and it would be helpful to do as suggested above?

Personally, i'm very cautious about planing doors that have been in place for some time. Again, as suggested above, distortion can create locking difficulties that present as though the door is jamming.

 

[dishman]

I had this with a front door that had been in place for many years. One year, maybe a quite wet one.....it began to stick at the top.

I sanded it and that fixed it......a few days later it would stick again.

Repeated light sanding....fixed...and yet again it began to stick again...

I solved it by sealing it with a varnish after sanding it.

The top edge of the door had never been painted. If it is not totally sealed then it may be more liable to swell.