New Wood Door Dropping ?

[topgazza]

I hung a rear access door on my son's garage and it is a good quality door with a single pane of safety glass and plywood panel. It cut to size really well and looks a good solid construction. The door frame was a bit out of shape so I had to adjust the hinges with some shims but otherwise all seemed well. The door was primed, twice and had 3 coats of topcoat

However a week or so later he complained that the door was sticking. It was, at the bottom. The bottom hardwood sill was a bit damaged anyway so I sanded it down which also gave the door some clearance and once again it shut OK. But the same has happened again with the door sticking at the bottom.

He says the gap at the top is the same but I need to check that. I didn't think the hinges/screws were loose so couldn't see why the door would expand at that rate and only at the bottom. Before I go back any advice or pointers would be appreciated please as to what to check. I'll check there is no movement up or down in the door but unless the frame is a bit soft can't think why the door would drop...if thats the case. Happy to plane a feww mm off the bottom which may be my only option or even cut the hinges in the door a bit lower by a few mm and see if that does it.

 

[lostinthelight]

Might be the wood on door or frame expanding due to moisture absorbtion, are the bottom of door and sill well covered?...sanding alone doesn't give as much clearance as one may think so better to go with whatever you are comfortable using to take more off with !
litl

 

[topgazza]

The frame has been repainted with exterior paint but I can't be sure what the frame was really like underneath. It looked OK but who can tell.

The original door was rotten in quite a few places. The previous owner was a minimilist when it came to diy and when he did do any it was utter rubbish. So I suspect the door frame/cill might be an issue. The Hardwood cill at the bottom looks in good condition and I retreated that after sanding with Ronseal. I am tempted to take 3-4 mm off that rather than the door using a sharp chisel and sand down and re varnish. Everything I touched in the house showed signs of zero maintenance in a house that is 30 years old. Nothing was painted properly where it had been done and the outside door on the garage had clearly been left to its own devices.

They had changed the lock at some time and used what looks like interior filler to fill the old locks hole which is where the moisture got in and rotted that whole area to mush. But I will give the whole door frame a light sand and coat with fresh paint again and do some work on the cill

 

[JohnD]

you did paint the bottom of the door, didn't you?

Can you give us a link to it?

 

[topgazza]

I did put an extra coat on the bottom of the door John and have rain strips across the top and the bottom so I would hope rain hasn't got in or any humidity. Its possible the hardwood cill was already "moist" so that may be flexing but being hardwood I hope not. Do you mean a link to the door on the website ?

https://tinyurl.com/yc94oysp

 

[JohnD]

I see it's dowelled construction with a made-up core. How much did you trim off? Was the bottom still solid rail, or core exposed?

 

[big-all]

have you checked for any slack in the frame to wall
if there is a gap on the drop side at the top between frame and wall try wedging something in there to stop the weight pulling the top hinge frame edge away from the wall

 

[topgazza]

I see it's dowelled construction with a made-up core. How much did you trim off? Was the bottom still solid rail, or core exposed?

About 6mm and it was still rail as far as I can remember. My son has checked and says the bottom of the door is still solid so nothing dropped in that respect. It is strange that its only the bottom that has "dropped" which did make me think of that or hinges are in soft wood but for them all to drop is odd.

have you checked for any slack in the frame to wall
if there is a gap on the drop side at the top between frame and wall try wedging something in there to stop the weight pulling the top hinge frame edge away from the wall

I will check that as well thank you. I know doors do swell and acclimatise once they are in and painted and hopefully its not much to shave off. But as before I am inclined to take it off the cill rather than potentially compromise the door.

 

[JohnD]

We really need to see photos of the whole door and frame, and details of the top, bottom and side gaps.

 

[topgazza]

I'll do that when I go back tomorrow or Friday John. The door frame itself is not perfectly square with a 5mm difference across the vertical from side to side so the door had to be tailored to fit the frame. Not unusual I'm sure but it did leave some widish gaps hence shimming the hinges. But side to side and the top fit OK its just that bottom catching. It sounds like something mechanical rather than wood expanding to be just one side but I'll need to have a look at it again. Its a shame because when I fitted it the door shut with a nice click and was weather sealed all round.

 

[foxhole]

Were all the cuts painted [hinge recess etc]?

 

[topgazza]

I didn't take any pictures because ...I think.... I've solved the problem. The hpouse and garage were built in 1986 and as I said before poorly maintained. I had the shim the hinges, all cuts painted, to make the door fit the frame properly. or so I thought on first fitting. Something has changed, not the actual door so it must be the frame. As today I removed the shims, took 3 mm off the cill as planned, and everthing fits perfectly. I have a nagging doubt that when the summer arrives it may change again. in which case I will replace the door frame but hopefully it wont need that. Thanks for everyones help