Sign: doors and windows
Doors and windows that stick or won't latch
A door frame is a rectangle. If the floor under one side of it sinks, the rectangle leans and the door starts to catch. Summer humidity in Orlando does a good imitation of the same thing, so the pattern matters more than the sticking.
Humidity or movement?
Wooden doors swell in the wet months and ease again in winter. That kind of sticking comes and goes with the season and turns up all over the house.
Movement in the foundation leaves marks that stay:
- The gap above the door is a wedge: tight at one corner, open at the other.
- The latch bolt no longer lines up with the strike plate. It sits higher or lower than it used to.
- A door swings open or shut by itself.
- A crack runs up and away from a top corner of the frame.
- Several doors or windows along the same wall changed at about the same time.
- A sliding glass door drags at one end of its track and rolls easily at the other.
Aluminium windows set in block walls give an early warning. They have little tolerance, so a small twist in the opening is enough to make a sash bind or a lock miss.
Other reasons a door sticks
| Cause | How it usually shows |
|---|---|
| Swelling in the humid season | Rubs along the latch edge in summer, fine in winter |
| Loose or worn hinges | Door sags toward the latch side; hinge screws turn without biting |
| Fresh paint or new flooring | Started right after the work was done |
| Worn rollers on a sliding door | Grinds along the whole track, not at one end |
| A roof or plumbing leak wetting the frame | Stained, soft or swollen wood near the trouble spot |
A handyman or carpenter deals with these. They are not foundation work.
What a company looks at
On a visit about doors and windows, expect the person to open and close each one, sight along the tops of the frames and then put a level on the floor through the doorway. They compare what the doors are doing with any cracks close by. A row of leaning frames that all point toward one corner of the house is the kind of pattern that leads to a closer look at the footing under that corner.
Planing a door so it closes is fine as a stopgap. Note how much came off and when. If it needs planing again within a year, say so on the phone.
Common questions about sticking doors
Only one bedroom door sticks. Is that worth a call?
One door with no cracks around it, no slope in the floor and no change in nearby windows is more likely a hinge or humidity problem. If you can see a wedge-shaped gap above it or a new crack leaving the frame, describe that and ask for an inspection.
Our windows get hard to open after the summer rains. Why then?
Most of the year's rain in Orange County falls from June through September. Wood swells, and wet sand at a slab edge can shift where roof water lands. Either can bind a window, which is why an inspector asks about timing and drainage.
Ready to have the house looked at?
Only someone standing at the house can tell you what is going on under it. Call, explain what you have noticed, and ask for an inspection.
Describe the problem, book an inspection
Say where the cracks or dips are and when you first saw them. The independent local foundation repair company you reach can set a time to look at the house.
Call (407) 598-8829The call may be recorded. See how referrals are paid for and what happens to your details.