How to Fix a Sticking Door or Misaligned Hinge

Sticking doors are one of the most common complaints in Florida homes. Humidity swells wood, house settling shifts frames, and loose hinges let doors sag — all of which cause that frustrating drag when you open or close a door. The good news: most sticking doors can be fixed in 15–30 minutes with a screwdriver and maybe a 3-inch screw.

What Causes a Door to Stick?

Three main culprits:

• Humidity swelling — Florida humidity causes wood doors to absorb moisture and expand. This is why doors often stick in summer and swing freely in winter
• Loose hinges — the most common and easiest-to-fix cause. When hinge screws loosen, the door sags and rubs against the frame or floor
• House settling — Florida's sandy soil and slab foundations shift over time, which can rack door frames slightly out of square

How Do I Fix Loose Hinges?

Start here — loose hinges cause the majority of sticking doors.

1. Open the door and examine the top hinge. If the door sticks at the top on the latch side, the top hinge is probably sagging
2. Tighten all the screws in the top hinge — both the door side and the frame side
3. If the screws spin without tightening (the holes are stripped), replace one of the short hinge screws with a 3-inch screw. This longer screw reaches through the door jamb and into the wall stud behind it, pulling the hinge snug
4. Test the door. In many cases, one 3-inch screw in the top hinge solves the problem completely

What If Tightening Hinges Does Not Fix It?

If the hinges are tight and the door still sticks, identify exactly where it is rubbing. Close the door slowly and look for the contact point — top corner, bottom edge, latch side, or hinge side. You can also slide a piece of paper around the door edge to find tight spots.

Shimming a hinge can adjust the door's position within the frame. Remove the hinge from the frame side, place a thin cardboard shim (cut from a cereal box) behind the hinge leaf, and re-mount. This pushes the door slightly away from that hinge, which can clear a rub on the opposite side.

When Do I Need to Plane the Door?

Planing — shaving wood from the edge of the door — should be your last resort. If the door sticks even with tight hinges and proper shimming, it may need a small amount of material removed. Here is how:

1. Mark the rubbing area with pencil
2. Remove the door from its hinges (tap the hinge pins out from below with a screwdriver and hammer)
3. Secure the door on its edge and plane the marked area with a hand plane or belt sander — remove small amounts at a time
4. Rehang the door and test
5. Seal the planed edge with primer and paint to prevent moisture re-absorption

How Do I Fix a Latch That Does Not Catch?

If the door closes but the latch does not click into the strike plate, the door has shifted relative to the frame. Quick fixes:

• Adjust the strike plate — loosen the screws, shift the plate toward the latch, and re-tighten
• File the strike plate opening — if the latch misses by a small amount, use a metal file to enlarge the opening slightly
• Replace the strike plate with an adjustable model — these have a sliding tab that lets you fine-tune the catch position

Should I Fix It Myself or Call a Pro?

Tightening hinges and adjusting strike plates are solid DIY tasks. Planing a door, rehinging after removal, and dealing with multiple sticking doors throughout the house is where a professional saves time. Our door and trim service handles sticking doors, sagging hinges, latch alignment, and weatherstrip replacement — often fixing several doors in a single visit.

Tired of fighting sticking doors every summer? Contact us and we will adjust, shim, or plane as needed so every door in your house swings smoothly year-round.