Sticking interior doors often connected to high humidity

Last Saturday I received a call from a homeowner handyman by the name of Jim.

Jim said the interior doors of his home would periodically stick when opening and closing them. He said it was freaky because it seemed to happen at odd times.

I asked Jim if he had condensation on any of the windows in the rooms where the doors were sticking. He said yes but not a lot. I explained to Jim the humidity in the room was to high making the wood on the doors to swell causing the doors to stick. I told him to crack his window about 1/8 of an inch which would release the moisture and in a day or two the sticking problem would disappear. He said he would try it. Jim called me Monday morning and thanked me for the cure to his problem. He assured me he would keep his window cracked in the future.

Doors, door jambs and window casing will swell if the humidity is too high in the home. This happens a lot in the winter because we close up our home trying to keep in the heat; however, with that heat comes humidity caused by showers, cooking, even our own breath. If we let this situation go on too long the hinges, jambs and striker plates will become loose.

If you have this problem, vent the humidity first. If your windows are free of fog, then check your door hinges. The screws may have come loose, if they have, tighten them up. If the screw will not tighten up, pull out the screw. Put some carpenter glue into the hole and insert a wooden match, toothpick or small stick into the hole, let it dry thoroughly. Once the glue is dry reinsert the screw and tighten.

If you have doors that are squeaky, spray a little silicone spray on them and the squeak will go away. This may sound strange but I like my entry doors of my home to squeak. This acts as an alarm system for me. I guess I lived in the city too long.

When cleaning with any cleaning product, always wear eye protection and rubber gloves to protect your hands. If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (208-255-2266) or toll free at 1-877-311-NWES. E-mail them to nwees@hughes. net  or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St. , Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do?  For more information about Ed’s company, check him out at NWESINC. COM.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified forensic, fire, flood, mold inspection and remediation contractor. Ed is the president of  Northwest Executive & Environmental Services, Inc.