Door swelling?

[Delar]

You don't have to put up with it. The alternative is to adjust the frame so that it doesn't stick. But perhaps unnecessary work if it only happens in extreme cases. That's for you to decide.

The movement is just a couple of millimeters, nothing you can see with the naked eye.

How do I adjust the frame?

 

[cpalm]

How do I adjust the door frame?

In the best case, the door frame is mounted with some kind of frame screw, which makes it possible to readjust the frame. There are a few different systems. They all share some sort of plastic or wood plugs that cover the screw.

In the worst case, the frame is wedged against the wall, and then the molding must be removed and the wedges adjusted.

Before attempting this, make sure there are no other issues, such as with the hinges as others have mentioned above. And let's hope it can be adjusted without affecting the surface finish.

 

[Delar]

In the best case, the frame is mounted with some sort of frame screw, which makes it possible to adjust the frame afterward. There are different systems. The common feature is that you have some sort of plastic or wooden plugs that conceal the screw.

In the worst case, the frame is wedged against the wall, and then the molding must be removed and the wedges adjusted.

Before attempting this, make sure that there is no other issue such as with the hinges, as others mention above. And you hope that it can be adjusted without damaging the surface.

There are two or three holes in the frame with plastic plugs, and I guess those are frame screws?

There is nothing wrong with the hinges.

 

[cpalm]

There are two or three holes in the frame with plastic plugs, and I assume these are frame screws?

Yep. Remove a plug and see what type of screw you have inside. A picture would probably help.

 

[Delar]

Yep. Remove a plug and see what type of screw you have inside. A picture would probably help.

Isn't a large screwdriver enough?

 

[cpalm]

Isn't a large screwdriver enough?

Depends. Usually, you need a special key.

 

[Delar]

Depends. Usually, you need a special key.

Can you link to such a key?

 

[cpalm]

Can you link to such a key?

Here is an example of one of the most common, but unfortunately, there are different keys for different systems.
https://www.essve.com/sv/produkter/...behor/verktyg/universalnyckel-karmskruv-un-t/

 

[g.kraft]

Or is it just here on the forum that there are myths about swollen doors? At work, we have wooden doors, no swollen ones though. Wherever you go to restrooms, you will find wooden doors, and I've never seen swollen doors. But as you guys say, is it something we should just accept every year and say, it's humid this year, so we'll have to deal with swollen doors that you can't close unless you pull with force.

Of course, it's not a myth; wood swells when exposed to moisture. It's a good thing, otherwise, the Vikings would have drowned before they reached their destination. Not to mention how much beer and whiskey would be lost in leaking barrels.

If you measure the gap between the frame and a wooden door in the middle of winter with a feeler gauge, I could swear the gap is smaller at the end of summer. There should be enough clearance so the door still closes nicely.

Then again, it's not certain that this is the problem you have. As I wrote, it can be due to them sagging. You need to check if there's an even gap around the door.

I've personally experienced doors that couldn't even close after the frame and door absorbed moisture. In that case, a leaking pipe behind a wall-mounted toilet was the culprit. The door closes nicely now that it's dry, and I haven't adjusted it, just fixed the actual problem.

 

[AndersS]

Very common for doors and windows to be affected depending on the season. So frames, hinges, or the door itself may need to be adjusted, all depending on the material of the door. You can see similar effects with mitered moldings and floors where flooring should be laid with a gap from walls or other fixed objects. For example, a heavy bookshelf anchoring a floating floor may cause it to separate at the joints or lift it upwards, causing it to flex. So nothing new with materials changing depending on humidity.

 

[Delar]

Here is an example of one of the most common, but unfortunately, there are different keys for different systems.
[link]

That's how it looks.

 

[Delar]

Of course, it's no myth, wood swells when exposed to moisture. Lucky for us, otherwise the Vikings would have drowned before they got anywhere. Not to mention how much beer and whiskey would be lost in leaking barrels.

If you measure the gap between the frame and the door of a wooden door in the middle of winter with a feeler gauge, I dare swear that it's a smaller gap by late summer. Then there must be some clearance so the door still functions smoothly.

However, as mentioned, it's not certain that this is the problem you're facing. As I wrote, it might be due to them sagging. You need to check if there's an even gap all around the door.

I've experienced doors that couldn't even be closed after the frame and door absorbed moisture. In that case, a leaking pipe behind a wall-mounted toilet was the culprit. The door closes just fine now when it's dry, and I haven't adjusted it, just addressed the root problem.

I've checked if the screws are loose or if the door is crooked or if there are other factors, but no hardware is loose. Two doors are catching hard, I guess it's around 4 mm.

 

[Pyka]

This summer has been unique in our case with an elevated moisture content compared to previous summers.
Extremely high relative humidity. Doors, gates that have swollen more than normal. More than normal relative humidity in the basement compared to previous years. Have used dehumidifiers more than in previous years.

 

[Demmpa]

That's how it looks.

You need to remove the remnants of the plug around the edge of the hole.

But it's probably a "regular" screw in the hole and wedges between the frame & wall (stud).
The screw is very far out (near the door leaf) for it to be a frame sleeve.
But it could potentially be the wrong type of screw so that the screw is on the edge of the frame sleeve.