Materials you'll need:

• Sandpaper
• Matchstick or toothpicks
• Cardboard Shim
• Heavy weights
• Saw trestles
• Chalk
• Bench or large box
• Penetrating Oil
• Padded timber off-cut
• Paint

Tools you'll need:

• Plane

A sticking door can be caused when the wood swells, a hinge loosens or even if the house settles slightly. If the door becomes more than a fraction out of alignment with the frame, it can be enough to cause problems. Unfortunately, most people grab a plane and start shaving away some wood. Although sometimes, there is no alternative to this, planning should be kept as the last resort. First, find out what is causing the door to stick.

This may be:
• Gaps between door and frame indicating “high spots”, often caused by over painting, especially over the hinges.

• Hinges that have worked loose.

• The door becoming out of true because moisture has swollen the wood or the house has settled, forcing the frame out of shape.

High spots.
Rubbing your hand over the paintwork on edges and rebate will tell you if there is a build-up causing sticking. Sandpaper down. If the door binds at the top, again find the high spot with your hand and sandpaper smooth. If the problem is severe, plane off excess wood. If the binding occurs at the bottom of the door, try pushing the door across a sheet of coarse abrasive sandpaper a couple of times.

Hinges.
If the problem seems to be the hinges, check all the screws to make sure they are tight. If the screws won’t hold because the holes have enlarged, wedge the door, remove the screw and insert pieces of toothpick or matchstick into the hole. The screw should then grip securely. For larger holes use wood filler and longer screws.

If the screws are tight enough, check to see where the door is rubbing. If the door is sticking at the top, add a small piece of cardboard, called a shim, to the bottom hinge. A piece of ordinary shirt board will do, inserted between the hinge and the doorjamb. Cut slots in the cardboard corresponding to the screws and you will only have to loosen them to insert the shim. This has the effect of pivoting the door so the top moves a little away from the jamb, straightening the door and hopefully, curing the sticking.

If it helps but does not solve the problem, loosen the screws again and add another thickness of cardboard.

If the door catches at the bottom, follow the same procedure but insert the cardboard shim in the top hinge to straighten the door.

Moisture swelling.
If the door is just too big for the frame it could be because the most important edge, the lower edge, has not been properly sealed. Most painters skip this bit, although it is the side most exposed to rain and weather. All edges must be well sealed. If the door has warped, remove from its hinges, set down on a hard flat surface and weight the warped spots, then hose the door all over. Let it dry out completely and the shape may be restored. If the frame is the problem, try placing a padded off cut of timber against the frame and hitting the padded timber several times with a hammer. Sometimes this will reset the frame enough for the door to open without sticking. If not you may have to resort to planning off some of the wood.

First, mark out the sticking sections with chalk. Tap out the hinge pins, removing the bottom pin first. Place the tip of a screwdriver under the pin and tap the screwdriver handle with a hammer. If the pin won’t budge, insert a punch into the bottom of the hinge and tap upwards. Penetrating oil also helps loosen stubborn pins.

Once the door is free, stand it on one long edge and anchor to a bench, wooden box or pole to keep it upright during planning. The latch side is slightly bevelled to prevent the edge from striking the frame when you close the door so, if possible, plane the hinge side. If you must plane the latch side, make sure you retain the bevel edge.

After planning all the chalked spots, put the door back on its hinges and test it. If it still sticks, repeat the planning process. Once the door fits properly, repaint the newly planed areas to protect against moisture penetration.