Why does my door stick in summer but work fine in winter?

This is seasonal humidity swelling. Wood doors absorb moisture from the air and expand during Tampa Bay's wet season (June through September), when outdoor humidity regularly exceeds 70 percent. The same door may fit perfectly during the dry season (October through May) and bind significantly by July. The fix is planing or sanding a small amount from the binding edge and immediately sealing the exposed wood to reduce future moisture absorption. If the door sticks equally throughout the year, the cause may be a loose hinge or a settled frame rather than seasonal humidity.

Can I sand my door down myself, or do I need a handyman?

Minor sanding is DIY-accessible if you can clearly identify the binding location. The most important step -- one most homeowners skip -- is sealing the newly sanded edge immediately to prevent faster moisture absorption in the next wet season. If the door needs to come off its hinges for planing (heavy solid-core doors or bottom-edge work), that adds complexity. A handyman can diagnose the cause, correct it properly, and seal all six door surfaces in a single visit that typically takes under two hours.

How do I tell if my sticking door is humidity swelling or house settling?

Humidity swelling typically appears or worsens noticeably from May through summer and then improves in the dry season. A door that sticks the same way year-round, or that has gradually worsened over several years with no seasonal variation, is more likely a settling issue. Quick check: use a level on the vertical door frame members. If the frame is visibly out of plumb, settling is probably involved. Settling issues need hinge or frame adjustment work rather than sanding the door itself.

My door closes fine but the latch won't catch. What is wrong?

Latch-only problems without binding are almost always a strike plate alignment issue. The latch bolt needs to slide into the hole in the strike plate on the door jamb -- if that hole no longer lines up with the latch position due to minor settling or hinge shift, the latch cannot engage. The fix is either filing the strike plate opening slightly larger or removing and repositioning the plate with the old screw holes filled. This is a quick repair, typically under 30 minutes, that does not require removing the door.

Sticky Doors in Tampa Bay: Why Doors Swell in Florida and How to Fix Them

Why Do Doors Stick in Tampa Bay?

Wood is a hygroscopic material -- it absorbs moisture from the surrounding air and expands as it does. In Tampa Bay, where outdoor relative humidity stays above 70 percent from June through September and indoor humidity follows without consistent air conditioning, exterior doors and interior hollow-core doors made from wood-based materials expand seasonally. That expansion causes the door to bind in the frame, making it difficult to open, difficult to latch, or both.

The swing from dry-season conditions (October through May) to wet-season humidity (June through September) means wood doors expand and contract dramatically across the year. A door that fits perfectly in February may stick badly by July. Exterior doors absorb moisture from both sides -- warm humid air pushing in from outside and air that escapes around the frame from the interior. If the door's finish (paint or clear sealant) is failing on any of its six surfaces, moisture enters the wood fiber faster and the seasonal swelling is more pronounced.

Is It Humidity, or Something Else?

Before assuming humidity swelling is the cause, check a few other possibilities:

Loose or stripped hinge screws: Loose hinges allow the door to sag, which can make it drag along the bottom or bind in the corner diagonally opposite the hinge side. Tightening or replacing hinge screws with longer 3-inch screws that reach into the wall stud behind the jamb can fix the problem immediately without any door work at all.
House settling: Gradual foundation settling, especially in older Florida block homes, can shift the door frame out of square over time. A door where the gap between door and frame is visibly uneven, or one that sticks in patterns that do not change with the seasons, may be a settling issue.
Paint buildup: Multiple coats of paint on door edges over many years can accumulate enough material to cause binding. This shows up as a door that fit fine for years and then gradually became harder to close without a clear humidity season pattern.
Strike plate misalignment: A latch that no longer lines up with the strike plate hole is often caused by frame settling or door shifting. The door may close freely but fail to latch, or the latch bolt may catch on the plate edge rather than seating fully.

How to Identify Where the Door Is Binding

The most reliable method is to close the door slowly and feel and watch for the contact point. Common sticking patterns:

Upper corner drag (top of door, opposite hinge side): Almost always humidity swelling or a loose hinge causing sag. This is the most common pattern in Tampa Bay.
Bottom edge drag: Often settling-related -- the frame has shifted so the bottom of the door now rubs the threshold. Can also be caused by new flooring added over existing flooring raising the floor height.
Full-length resistance along the latch side: Indicates either severe humidity swelling of the door body or a strike plate alignment problem if the door closes but does not latch.
Consistent binding in all seasons: Points toward a structural issue (settling or hinge problem) rather than seasonal humidity.

Adjusting Hinges to Fix Mild Sticking

Hinge adjustment should be the first step when a door binds in the upper corner. Open the door and check whether any hinge screws are loose -- a single stripped screw can cause enough sag to create significant binding. Replace loose or stripped screws with 3-inch screws that anchor into the stud behind the jamb; this adds holding strength that short screws in soft jamb wood cannot provide.

If the hinges are tight but the door still sags, a small cardboard shim placed behind the lower hinge redirects the door body slightly toward the upper hinge, reducing the bind. This technique -- called shimming the hinge -- is a fast fix that often works without removing the door.

Planing and Sanding to Fix Humidity Swelling

When hinge adjustment does not fully resolve the sticking, or when seasonal swelling is clearly the cause, the door edge needs to be reduced by removing a small amount of material. The process:

Identify the binding area precisely by rubbing chalk or a soft pencil on the door jamb face and closing the door so the contact mark transfers to the door edge
Use a hand plane, belt sander, or electric planer to remove material from the marked areas in small passes -- check the fit frequently
Prime and seal all newly exposed bare wood immediately after removing material
Re-hang and test before final paint dries, checking both swing and latch alignment

The critical step most homeowners skip is sealing the planed edge. Bare, freshly planed wood absorbs moisture faster than finished wood, which accelerates swelling in the next wet season and can undo the fix. A properly sealed door edge -- on all six surfaces including the top and bottom -- is the best long-term protection against recurrence.

Strike Plate Adjustment for Latching Problems

When the door swings freely but the latch does not catch, the strike plate hole has shifted relative to the latch bolt position. Options:

For minor misalignment (less than 1/8 inch): file or chisel the edge of the strike plate opening slightly to give the latch room to seat. Takes about 10 minutes.
For larger shifts: remove the strike plate, fill the old screw holes with wood glue and toothpicks or a wood filler, let dry, and remount the plate in the correct position. More durable than filing for shifts over 1/8 inch.

When to Replace Rather Than Adjust a Door

Adjustment is the right fix for seasonal humidity issues and minor fitting problems. Replacement makes more sense when:

The door has significant rot at the edges or bottom -- adjustment does not address structural material failure
The door frame itself is out of square by more than half an inch, making a standard door difficult to fit without extensive shimming
An interior hollow-core door has been adjusted or repaired multiple times and no longer holds
The exterior door finish has failed completely and moisture damage extends through the body of the door
An energy efficiency, security, or aesthetic upgrade is the goal

Prevention: Keeping Doors from Sticking Season After Season

Seal all six surfaces of exterior doors -- top, bottom, and all four edges -- with paint or exterior sealant. The top and bottom are the most commonly missed surfaces and the first places moisture enters.
Keep weatherstripping in good condition to prevent warm, humid outdoor air from contacting the door body inside the frame cavity.
Maintain indoor humidity between 45 and 55 percent RH during the wet season with air conditioning and a dehumidifier if needed. This is good for the whole home, not just doors.
Repaint exterior doors on a regular schedule (every four to six years depending on sun exposure) and address any peeling before moisture has a chance to enter bare wood.