Every August, my bathroom door stops closing. It sticks at the top corner, and I have to hip-check it shut like I am in a movie. For two summers I blamed the house, then I learned the actual cause: humidity swells the wood, and the door just needs a little help. The fix took me twenty minutes and a sanding block.

Why Doors Stick in Summer

Wood absorbs moisture from humid air and expands. The door gets slightly bigger, and the frame gets slightly tighter, especially on the hinge side where the gap is smallest. The result is a door that catches near the top or bottom.

Step One: Find the Sticking Spot

1. Open the door partway and look at the gap between the door and the frame.
2. Run a piece of paper along the edges. Where it catches, you have your spot.
3. Check both the latch side and the hinge side. Most sticks are on the latch side.
4. Mark the spot with a pencil.

Step Two: Tighten the Hinges First

Before you sand anything, check the hinge screws. A loose hinge changes the angle of the door and makes it drag. Tighten every screw with a screwdriver. If a screw spins freely, the hole is stripped, so push in a toothpick with wood glue, let it dry, and try again.

Step Three: Sand the Marked Spot

1. Wrap a sanding block with 100-grit sandpaper.
2. Sand the marked edge of the door, not the frame.
3. Work in long strokes, checking the fit every few passes.
4. Stop the moment the door closes without sticking.
5. Wipe the dust off and seal the bare wood with a little paint or clear coat.

Things I Got Wrong the First Time

Do not sand the frame. I sanded the frame in year one, and it fixed nothing because the frame is not what moves. The door expands, so the door gets sanded.

Do not take off too much. Sand a little, test, sand again. If you remove a quarter inch, the door will rattle in winter when the wood shrinks back.

Do not forget the top edge. If the door sticks at the top, it is the top edge that needs sanding, not the side. Check both before you start.

The Wax Trick for Minor Sticks

If the door only catches slightly, rub a candle or bar of soap along the rubbing edge. It lubricates the contact point and gets you through the humid weeks without sanding. I use this as a quick fix in June, then do the real sanding in August if it gets bad.

When to Call a Pro

If the door sticks after sanding and hinge work, the frame may have settled and gone out of square. That is a bigger job involving shimming the frame, and it is worth having a carpenter look at it.

My bathroom door closes with a clean click now. Twenty minutes and a sanding block, and I did not have to replace a single hinge.