A door that rubs the frame is almost never a door problem. The frame moved, the house settled, or it was never square to begin with.

I spent an hour sanding the top corner of a sticking door before I realized the gap at the bottom was three times wider than the gap at the top.

Diagnose before you fix

Open the door halfway and look at the gap between the door edge and the frame on the hinge side. It should be even from top to bottom.

A gap that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom means the frame is racked. That is a different fix than a door that is simply swollen from humidity.

The cheap fix: shim the hinges

Sometimes the frame is fine and the hinges are set too deep. Pull the screws from the top hinge, slip a thin piece of cardboard behind the hinge plate, and screw it back in.

That small change tips the door enough to clear the rub. It takes five minutes and costs nothing, so try it before anything else.

The real fix: adjust the stop

Door stops are the thin strips of trim on the frame that the door closes against. They are usually nailed in and can be pried off and moved.

1. Score the paint line with a knife so you do not tear the wall.
2. Pry the stop off with a stiff putty knife.
3. Move it a quarter inch and re nail it in place.
4. Check the fit and repeat if needed.

When the frame is truly out of square

Check with a level and a framing square. If the head jamb is not level, you are looking at a two hour job with a pry bar and shims, or a call to a carpenter.

One more thing worth checking first. A door can swell from moisture and shrink again in a dry season. If it is August and the door sticks, wait until November before you take anything apart.