How To Fix an Expanded Wood Door Quickly?  [In-Depth Guide]

Are you struggling to deal with expanding wood door issues? You’re in the right place to learn how to fix an expanded wood door. A door can stretch for various reasons, including incorrect installation, losing screws, etc. Despite struggling to deal with its worst sites, it is better to spend time to know the fixing.

Applying lubricating oil on the door hinges is the standard solution to such problems. Experts often discover many ways which are also effective in this regard, like sanding the doorways and applying rubbing soap or wax to make it easy to open and close. In most cases, simple and natural ways are fixing these issues. 

If these are not working delicately, don’t worry. In this guide, I will share some easy yet practical solutions that allow you to troubleshoot your extended door. Read through the entire article to get benefited.

3 Easy Ways To Fix Expanded Wood Door: Do It Like A Pro!

Expanding the wooden door problem requires two different reasons. One depends on a humid atmosphere like winter, monsoon, or heavy snow-rainfall. In that case, most of the door sticking problems would be solved on their own when the summer or fall comes. 

Secondly, the door may expand for some manual issues. So, I will explain how to fix those issues, which I do.

Way-1: Fixing The Loosened Screws

In Oklahoman, Gene Austin included one of her suggestions to check the door hinges since they often get shallow for loose screws. Through this, door hinges become easy to open and close. To check the door hinges, collect some essential tools.

• Screwdriver; 
• Toothpicks or steel wool;
• And a driller gun (optional).

Step-1: Check The Door Hinges & Moisture

No matter what the actual age of the door is. Door hinges usually get loose due to constant opening and closing. So, don’t overthink such issues. Anyway, now check the door hinges carefully. Pick a screwdriver to detect if the screws on that place become loose.

Another foremost thing you have to understand about wood is its expansion measurement. In contrast, expanded wood doors don’t appear to undergo dimensional changes. They will require moisture across the grains, not along with them.

Step 2: Separate The Screws 

Remove the screws one after one and loosen the screws on the doorways. Before that, put any heavy objects under the door leg to keep it straight. However, if the screws become too shabby or unworthy of use, then ultimately, decide to install a new one.

Step-3: Re-install The Screws 

Lastly, put some toothpicks onto the door hinge and place the screws individually. Install them tightly using a screwdriver. Ensure that the door hinges have been installed correctly this time. 

Way-2: Use Heat Or Hair-Dryer 

This may sound a little creepy, but a hair dryer or a heat gun is a great source to eliminate expanding door problems. A heat gun or hair dryer is very effective in soaking the moisture on the door. 

• Heat gun 
• Swollen wool
• Rotating fan 

First, pick the heat gun in front of the door. Keep the hair dryer or heat gun, whatever it is, at least 30 cm away from the door. Next, turn on the gun or hairdryer to dry out the wooden edges. Keep holding it until you are sure that the rigid particles have been adequately burned.

Use a rotating fan to help bring them all down for painted doors. However, apply the paints once again if it is necessary. 

Way-3: Sanding The Door Edges 

Without a heat gun, a sander or an oscillating machine can quickly minimize the trouble of expanding the door. A sanding machine or sandpaper is a great way to compress the door. Wear hand gloves and eye protection, and choose the sandpaper tool you think is best for this task. Now start and continue to sand the wooden edges as much as necessary.

After finishing the job, use any lubricating oil like 3-in-1 professional door lubricating oil, Mission Die-automotive die-electric grease lubricants, or WD-40 lubricating oil to prevent and avoid this sort of problem shortly. These stubborn doors will never annoy anyone when they are closed or opened.

Reasons Why The Door Has Expanded: Know To Be Careful

Coping with an expanding door problem is a bit time-consuming. But if you can find the good causes of the pain, it will be easy to set free. Here I highlighted some common reasons for these concerns. 

• Seasonal Change Humidity 

Nothing is more frustrating when the door begins to expand for seasonal issues. It is a common reason for such problems. The door hinges usually develop when heavy rain falls outside or the snowballs accumulate on the door hinges. Those incidents are often responsible for increasing the wood moisture. 

• Indoor Moisture Impacts 

Sometimes our door begins to expand by the regular indoor activities. It is a common scenario for the entrance of the washroom and kitchen since those particular areas are often damp and moist.

Research shows that wood absorbs more moisture from its environment in Wagner meters. Expansions or shrinkage of timber can occur either by taking moisture from its surroundings or releasing it. 

In addition to taking showers, washing dishes, and cooking, our daily activities can also generate moisture in the door. The situation becomes more horrible if there is a roof leak.

Those leaks are a good source of rainwater. Even though they could be the reason for the door expanding due to water dripping. 

• Choosing The Wrong Place For Door Placement 

Choosing the wrong place for door placement is another reason for expanding. Your house’s southern and northern sides probably have the door if you live in the U.S. or UK.

As a result, those doors often get more sun exposure, causing their finish to wear out swiftly. Moreover, those are very swell-prone since they don’t get the same protection. 

• Wrong Installation 

The hinges on doors are made of metallic elements, so they rust naturally. Rusty door hinges and clogged junks often keep the doors from moving freely. This is also the reason for door expansion because fixing rusty door hinges lets them change their position or unscrew them constantly. For this reason, they began to expand for the wrong installation. 

4 Mistakes You Should Avoid While Fixing Expanded Wood Door

It is said that a good start is half the battle. When practicing in real life, be aware of some common mistakes to avoid them. Often, people are unaware of some common errors when repairing expanded wood doors, such as:

1. Overtightened Door Hinge Screws

Overtightening or giving inadequate pressure on the door hinge screws is a standard error for everyone. This operation may damage the hinges or delay the installation jobs for longer. Be aware of tightening them as much as needed. 

2. Forget To Replacing Old Screws

Loosened screws often cause an external door. So one can make another mistake here without changing them. Make sure those old screws are still holding the door in place if they aren’t. 

3. Shaving Door Edges Wrongly 

Do not shave the door unless it seems OK. You must shave the door edge to adjust them appropriately. And well-adjusted door edges do not necessarily need to be shaved or trimmed. Be sure whenever you’re going to shave them. Yet, if the expanding door issue occurs for seasonal purposes, one should trim the expanded parts.   

4. Door Installation Error

After removing the door parts, you must try to understand how to adjust them. If you’re not a Pro on them, take help from any service holders. Otherwise, the door will damage itself while fixing the expanding issues.

Related questions:

What Happens When The Wood Door Expands?

Since wooden doors start to expand because of climate change, or other things, it usually makes rough sounds. Sometimes it seems more complicated to shut down and open the door. The door often starts to shallow unevenly, and cracks appear in the wood. 

Besides this, the color of the door gradually starts to fade. In most cases, there is no match between the door’s front and back. Even though one feels difficult to open up the door, cracks and uneven holes are the common issues of wooden door expanding concerns.

Can You Fix The Expanded Wood Door Yourself?

Anyone can fix door gaps or expand issues with a little carpentry knowledge. First, take a hammer and measure the door walls to do the work. If an individual finds uneven differences, he/she must put solid objects between the door corners. 

Lastly, lightly tap the area of the door that has swelled or grown with the hammer. All you need to do is put sandpaper into the machine and drive it over the door. Shave some of the door edges if it still seems challenging to operate. 

How Do You Fix Water-Damaged Expanded Wood?

One of the common ways to fix the water-damaged expanded wood is to dry it in the air or direct sunlight over time. But they can be dried fruitfully via a heat gun or hair dryer. You can let it dry beneficially by letting those wooden particles sit under direct sunlight.

For this, remove the doorways and keep them in the sunlight. However, drying out the water-damaged wood with a hair dryer is recommended. They do not kill much time separating the wooden door and re-pairing again.

How Much Does It Cost To Repair An Expanded Wood Door?

An expanded wooden door repair cost varies on different things. It depends on the owner’s needs and the present condition of the door. The average price of repairing a raised wooden door is around $228. But the typical range of repairing wooden door expansion is up to $121-$335. 

The cost of a damaged door may vary depending on the company. Different companies have demanded extra charges based on their customer services. So it’s better to research some of the best expanded wooden door repair companies.

Final Touch: 

The home door is an integral part of every house. Yet, wooden front doors often increase in size for several specific reasons. Warm temperatures and cool and hostile weather often impact such problems. As a result, you’re facing trouble shutting the door, crazy sounds, and the varnish of the door fades away. 

The best way to resolve these issues is to follow the tips above on how to fix an expanded wood door. These methods have all proven successful in solving such problems. They help you to find pleasure while you’re doing the job. 

References

⁽¹⁾Austin, Gene. “Tricks may unstick humidity-swollen doors.” The Oklahoman, 18 August 2000, https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2000/08/18/btricks-may-unstick-humidity-swollen-doorsb/62185628007/. Accessed 14 September 2022.

“Home.” YouTube,

 ⁽²⁾ Woodworking moisture issues:https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/wood-info/expansion-shrinkage-wood/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw94WZBhDtARIsAKxWG-_1ZbGH_dUZQzZ4nt-BhzdKBPxAVoFCPVKfZ3sB1gQSlBWVfO_3LxEaAknNEALw_wcB. Accessed 14 September 2022.