Doors, windows and things that stick

Doors and windows are the moving parts of a house and are the components most likely to develop small faults that people live with for years.

A door that sticks

The diagnosis first.

Seasonal sticking — worse in damp weather, better in dry — indicates the timber swelling with humidity.

The fix is generally to wait, and if it persists, to remove a small amount from the edge and seal the exposed timber so it absorbs less.

Sticking at the top on the latch side generally indicates hinge screws that have loosened, allowing the door to drop.

Tightening them frequently resolves it. Where the screws spin, the holes are stripped: fill with glue and dowel or matchsticks and refit, or use longer screws that reach into the frame.

Sticking evenly all round may indicate a frame that has moved, which is a larger matter.

Rubbing on the floor after new flooring, which requires removing the door and trimming the bottom.

A door that will not latch

Generally an alignment issue.

Look for a shiny mark on the strike plate where the latch is hitting.

The fix is either to move the strike plate slightly, which means unscrewing it, filling the old holes and repositioning, or to file the opening slightly larger.

Where the door has dropped, addressing the hinges corrects both problems at once.

Squeaking

Hinges, and the fix is lubricant applied to the pin.

A drop of oil or a spray, worked in by swinging the door.

Where the squeak persists, removing the pin, cleaning it and greasing it resolves it permanently.

Windows

Common faults and fixes.

A window that will not close properly on a modern casement is generally adjustable at the hinges, which have adjustment screws.

Most modern hinges allow movement in more than one direction.

Handles that are stiff generally need lubricating at the mechanism.

Draughts around the frame indicate perished seals, which can be replaced with self-adhesive strip.

Condensation between panes means a failed sealed unit, which requires replacement of the unit rather than the whole window.

Rot in timber frames, which if caught early can be cut out and filled with a resin repair system, and which if left requires replacing the section.

Probing suspect areas with a screwdriver identifies how far it has gone.

Sash windows

Which have their own faults.

A sash that will not stay up indicates a broken cord, which is a repairable job requiring the sash to be removed and the cord replaced with the counterweight.

Painted-shut sashes require the paint line to be cut, carefully, with a knife or a specific tool.

Draughts are addressed by brush seals in the runners, which are available as a retrofit and which substantially improve older windows without replacing them.

The general maintenance

Which prevents most of these developing.

Lubricate hinges, handles and locks annually.

Check and tighten screws.

Clear drainage holes at the bottom of window frames, which block and cause water to accumulate.

Repaint or treat external timber before the finish fails, since once water penetrates the repair is much larger.

And check seals, which perish over time and which are inexpensive to replace.

Locks and security

Worth a note.

Insurers frequently specify lock standards for external doors, and it is worth checking that yours comply, since a claim can be affected.

Locks on older doors are frequently below current standards.

Window locks are worth fitting on accessible windows.

And key-operated locks on doors used as escape routes require careful thought, since keys must be accessible in a fire.

Removing and rehanging a door

Which is needed for several of these repairs and which is straightforward with a second person.

Support the door before removing the hinge screws, since a door is heavier and more awkward than it looks.

Work on the bottom hinge last when removing and first when refitting, which keeps the door supported by the top hinge for longer.

Wedges under the door take the weight while the screws are started.

Where hinge recesses are too deep, causing the door to bind on the hinge side, packing behind the hinge with card corrects it.

Where they are too shallow, causing the door to bind on the latch side, deepening the recess slightly does.

These two adjustments resolve a large proportion of doors that will not close cleanly.

General information only, not professional advice. Consult a locksmith or joiner for security and structural matters, and check insurance requirements for locks.