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How to prevent a front door from sticking?

The front door was in need of a replacement but I removed it and repaired. The sealing around the glass was allowing water internally into the door and the wood panels in places, you could push your finger right through the door.

After the repairs

The door has new wood and is all sealed up and now I need to finish the other parts to the door I haven't done yet and need advise on what I should look for to fix the problem and not just do the aesthetics.

After each rain the side bottom of the door jams to the door frame and when the rain goes away the door is no longer jammed.

The problem I feel is water is getting into the door frame and while I could just replace the frame pieces I do not think this is the problem and would like advise what I should be looking for.

Water Damage FramePaint from Front Door

I feel the water must be coming in from somewhere but I don't see where and hope I will see the problem when I remove the door frame parts. Also there is staining under the door that I should do something about.

Water under tiles

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Comments

MitchellMc

Hi @Kvic,

The door jamming is likely a combination of the water swelling the timber in the frame and the door. If you can't detect the source of the water, then typically, you'd sand a small amount of timber off the frame and door in the location where they are binding. You might only need to sand a tiny amount to prevent this binding issue.

If you'd like to resolve the water ingress issue, you'll need to examine the exterior of the frame and surrounding timberwork to determine any points water could be entering. The first one I spot is the aluminium trim across the threshold. There looks to be an almost 5mm gap under it that water can penetrate. Although the threshold is on a slope, any wind while it is raining will drive the water back up and under the trim. The water will then enter your floorboards and make its way into the door frame. I'd recommend sealing this gap with Parfix 300g Clear All Purpose Silicone. You should also regrout those tiles, or you could use the silicone to seal the gaps in them.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Kvic

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/26239#Comment_26239

Water I felt must be getting under the door step from the stain and I want to replace the bottom wood step, strip and seal. I assume I can purchase the bottom wood piece already to size?

I have the other door frame parts from the bathroom door reno ready to go and a torch to look into the door frame cavity for the water source.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/75779#Comment_75779

What "bottom wood step" are you referring to @Kvic? Is the dark grey section timber? I had presumed it might be a piece of slate given the thickness of the edge.

Mitchell

Kvic

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/101698#Comment_101698

The timber the aluminium strip is screw on to and sounds a bit hollow when you knock on it and warn not like slate.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/117803#Comment_117803

The aluminium trim is likely screwed into the end of your floorboards or the subframe @Kvic. The dark grey section could quite possibly be timber. It might just be the image, but the edge of it looks around 5mm thick. If so, that would indicate it is slate and not timber, as using such thin timber on a door threshold would be unusual. The use of slate across this area would be period correct for many older historic homes. Either way, you'll likely not discover the profile of this piece and its availability until you remove it. Unless it is timber and rotten, I'd be more concerned about sealing those gaps than removing the section. How rotten is the rest of the frame that you intend on replacing? Once again, it might be the images, but the frame doesn't appear overly decayed. However, I understand the timber frame might be soft under the paint.

Mitchell

Kvic

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127199#Comment_127199

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133407#Comment_133407

From this angle, I can see that it's most likely timber @Kvic. Can you measure its width and thickness for me, please? I can then check to see what the closest available profile would be.

Mitchell

Kvic

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/137224#Comment_137224

After a week of digging holes and laying drain pipe and moving 2 ton of blue mental with a bucket and stair walking trolley the body isn't willing but the mind still works. I will get back to you at a later date. Thanks for you help Mitchell.

Kvic

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139864#Comment_139864

I have removed the inside door trim to reveal the inside of the door to investigate the cause of the door jam swelling during wet periods.

Red paint from door when jamming.

The area behind the swollen area is a mess

Timber is water damaged

I could also see a small bit of light coming through from the outside just above the swollen area

White dots are holes

The problem stems from the trimming around the front door on the outside

The cause of the problem

I will wait till there is some rain to confirm that this is the problem

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141688#Comment_141688

Hello @Kvic

Thank you for posting those extra photos of your door assembly. Despite the mess, I don't see a great deal of timber rot in the photo unless it's in another part of the door. Can you please take a photo of the damaged area of the door frame?

If your house does not have a basement, I suspect those dots you are seeing are holes in your roof and have lined up with your wall. If you try to trace the source of the light, you should see the holes in your roof. Once you've repaired the holes, those dots inside your wall should disappear.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your front door repaired.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Kvic

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/137224#Comment_137224

Pulled off outside front door trim that was the cause of water coming in to the door frame and the cause for the door sticking.

I wanted to remove it as some one had seal it with silastic while attached to the door frame and the sealing and edges from painting look very messy with no straight lines.

Strip removedMessy sealing job

But there is a huge hole.

I was going to seal the gap and paint the strip and wall separately and then refit the strip but I wounder if there is something I can do to seal this hole and then fit the strip.

The damage from the leaking strip

This is where the water was getting in from the outside door strip into the frame and causing the frame to swell and then jam.

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139868#Comment_139868

Hi @Kvic

It looks like someone tried to repair it with a great deal of silicone. To cover the gap between your door frame and the wall, I suggest adding an extra piece of timber moulding like Porta 40 x 12mm 2.4m DAR Tasmanian Oak Select.

But before you attach that moulding, I recommend sanding off the old paint on both sides of that gap. I suggest using Crommelin 1L Flat Aquablock Waterproof Primer Undercoat on both sides and the timber moulding.

Once the timber mould is secured in place add another coat of primer to seal it in place. I advise getting a new door trim and painting it with the same primer before you install it over the timber moulding.

To add an extra layer of protection, I suggest applying Selleys 430g White No More Gaps Exterior Gap Filler on all the timber joints before painting it over with the topcoat.

I've placed a sketch below to give you an idea of how to cover the gap.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Kvic

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141690#Comment_141690

I have made a list of things that I will get for the project and have a question.

Some of the timber I want is 2.7m in length and I think I can get them into my car but can I get the trade section which I believe has a circular saw cut the 2.7 to a 2.1m length and then all should fit nicely.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/143070#Comment_143070

That's not an issue @Kvic. We have a timber-cutting service for exactly that reason. Just speak to a helpful team member in the timber yard, and they'll cut it for you.

Mitchell

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