Swollen door or frame?

[Mandy2003]

When I moved into my flat at the end of January I noticed that the front door (external to fresh air, not leading to corridor or anything) closed snugly but was fine. There was evidence that it had been planed down to fit at the opening edge. During the summer it appeared to "shrink back" so that by the Autumn there was a gap of nearly 1cm for wind to whistle through. During the last few weeks though (I think it started around the frosty days we had in the South East) the door has now swollen so much that it's really hard to open and shut. So much so that I can see a time when I won't be able to go out because I won't be able to shut the door behind me!

I don't want to plane any more off because drafts will get worse in the Autumn again. Any suggestions?

Replace it. For now though, I used antifreeze on the wood to open and shut the garage door.

or WD-40 but that frame and door really do need replacing.

plane it down again AND PAINT THE BARE WOOD otherwise it will absorb moisture and swell up again. That will be why it has swollen.

the most important parts of a door to paint are the top and bottom, because that's where moisture is most likely top get in. However they're also the parts that are a bit awkward so are most likely to be neglected.

As for the gap, fit "furry pile" draught excluder. It pushes flat, like, er, fur when the door presses against it but will easily take up a 4mm gap.

If you like, you can use a "P" section plastic excluder on that part of the frame that the face of the door shuts against. It will take up movement and irregularity, but not as much as the furry strip.

If you are using self-adhesive strip, it sticks best to paint that is very very clean, or preferably fresh paint. It does not stick well to dirt, or grease, or bare timber.

The plastic foam strip is rubbish.