July 28, 2026
If doors in your Seattle home stick more after a stretch of rain, you are not imagining it. Humidity, settling, and tired hardware all show up at the same place: the door that used to close with a clean click.
This is one of the most common calls we get from homeowners in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond. The good news is that most sticky doors do not need a new slab — they need a correct diagnosis.
Humidity swells wood
Wood doors and frames absorb moisture and expand slightly. In the Pacific Northwest that often means rubbing at the top latch-side corner, a tight strike, or a door that scrapes the threshold after a wet week. Sometimes a careful hinge or strike adjustment is enough. Sometimes the edge or weatherstripping needs attention too.
Exterior doors pick this up first. If drafts or failed weatherstrip are part of the same complaint, those should be checked in the same visit — not treated as a separate mystery.
Hinges sag over time
Loose or worn hinges let a door drop just enough to drag. Tightening screws, replacing stripped hinge screws with longer ones into the framing, or swapping tired hinges can restore alignment quickly. If several doors in the house feel “off,” it is usually hardware, not a one-off fluke.
Strike plates drift out of alignment
When the latch no longer meets the strike cleanly, people slam the door harder. That makes the misalignment worse. Realigning the strike plate is a small repair with a daily payoff — and it is a core part of professional door repair.
When a DIY plane is the wrong move
Planing a swollen door without checking hinges first can leave a gap when the weather dries out. Start with hardware and alignment. If the door still binds after that, a controlled edge adjustment can be the right next step.
When to book a visit
Call if multiple doors stick, an entry door will not latch, or hardware feels loose. Aloha Home Services handles these adjustments across Seattle and the Eastside. Send photos of the door and frame when you request an estimate.
