With humidity at its peak in interior woodwork, September is the best time to get your doors swinging freely

Are your wooden doors giving you more trouble than usual these days?

You're not alone. The intense humidity this summer has been responsible for an extraordinary rash of frustrated homeowners.

And since September usually marks the peak moisture content within interior woodwork, this is also the best time to fix your doors so they never stick again. If you loosen them now, they'll probably swing free year-round. Here's how.

Humidity is the Number 1 cause of doors that stick seasonally, but it's not the only source of trouble.

Doors in buildings without deep foundations sometimes stick during winter or spring as the soil heaves with frost and twists the structure. This is rare, but possible. Doors that stick consistently throughout the year may have worn or loose hinges. Even swell-resistant composite wood doors may be just too big for their openings. You've got to find out the root of the trouble before you can fix it.

TEST FOR WIGGLE

Start work by testing the hinges. Stand at the edge of the door, grab each side of the handle with one hand, then lift up and down. Do you feel any wiggle? If you hear something, but don't feel much, the hinges are fine. If the edge of the door moves up and down more than the thickness of a loonie, however, find out why.

The most likely cause of hinge movement on old doors is wear. The internal pin that joins the two halves of the hinges has become too small, allowing vertical movement. Another possible cause is loose hinge-mounting screws that let the entire hinge move relative to the door frame. Have someone else do the up-and-down wiggling of the door so you can get a close look at the hinges.

Hinge replacement is the only cure for wear. Try tightening the screws on loose ones. If the screws never get tight, their holes are stripped. Take a couple of screws out of each side of the hinge, then stuff round wooden toothpicks into the screw holes with carpenter's glue. Re-drive the screw 12 hours later, after the glue has dried, then repeat the process for the other loose screws you left in to keep the hinge in place.

If your door still sticks even after checking and stabilizing the hinges, it's too big. The challenge is to find out exactly where, then to work down these high spots as easily as possible. Scribing is the key.

Scribing is used all the time in cabinetmaking and carpentry work. It's the act of using a pencil to mark one part relative to another, so the two can be shaped to fit together flawlessly. In the case of scribing already hung doors, the process requires unique preparations.

Start by sharpening an ordinary pencil, then sawing off the tip, 1 1/2 inches from the end. This is your scribing tool. Next, stand facing the side of the door you pull shut, then close it towards you so there's just a tiny gap between the door and the edge of the frame. If you do this correctly there'll be just enough room for your stubby pencil to fit between the door stop strip on the frame, and the door itself.

Lay what's left of the flat, painted side of the pencil against the door frame, then drag the pencil along the frame with its point touching (and marking the door). The outline of the frame - including the high spots causing trouble - will be marked on the door's face.

You can scribe along the bottom of the door and floor too, if there's evidence of sticking there, but leave the hinge side of the door alone. The distance between the point of the pencil lead and the side of the pencil automatically creates the gap you'll need between the other three sides of the door and frame.

Now get some help to take the door off its hinges, either by driving the hinge pins up and out using a slot screwdriver and hammer, or by unscrewing the hinges from the door if the pins wont budge.

PLANING A DOOR

Since most homeowners don't know how to sharpen and use a hand plane, power planers are growing in popularity. A power plane is a hand-held electric tool with revolving cutters that removes shavings of wood. It's easier to use than a hand plane, though it does kick up dust and make lots of noise. They cost about $200 to $250, or you get one temporarily from a rent-all.

All power planes have adjustments to control depth of cut. If you've never used one before, adjust for a light cut and practise on some scrap. It's not hard. Wear safety glasses and ear protection.

With someone holding the door on the edge for you, start planing down the lines you scribed on the door. Work slowly and don't completely remove the lines; only plane within a dime's thickness of them.

Move your plane especially slowly at the top and bottom corners, since the woods grain direction is easily split there by the spinning blades. Replace the door and check it before repainting the edges.