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Why Do Wood Doors Expand and Swell?

If you have wood doors, you may have noticed that they are hard to open and close at certain times of the year. Wood doors tend to expand and swell under extremely humid conditions.

Why Do Wood Doors Expand and Swell?

Why Wood Doors Swell

The combination of too much moisture and an inadequate water-repellent finish is the common reason that wood doors swell. Wood is a porous material, meaning moisture can penetrate the material, especially on the bottom edge of the door, when it’s not sufficiently sealed or finished. Doors are fitted exactly to the size of the frame so will become hard to operate when they swell or expand.

Two factors that can contribute to this problem are the placement of the doors and your home’s location. The west side of your home is more exposed to the sun, meaning doors in this area are more prone to compromised finish.

What Can You Do About This Problem?

Keep in mind that, sometimes, repairing doors can harm their integrity, and replacement may be needed. If you’ve been constantly experiencing this problem, consider getting new doors. Spring is a great time to have energy-efficient windows and doors installed.

To avoid this problem, keep your doors away from heat and water sources. It would also help to address humidity problems indoors. Run your exhaust fans, or open windows while taking a shower or cooking. Sometimes, refinishing the door can fix this problem. However, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to reapplying the finish.

If you don’t want to deal with this problem, invest in doors that don’t sag, warp and leak over time. At Renewal by Andersen® of Springfield, we install ProVia® doors, which are made of our Fibrex® frame material and High-Performance™ Low-E® glass to reduce energy loss. We also offer ENERGY STAR® windows in a wide range of styles, colors and finishes. Give us a call at (417) 268-9301, or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.

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Roy D
Feb 14, 2023

"The Springfield team was wonderful to work with , professional , friendly and knowledgeable. They all seem to take great pride in their work. These new windows are fantastic, they look great , operate so easy and the energy efficiency was noticeable from the very first day . Thank you Renewal by Andersen for transforming our home and our lives."

Pam S
Feb 15, 2023

"After years of watching the wind move my drapes and hours of difficult cleaning, I decided to get new windows. I went with Renewal by Andersen because of the great reviews and quality. From Brent who did the consult, Gideon who did the measuring, to Jason, Josh, and I apologize I can't remember the third installers name, this is the most professional company I've ever worked with. I own a 1994 double wide mobile home, so everything in this place is hard to work with. I had a bay window, 6 double hung, 2 awning, and a front door replaced.. They said it would take 2 days and they were done on time! I did have second thoughts about doing this mainly because of the cost, but once it was done, I was very happy I did this."

Gary S
Feb 18, 2023

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