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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.

Reviews

"When we purchased the windows at the end of February we had been informed the lead time would be middle of August for installation. I was okay with this as they had been straight forward about the time frame. As the process moved forward I was kept informed via email at the various stages. I had received an email at the email of May stating the windows have finished being built and we can schedule installation. I was thrilled to have them be installed by the end of June. The installers showed up on time had been very courteous while performing the installation. They had scheduled 4 days for the installation and had completed it within 3 days. There was an issue with our front door as it was on back order and they brought out the wrong door by mistake, however they installed a temporary door until our door arrived and then came back out and installed the new door. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing replacement doors and or windows."

Kevin Mitchell
Sep 26, 2023

"A phenomenal removal and replacement of our front door. The installers were very detail oriented and very meticulous. This was the second time we've had doors replace with Renewal by Andersen of SW Missouri and both time our expectations were exceeded."

Steve Short
Sep 15, 2023

"The replacement windows are great quality and look great! The windows we are slowly replacing are original to the house, and are Andersen windows that are 40± years old! Our installers are the best! They went above and beyond what was expected of them. I highly recommend!! A+"

Julie Julien
Sep 18, 2023

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