Doing some minor remodels around your home is completely normal, and maintaining your place is going to help you keep a great house without spending tens of thousands on repairs every few years. One of the biggest concerns we can get is our doors and windows sticking after some time of getting them.
You’ve paid good money to purchase them, to get them installed, and you pay attention to how you use them, and a few years down the line, you realize that you have issues every time you want to use them. If you are living this nightmare currently, you should not dwell because there are always solutions.
Continue reading to find out why your doors and windows are sticking, and how to fix it.
There is an issue with the alignment
The number one complication that is the cause of your units not opening and closing properly is the alignment. If you notice this difficulty right from the start, and if you’ve just started using your units, chances are, they were not properly installed.
Check to see if there are any blockages or obstacles that could prevent them from closing with ease, and if there is nothing physically wrong with them, it is most likely that the people who installed them did a poor job.
In some cases, the hardware may be old and worn, and the hinges may be rusted and damaged. There might be a shift with the frame, so it is best to inspect this and see if there is anything that you can just lubricate or replace.
You are experiencing humidity problems
When there is high humidity, the wood will start absorbing all the moisture, and with time it is going to get damaged. It may shrink or it may bloat, and this can cause difficulties with your units getting stuck.
This usually happens during the summer and autumn months, when there is high humidity and a lot of sunlight during the days, and the water can easily get inside your home.
If you notice any cracks on your wooden hardware, and if you can notice the paint or even the wood peeling, the first thing you need to do is get better insulation for your home.
The moisture can cause many other predicaments, so you need to address that complication first. Pay attention to the type of windows you choose depending on your area, the climate, and which side your home faces.
There might be termites
As we previously mentioned, when there are troubles with humidity, more often than not, you will experience problems with your doors opening and closing only during the warmer months. If you experience the issue all year round, and if you have checked for moisture, mold, and mildew, you might be experiencing difficulties with termites.
These pests feed on everything, especially on our wooden objects, and they tend to eat and tunnel through the frames of the doors and the windows.
With time, they are going to weaken your units, and they are going to cause them to get stuck all the time. Keep in mind that even before this problem is visibly noticeable, the insides of your frames are going to get chewed through and they are also going to start rotting away.
The good news is that this problem is relatively easy to fix, and you find out how you can inspect for termites and how the professionals can help you get rid of this terrible hurdle here at https://pestworks.com.au/termite-inspections/.
You have a foundation predicament
This is something that no one wants to hear, but in some cases, there might be foundation issues if your doors and windows keep getting stuck. The good thing is that there is nothing that you could’ve done to anticipate or prevent this, and it can happen on its own.
Corrosion, erosion, the soil shifting, or overall soil movement can lead to foundation difficulties, and more often than not, we understand this when it is already too late.
When there are issues with the foundation, it can lead to huge pressure on your doors and windows, and that can lead to them sticking all the time.
If you have ruled out all the other things on this list, and if the complication persists, then you need to talk to a specialist and check the foundations of your home.
Know that you have to get this problem checked sooner than later because sticky units are just the first of the many obstructions that will arise.
The units were not properly used
Finally, there might be an external problem that has created an even bigger complication. Sometimes we misuse our units and we put too much pressure on the doors or windows. If you have small children or even teenagers in your home, they might have done some things to your doors.
More often than not, kids tend to try and climb on the door or hang from the window, and more often than not, this can create difficulties with the alignment or the ability of the unit to function properly.
The same can happen when we just slam doors whenever we want. Keep in mind that you and your kids may not be the ones to blame, and if there is too much draft and wind, the doors and windows can forcefully close on their own.
To fix this issue, first, check the alignment, and if you cannot find any hiccups with it or the hinges, then you may want to just try to lubricate the units and see if that gets the issue removed. In case you cannot do anything on your own and if the problem persists, it is best to call the professionals.
These are some of the most common reasons why you may experience trouble with your doors and windows and why they may be getting stuck when you try to open and close them. You should start with the most basic things like checking the hardware visually and see if you can see any damages.
You should also collaborate with the right services that can tell you if there are any termites that live in your wooden hardware, and approach the situation depending on the predicament you are facing.