Common Problems
Why does my door stick or my window draft?
By All Purpose Anytime Services LLC
Usually because the opening has moved, not because the door or window has failed. That matters, because a new door hung in a racked frame behaves exactly like the old one. Here is how to tell a small fix from a replacement.
The door sticks only in summer
The door and the frame are moving with humidity. That is usually an adjustment, not a replacement. Hinges, strike and a little planing where it rubs.
You can see daylight around the door
Either the weatherstrip has gone or the frame has racked out of square. The first is a small fix. The second is not.
If the sill under the door is soft, the frame has to be repaired before any new door goes in.
The door drags on the floor or will not latch
Check the hinges first. Loose screws in the top hinge let the door sag. If the hinges are tight, the opening itself has moved.
Where the frame is sound and square, a new slab in the existing frame costs considerably less than a full door. Where the sill has rotted, it does not work.
There is fog between the window panes
The seal has failed. That means a new glass unit or a new window. Caulking around the outside will not change it.
The window drafts or the sill is soft
A draft at the sash is often weatherstrip. A soft sill is water, and that is found once the trim comes off.
If the frame and sill are sound, an insert replacement keeps the exterior trim and costs less. If they are not, it is a full-frame replacement. You are told which after each opening is measured.
Before you order anything
Every opening in an older house is a slightly different size. Measure each one, not one and multiply. And in DC historic districts and Alexandria's BAR districts, new windows and doors may need approval first.
Door or Window Giving You Trouble?
Which one it is can usually be seen in about ten minutes.