Check #1: Hinge screws
Take a screwdriver to all six hinge screws and tighten. If any spin freely (stripped), replace them with 3-inch wood screws so they reach through the jamb into the framing studs behind. This fixes 60% of sticking doors — the door has just sagged slightly because the hinge isn't fully anchored.
Check #2: Where exactly is it scraping?
Close the door slowly and watch where it hits. Top corner against the jamb? Sagging — see step 1. Bottom against the floor? Hinge tightening sometimes fixes this too, otherwise the door has swelled (humidity) or the floor has heaved. Sides scraping evenly? The door has swelled with seasonal moisture.
Check #3: Humidity
- Run a dehumidifier in the room (band-aid).
- Plane the edge that sticks — but only enough so it clears now plus a tiny gap for further swell. Easy to overdo.
Check #4: The jamb itself
Sometimes the jamb is bowed or out of plumb (the wall settled). You can't fix this by tightening hinges — the door needs a re-hang, sometimes with shims behind the jamb. This is the case where DIY usually fails.
