Any retired engineers out there ?

[pauld315]

The house I currently live in and hope to sell some day to move to TV has an issue that perhaps a retired engineer or somebody who has had the same issue can help me with. During the hot summer months, the house must shift as I begin to have problems with doors sticking or not closing properly. Around November each year, things slowly return to normal. I had one of the home stabilization companies come by and look at it and they said not to worry about it too much, that there is no cracks etc on the outside of the house. He said the problem is that the water table below the house goes down in the summer and then raises back up in the fall which causes the house to shift a little. He suggested a couple minor things to do to try to keep as much water in the soil as possible but they didn't seem to help much. Anybody have any words of wisdom on this ? Would hiring one of these companies to do the stabilization help without costing me an arm and a leg ?

[Snowbirdtobe]

In Massachusetts I have had the same problem and when the heat came on the problem disappeared. I was told the doors would swell due to humidity in the Summer.
My house was sitting on rock and the foundation did not shift.

I'm an engineer but not a structural engineer. I hope that helps.
Any carpenter should be able to fix the problem if it's humidity related.

[Shimpy]

I'm not an engineer but it seem like in the warmer weather there is an expansion or swelling that causes close fits to bind. The cooler months they contract and relax. Also if you are talking about wood there is usually more humidity in the summer causing swelling.

[railroadman]

I'm not an engineer but it seem like in the warmer weather there is an expansion or swelling that causes close fits to bind. The cooler months they contract and relax. Also if you are talking about wood there is usually more humidity in the summer causing swelling.

Soon to be retired Railroad Engineer! if that counts.

[getdul981]

The reason the doors stick in the summer is due to the humidity. You live in NC, so you should know about the humidity. In the winter the air is drier, therefore the doors shrink and don't stick. In TV, we don't have wooden doors, so not a problem here.

Soon to be retired Railroad Engineer! if that counts.
Hi Randy!!

[pauld315]

Thanks for all the replies but I can actually see the space change between the door and the casings at the top of the door and the shift will actually cause the door latch to no longer line up with the casing in some instances.This also happens with metal doors. maybe it is the casing that is swelling since that is wooden. I have also noticed some cracks on the drywall inside the house in some very localized areas that will expand or contract depending upon the time of year. I will try using a dehumidifier next year though to see if it helps

[CaptJohn]

Next time they bind have a carpenter trim some of the offending wood.
Also check your hinges for loose screws and tighten them or replace with longer ones that will hold better if they're loose. That can cause doors to sag and is often overlooked but simple. Readjust the door lock catches. Trimming wood behind the hinges will also help alignment.

[silvertoken]

Check out this article: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-repair-interior-door-problems

[hoseman]

Check out this article: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-repair-interior-door-problems

Good post that covers the problem.

Tighten all the door hinge/handle screws before any further troubleshooting.

(Not wild about the cardboard suggestion - plain ole newspaper should provide sufficient witness to the problem. I'd drape a newspaper around the open door frame - close the door and see what paper easily slides out - paper that's stuck is where attention is needed).