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Savannah Foundation

Serving Savannah and nearby areas

Sticking Doors and Windows in Savannah, GA

A sticking door or window in Savannah can be humid weather or a settling house, so get a free inspection and a written price if it is new or getting worse.

Call now: (912) 771-1041 or book your free inspection online

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Local to Savannah

We connect property owners in Savannah and nearby areas, including Historic District, Victorian District, Thomas Square and Midtown, Ardsley Park, Isle of Hope and Thunderbolt, with one independent local foundation repair specialist.

  • Wet air swells wood

    Savannah averages about 72 percent relative humidity across the day and about 86 percent in the morning, based on 1961 to 1990 records. Wood doors and frames take in that water and swell.

  • Damp air from below

    Building science research shows vented crawl spaces in humid places fill with damp outside air. In a raised house, that damp can rise into the floor and the door frames above it.

  • Ground that stays wet

    The Chatham County plan calls the county flat and slow to drain, with water close to the top. Wet ground under one side of a house can let that side settle and pull door frames out of square.

What it costs

Typical published ranges for Savannah. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.

WorkTypical range
Door, floor and foundation check with written estimate Free
Crawl space dehumidifier, if humidity is the cause $750 to $1,700
Fix a sagging floor $1,000 to $5,000
Slab foundation repair $1,000 to $10,000
Pier and beam foundation repair, most jobs $2,000 to $15,000

See typical foundation repair prices in Savannah

What you will notice

Sticking doors are one of the first things people notice when a house starts to move. They are also one of the most common things humidity causes. Here is what to look for.

A door that rubs

At the top corner on the latch side.

A door that will not latch

Because the bolt misses the hole.

A gap shaped like a wedge

Around the door, wide on one side and tight on the other.

A door that swings open or shut

On its own.

Windows that bind

Or will not slide up.

Cracks running at an angle

From the top corners of the frame.

Several doors

Along one wall or hall that all stick.

Scrape marks

On the floor or frame that were not there last year.

Why doors and windows stick in Savannah

There are two common causes here. One is the air. The other is the ground.

The air. Savannah is humid. Records show the daily average is about 72 percent, and mornings average about 86 percent. Wood takes in water from the air and swells. A door that fit fine in February can rub in July. This is normal and it comes and goes with the seasons.

The crawl space. Many Savannah homes sit on piers over a vented crawl space. Building science research shows those crawl spaces fill with damp summer air. That damp can soak into the floor framing and the bottom of the door frames above it. So a raised house with a wet crawl space can have more sticking doors than a house on a slab.

The ground. The Chatham County plan calls the county flat, with soil that drains poorly and water close to the top. When one part of the house sits on wetter ground, it can settle more. A pier can sink. A slab corner can drop. The door frame above it gets pulled out of square, and the door starts to rub.

Storms. Hurricane Irma pushed the Fort Pulaski tide gauge to 12.24 feet in 2017, says the National Weather Service. Flood water and big rain soak the ground and fill crawl spaces. Sticking doors after a storm can be swelling or settling. Time tells you which.

Humidity or foundation?

Points to humidity:

  • It sticks in summer and works in winter.
  • Only one or two doors, often exterior doors or a bathroom door.
  • The gap around the door looks even, just tight.
  • No new cracks and no change in the floors.

Points to the foundation:

  • It sticks all year, even with the air on and the house dry.
  • It gets worse each year.
  • The gap around the door is wedge shaped.
  • Cracks run from the corners of the frame.
  • The floor slopes near the door.
  • Several doors in one part of the house stick at once.

A simple test helps. Buy a cheap humidity meter. Write down the reading inside the house and which doors stick. Check again in a few months. If the doors free up when the air dries out, it is likely the air.

What the fix usually is

If it is humidity, the fix is drying the air. That may mean running the air conditioning, a dehumidifier in the house, or drying the crawl space. Small door adjustments, like tightening hinges, also help.

If it is the foundation, the crew fixes what dropped. In a raised house, that often means resetting or adding supports under a beam and lifting it back slowly. In a slab home, it may mean piers under the low corner. Doors often work better once the house is supported. Some still need to be rehung after.

Typical ranges for both kinds of fixes are in the cost table on this page. They come from national cost guides, not quotes.

What to do before the inspection

List each door and window

That sticks and when it started.

Note the season

Does it change from summer to winter?

Look at the gap

Around each door and take a photo.

Mark any cracks

Near the frame with a pencil and the date.

Check the floor

Near the door with a marble or a level app.

Do not plane or cut

The door yet. It hides what the frame is doing.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if a sticking door is humidity or the foundation?

Watch the timing. If it sticks in the muggy months and works fine in winter, humidity is the likely cause. If it sticks all year, keeps getting worse, or comes with cracks or sloping floors, the house may be moving.

Should I just plane the door down?

Take off as little as you can, if any. A This Old House carpenter warns that a door planed in summer will shrink again in winter and leave a gap. If the frame is out of square, planing only hides the cause.

Why do several doors in a row stick?

Doors along the same wall or hall often sit over the same beam or the same part of a slab. When several stick at once, that part of the house has likely dropped. That is worth an inspection.

My windows will not open after a storm. Is that the foundation?

It can be swelling from wet weather. But storm water that soaks the ground or fills a crawl space can also let a corner settle. If the windows do not free up once things dry out, have it checked.

Can a dehumidifier fix sticking doors?

If humidity is the cause, it can help a lot. Many raised Savannah homes also need the crawl space dried out, since damp air there rises into the floor. A dehumidifier will not fix a door in a frame that has dropped.

Is a door that will not latch a big problem?

By itself, usually not. Look at the gap around the door. A gap that is wide at the top on one side and tight on the other often means the frame has racked from settling.

Get your doors checked for free

You do not have to guess if it is the weather or the house. Call (912) 771-1041 or send the short form. A local crew will check the doors, the floors and what is under them, and you get a written price before any work starts.

Other services

Common foundation repair problems in Savannah

Areas we serve around Savannah

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