Floors and doors have one thing in common – squeaks and creaks. Lubricant can sometimes help on door hinges but fixing a squeaky floor is a major undertaking.

See our lesson on Walls and Ceilings for the common problems with doors and windows.  Wet wood. Many houses today are built with wood that wasn’t fully dried before use. Wood shrinks as it dries. Shrinking wood often twists and warps. If you live in a brand new house, wait for it to happen because it will. Doors suddenly don’t close properly because the wood on the door frame is drying out and shrinking. Woods are suddenly too tight or too loose. These are all signs of wet wood now drying out and shrinking.

Doors and windows can sometimes be temporarily adjusted by adding wooden shims to the frames. The fix will most likely last for a while but the problem will continue as the wood dries even more. It takes 8 to 10 years for wood to fully dry once it’s installed in a home. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but modern construction techniques leave a lot to be desired.