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Sticking Doors and Windows

woman struggling to open a sticking window

If you’re having trouble opening or closing doors or windows in your home, it could be a sign of more significant problems with your foundation. These problems could include foundation settlement, which can also cause sagging floors. 

Indiana Foundation Service is a company that specializes in foundation repair, and we’ve helped homeowners for over 30 years. If you’re experiencing sticking doors or windows, contact us today to prevent potential damage to your home. 

What Are Sticking Doors and Windows? 

Sticking doors and windows are difficult to open and close properly. You may have to use a lot of force to open them, or they may get stuck halfway. This can mean that there’s a problem with the structure of your home. The frames may be bending, causing the doors and windows to not fit well. 

You might even see cracks in the drywall around them, which signifies foundation problems. Two of the most common causes are foundation settlement and damaged crawl space supports. If you don’t fix the sticking doors and windows soon, they may cause more severe damage to your home. 

What Causes Sticking Doors and Windows?

There are a few reasons why doors and windows might be difficult to open or close: 

  • Hardware and Fit Issues: Hinges or hardware may be loose, dirty, or worn with age. Sometimes the wrong materials are used, or the door and frame aren’t sized correctly, causing alignment problems.
  • Weak Crawl Space Supports: If the wooden supports under your house are rotting, spaced too widely, or wet, the floors above them may sag. This pulls walls out of alignment and causes doors and windows to stick. 
  • Humidity and Water Damage: Moisture can infiltrate door and window frames, causing them to expand, warp, or alter their shape, which makes them difficult to open or close. Over time, excess humidity or exposure to the elements may also lead to rotting wood or rusting metal, further weakening the frame.
  • Settling Foundations: If the ground underneath your home isn’t level, it can cause the floors and walls to shift. This can make doors and windows get stuck in their frames. 

Common causes of these foundation problems include soil that wasn’t adequately compacted, poor drainage, and natural shifts in the soil over time. 

Can You Fix Sticking Doors and Windows? 

DIY fixes like shaving or grinding a door or frame may provide temporary relief, but they don’t solve the underlying issue. If foundation settlement is the root cause, the problem will return and worsen, risking your home’s stability and your family’s safety.

If your doors and windows are sticking, a professional foundation repair service can help by addressing the underlying structural issues. Indiana Foundation Service offers a range of solutions to fix sticking doors and windows, such as: 

How Indiana Foundation Service Fixes Sticking Doors and Windows 

Indiana Foundation Service has designed specific products like crawl space support jacks and helical piers to permanently fix sticking doors, windows, and other symptoms of foundation problems. 

Why Address Sticking Doors and Windows Issues Now? 

It’s crucial to fix doors and windows that stick right away because: 

  • The foundation problems will continue to worsen if not repaired. 
  • Doors and windows that stick and jam can damage the frames. 
  • Additional foundation settlement causes serious problems with the structure of your home. 
  • If you ignore these problems, repairs will become increasingly costly. 

Covering up the problem with cosmetic repairs will only work for a short time. Eventually, you’ll have the same problem again, and it might be worse. If you keep ignoring the problem, you’ll end up paying much more for repairs in the future. 

Indiana Foundation Service offers permanent, professional foundation repair solutions to protect your home. Our products are designed to stabilize, strengthen, and potentially lift your foundation so that sticking issues don’t return. 

Contact Indiana Foundation Service for Solutions to Sticking Doors and Windows 

If your doors and windows are difficult to open or close, let Indiana Foundation Service inspect your foundation and suggest tailored solutions. Our experienced team offers long-lasting remedies to permanently prevent doors and windows from sticking and jamming. Get in touch with us now to book your free inspection and cost estimate! 

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    Sticking Window and Door FAQs

    Foundation problems may appear as cracks in walls and ceilings, uneven floors, and cracked bricks. 

    High humidity can cause slight sticking, but severe sticking and jamming may indicate a structural problem. 

    DIY foundation repairs are not recommended. Throughout our nearly 30 years in business, we have seldom encountered successful DIY foundation repair efforts. Sticking doors and windows may appear to be an easy fix. However, they require professional assessment and solutions to remedy the underlying problem. 

    Indiana Foundation Service Map

    Our Locations

    Indianapolis, IN

    624 North Front Street
    Whiteland, IN 46184

    Kokomo, IN

    2731 Albright Rd
    Kokomo, 46902

    Lafayette, IN

    8 N 3rd St
    Lafayette, IN 47901