How to Fix a Door That Sticks

Before he goes any further, Tom slides each hinge leaf into its mortise to make sure the metal is flush with the door's edge. Then he pops the hinges back out and reaches for his paintbrush. "It's important to get the wood primed and painted as soon as possible," Tom says, to slow the creep of moisture. Otherwise, the door will swell again almost immediately, and "you'll be right back where you started." He brushes on a primer coat, then a finish coat, carefully blending the new paint into the old without dripping down the face of the door.