I've dealt with this before on a client's old bungalow... those gorgeous old doors can definitely be tricky. Retrofit locks are great, but if alignment is still off, sometimes just adding a thin shim behind the strike plate or sanding down the frame slightly can work wonders. A little nerve-wracking at first (I know!), but totally doable with patience and minimal tools. Just take it slow—you've got this.
Had a similar issue with our old craftsman door—beautiful but stubborn as heck. Ended up using a shim too, but now I'm wondering if sanding would've been better long-term. Anyone notice if sanding affects the door's insulation or weatherproofing much? Would hate to trade one problem for another...
We had a similar craftsman door at one of our rental properties—beautiful woodwork, charming as anything, but man, that thing had attitude. I ended up sanding it down a bit after the tenants got locked out for the third time (no joke, they called me at 11 pm once... fun times). Anyway, sanding did help with the sticking issue, but I gotta say, you have to be careful not to overdo it. If you sand too aggressively or unevenly, you can create gaps that'll mess with insulation and weatherproofing.
I learned this the hard way when winter rolled around and the tenants complained about drafts. Ended up having to add weatherstripping to compensate, which wasn't a huge deal, but still an extra step. If you're careful and just lightly sand the problem areas, you should be fine. Just don't go full lumberjack on it like I did at first—lesson learned!
Honestly, sanding down a door that's sticking is kind of a band-aid fix. I've dealt with this issue a few times, and usually the real culprit is humidity or slight shifts in the frame. Instead of sanding—which, like you said, can cause gaps—I prefer adjusting or shimming the hinges first. It's a bit fiddly, yeah, but it preserves the door's integrity and saves you from weatherstripping headaches later on. Just my two cents...
Funny you mention hinges—I learned that lesson the hard way. A couple years back, I had a door that kept sticking every summer. Thought I'd be clever and sanded it down just a bit...felt pretty proud of myself until winter rolled around and suddenly there was this annoying gap letting in cold air. Lesson learned, haha.
Anyway, after that fiasco, I started looking into hinge adjustments. Turns out, a few thin shims behind the hinges can work wonders. It's a bit of trial and error, sure, but way better than sanding away your door's lifespan. Plus, it feels oddly satisfying when you finally get it right and the door swings perfectly again.
Still, humidity can be tricky—ever tried sealing or painting the edges of the door? I've heard that helps stabilize things a bit, though I haven't tested it myself yet. Curious if anyone else has had luck with that approach...
