Honestly, the old wood swelled a bit after a rainy week, so it’s probably tighter now than before. Go figure...
That’s the thing with these old doors—sometimes you do all this work worrying about gaps, and then the wood does its own thing anyway. I had to sand mine down after a humid spell because it wouldn’t even close. Weatherstripping helps, but nothing’s ever perfect in a house this age.
Funny thing—I’ve actually found that sometimes the swelling helps with drafts, but then you get the door sticking and it’s a whole new headache. I’ve tried weatherstripping too, but it always seems to peel off or get squished weird when the wood moves. Ever tried one of those adjustable threshold plates? I put one in last year and it’s helped a bit, though it’s not a miracle fix. Old houses just have their own personalities, don’t they...
I get what you mean about the swelling sometimes being a weird blessing in disguise—keeps the wind from whistling in, but then you’re wrestling with the door every morning. I’ve had mixed luck with those adjustable thresholds, though. In my place, the floor isn’t level, so the plate just made the door even trickier to close. Honestly, I ended up shaving a bit off the bottom of the door and just living with a draft in summer. Sometimes I think these old houses just want to keep us guessing...
Yeah, these old houses really do love to keep us on our toes. I’ve run into similar issues with doors and floors that just refuse to line up, no matter how many times I try to square things up. Adjustable thresholds are great in theory, but if the floor’s got even a slight slope, they can make things worse—totally get where you’re coming from.
Shaving the bottom of the door was probably the smartest move, honestly. Sometimes you just have to pick your battles and accept a little draft over daily frustration. I always figure a draft in summer is the lesser evil compared to a door that sticks or scrapes every time you open it.
Funny thing, after I put in a keyless entry on my own place, I realized how much more forgiving it was with slight door misalignments. Didn’t have to fuss with a sticky lock anymore, just punch in the code and push. Definitely made life easier, even if the door still does its own thing when the weather changes.
You’re not alone—these old houses have their quirks and sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got. At least there’s a bit of character in all that unpredictability, right?
Never thought about how forgiving keyless entry systems can be for these old, wonky doors. Did you run into any issues with the deadbolt lining up, or was it just a matter of swapping out the hardware? I’ve had a couple properties where the frames were so out of whack I had to shim everything just to get the bolt to catch. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth fixing the frame or just living with a bit of “historic charm.”
