Older homes are definitely quirky like that, aren't they? I've dealt with a ton of doors in older houses, and humidity is usually the sneaky culprit behind most sticking issues. But your back door sticking in winter is interesting...usually it's the other way around, like your front door.
Weatherstripping or sealing around the frame can help a lot, but if you've already tried that and still have issues, you might want to check the hinges. Sometimes, especially in older homes, hinges loosen up over time or shift slightly out of alignment. When humidity changes between seasons, the wood expands or contracts just enough to make those tiny hinge issues noticeable.
Here's what I'd suggest trying next:
1. Check all your hinge screws—make sure they're tight and haven't stripped out of the wood. If they're loose or spinning freely, replace them with slightly longer screws to grab fresh wood deeper in the frame.
2. If hinges look good, try rubbing a bit of candle wax or bar soap along the edges of the door that stick. Sounds silly, but it actually works wonders as a temporary fix.
3. If you're comfortable with a bit of DIY woodworking, gently sanding down the sticky spots can help. Just go easy—sand a little at a time, test frequently, and remember that wood expands and contracts seasonally. You don't wanna sand too much and end up with drafts in winter.
4. Lastly, since you mentioned switching to keyless entry (awesome move by the way), double-check that installation didn't shift anything slightly out of alignment. Even small adjustments to hardware can cause unexpected sticking.
I had a client once whose door stuck every summer without fail. After trying everything else, we finally realized it was just the paint layers built up over decades swelling in humidity. A quick sanding and repainting solved it completely—sometimes it's just something simple like that.
Anyway, hope this helps you get smoother sailing year-round...or at least makes your quirky old house a bit less temperamental!
Had the exact same issue after installing keyless entry on our side door. Turned out the new hardware shifted things just a hair... tightened hinges and sanded lightly, problem solved. Older homes always keep things interesting, huh?
"Older homes always keep things interesting, huh?"
Definitely true—older houses seem to shift with every little tweak. Curious, did you notice any change in door alignment with seasonal humidity? I've had doors that fit perfectly in winter but stick come summer...
I've definitely noticed the humidity thing—it's like older houses have moods or something. One day your door is perfectly fine, next day you're wrestling with it just to get inside. If anyone's dealing with this, here's what usually helps me out:
First, check the hinges. Sometimes tightening them up or even swapping out screws for slightly longer ones can fix minor alignment issues. If that doesn't work, sanding down the sticky spots on the door edge (just a little at a time!) can make a huge difference. I've also found rubbing some candle wax along the edges helps doors glide smoother when humidity hits.
As for keyless entry systems, I installed one last year and honestly, it's been great—but heads up, if your door shifts seasonally, you might occasionally need to realign the strike plate or adjust the latch position slightly. Nothing too complicated, but it's worth keeping an eye on.
Older homes definitely keep us on our toes...but hey, at least they're never boring.
Good points, but honestly I'd hesitate to sand down door edges too quickly—wood expands and contracts seasonally, so sanding might solve it today but leave a noticeable gap later. Usually adjusting hinges or strike plates is enough to handle minor shifts...