A front entry door should be easy to open and close. If you find yourself using force to enter or exit your home, it’s probably time for a professional repair or replacement. The reasons why your front door gets stuck can range from aging materials and worn hardware to the weather patterns in your area. Here are some common examples of why house doors won’t open from the inside or outside.
1. Warping Entry Door or Frame
Entry doors and frames must be a perfect match in order for your installations to work. Over time, door materials are prone to expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. It’s possible that your home’s entry door or frame has changed in shape after being exposed to sunlight, wind, snow and rain for years.
2. Faulty Door Hardware
The repetitive motion of opening and closing your door can cause the hinges to come loose over time. If your front door is not opening, look at the hardware supporting the door. Missing screws and rusted hinges are common culprits of door opening problems.
Replacing door hardware might be the best route for repair if your installations are several years old. A trained professional can introduce you to replacement hinges and trims appropriate for your home’s front entry door.
3. Sticking Doorknob Assembly
A house door that won’t open from the inside or outside could also be the result of a broken doorknob. As you spin the handle, the internal latch should move from the insert along the frame.
Call an entry door repair team to address the issue without damaging the door. Locking components may require lubrication to work, or your door might call for an all-new handle. Doorknobs can be removed from doors in the closed position with the right screwdrivers and pliers.
4. Frozen Door Hardware
Ice and moisture can interfere with hinges, deadbolts and doorknob locking mechanisms. If your house front door won’t open from outside during the winter, there’s a good chance the door components are frozen in place.
Try applying a lock de-icer spray. You can also use heating elements to free hinges that are stuck due to freezing temperatures.
5. Torn Weatherstripping Materials
Weatherstripping materials prevent drafts from entering your home. It’s important to keep an eye on the condition of these door sealants between seasons. Pieces that fall from the edges of entry doors and frames can prevent you from opening the entry door, especially if rubber materials are lodged near the hinges.
If your door’s weatherstripping appears dry and cracked, be sure to have a trained expert fasten new sections to your door for cosmetic appeal and smooth functionality.
Purchase Residential Entry Doors Near Toledo, Ohio
Quality Overhead Door services front entry doors within northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. If you can’t open your front door and it’s time for a replacement, our staff can install a Clopay® entry door suitable for your lifestyle and home layout. Trust the team that’s been serving Toledo residents since 1982 to handle your entry door installations, repairs and maintenance work.
Contact our team to learn more about our entry doors for sale.
Additional Resources on Entry Doors:
- How to Make Your Front Door More Secure
- How When to Replace Your Front Door
- How to Make Your Front Door More Secure
- What to do if Your Front Door Lock Breaks
- How to Measure For Your New Front Door