I installed a new interior door/frame to my basement. I took my time doing it, measured carefully. But...now that it is more humid, the door is too tight in the frame. The knob edge of the door gets stuck in the frame. Of course I used plenty of nails to secure the frame, so pulling that again is not really an option. So what would be my best course of action? Maybe planing down the edge of the door a bit?

 

Yes that is what I would do. Plane the door until you get about the thickness of a business card between the door and frame all the way up and down the door. Do check to be sure the hinge screws are tight first. Put 3 inch screws in the middle hole on the top hinge and center hinge to help remove any sag that might be causing the door to rub.

 

the width of business card is a little to tight to me , rule of thumb is the width of a nickel all the way around

 

Planing down the door is the LAST resort, so don't do that just yet!

As Badeyeben mentioned, verify whether 3" screws have been driven through the hinges. You should have one 3" screw per hinge that penetrates deep enough to hit the stud. What this does is it pulls the door tighter on the hinge side, which almost always will increase the gap on the latch side. Tighten the screws until they are snug, and see how the door closes. If you need a wider gap on the latch side, tighten them a little more.

Illustration: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thexsleeper/detail?.dir=4b29&.dnm=d26cre2.jpg

The screw you remove and replace with a 3" screw should be as illustrated- one of the screws that is closest to the door stop.

 

Hi, If you plane the latch side of the door you could have problems. The back set of the latch won't change. I will use extreme measurements to explain. say you cut a half inch off the edge of the door then put the latch and lockset back on, the latch plate will extend a half inch past the new edge of the door. To avoid this problem plane the hinge side you can reset the hinges.
Good Luck Woodbutcher

 

Thanks guys, I will try the long screws first.

 

Make sure all the hinge screws are firm. I've had quite a few stripped from the manufacturer. Next go with the long screws as recommended. If it's still tight plane a slight bevel on the latch side. The side of the door that goes against the stop should be slightly narrower than the back side. If the doors fitted well otherwise you'll only need a 3 degree bevel. If you look at the path the front edge of the door travels you'll see why a little bevel is sometimes necessary.

 

Checking back in 6 months later....
I took a hammer and a piece of scrap wood to the hinge side, and then to the jamb side. Gave me enough of a gap so the door doesn't stick anymore. It got humid again after I did that, and was still ok. If needed, I will do the screws.

On another note, I finally got around to install the last 6 interior doors that I wanted to replace. Took about 10 hours for me and my buddy. They came out pretty good. But I have to tell ya, the quality of these Masonite doors (from HD), just plain terrible. Very sloppy work at the factory. One door has a huge gap (over 1/4") at the top. Others have staples that missed their mark, and damaged frame. Hinges don't all fit flush. And the worst one, the stripped screw in the hinge. They left it crooked, so the hinge was sticking out leaving a huge gap. I had to use vise grips to dig out the old screw and replace. I am disappointed, and will be sure to let them know.

 

Painting all 6 sides of a door [that includes top/bottom edge] will make it harder for it to obsorb moisture and swell.

 

My son bought 3 of those prehung/precased masonite doors and asked me to help him install them. One look and we determined that they were nothing but junk. We returned them to the big box and spent a few bucks more for a decent door.