Seasonal door care

Spring. Look at the finish, especially top and bottom edges, after winter. Check the sill for standing water or debris and confirm the sweep still contacts. This is the right season for refinishing work, before summer humidity.

Summer. This is when swelling and sticking show up. Resist planing the door down while it's swollen — you'll have a gap in January. Note which season the problem occurs in and address the moisture or hinge cause instead.

Fall. The highest-value 20 minutes of the year: check the weatherstrip contacts all round, replace the door sweep if worn, tighten hinge screws, and clear the sill. Do this before heating season, not during it.

Winter. Replacement in cold weather is generally possible — the opening is exposed for hours, not days, on a straightforward swap. The real winter constraints are finishing (paints and stains have minimum application temperatures, so exterior finishing may need to wait) and sealant performance. Ask your installer directly what their cold-weather limits are for the specific products they use.

Frozen or sticking locks in winter are usually moisture in the cylinder. Use a lock-specific lubricant rather than pouring hot water on the mechanism, which refreezes.

How to choose

Do the weatherstrip check in fall

Before heating season. It's the cheapest energy fix on the house and takes minutes.

Don't trim a swollen door

Wait until the dry season to judge the true fit, or you'll create a permanent gap.

Ask about cold-weather finishing limits

If you replace in winter, confirm whether exterior paint or stain can be applied then or must be deferred — and get the deferred work written into the contract.

Clear the sill after leaf fall

Debris holds moisture against the sill and bottom of the door. It's the main preventable cause of bottom-edge rot.