How much door sticking is usual in an ancient house?

[JohnL]

First post here/ Appreciate any reassurance or advice!

We’ve been in our house for 3 years- it’s a ?16th century 3 bay timber framed/ wattle and daub house with a ?georgian extension to one of the end bays. Typical 20th century abuse- cement rendered walls, concrete floors to some rooms.

There were a few doors that didn’t fully close when we moved in. Since then quite a few other doors have started to stick; this summer there’s a window that now only closes very reluctantly, another door that won’t close and today a loft hatch that won’t open.

I’m assuming (hoping?) that this is just the very hot summer causing swelling- is this degree usual/expected? Is it reasonable to just shave off the sticking edges or do I need to think about bigger movement issues? No cracks to make me think about subsidence but this has been an issue to the Georgian extension in the past (underpinned in the 80s)

Once again appreciate any advice or reassurance!

 

[Cubist]

Timer frames move much more so than other building types. I'm sure that during your tenure you've heard your house creaking and groaning at times, usually during the night and as it is cooling. Also, considering how long you've lived there its unlikely to be your occupation of the house that's changed, so unless you've been having water fights indoors the issue is not going to be about the woodwork of door and window frames swelling as these would be more likely to contract at present. On balance I suspect the house has probably moved or settled a little as some of the main timbers of the frame have dried out more thoroughly than in previous years. The problems you're seeing should be easy to treat and there are many members here, including yours truly, who can advise. But I would be a little wary of making anything other than the most minor adjustments right now as when the weather changes - as it surely must - those timbers will begin to swell again.

Oh an afterthought. Are these sticking doors and windows predominantly on the South side of the house?

 

[LadyArowana]

Last year when I tried to open one of our sash windows it would not budge, definitely not painted over as all worked fine when the renovation was finished. This year after the long hot dry summer it wasn’t a problem at all. It’s amazing how much they can move. I see it on our dining table which has a floating panel construction. Ours ‘grow’ in damp and ‘shrink’ in the heat.