Exterior Door Repair in Portland, OR
Sticking Doors, Drafts, Rotted Jambs and Thresholds. Locks That Line Up Again. Honest Repair-or-Replace Advice. Licensed OR #241979.
Most exterior doors do not fail all at once. They start to rub at the top corner, the deadbolt needs a shove, daylight shows under the bottom, or the trim beside the threshold goes soft. Each of those is a sign of a specific problem, and most of them can be fixed without replacing the door. When caught early, a door repair usually takes a few hours. Left alone through a Portland winter, the same problem can rot the frame and the floor beneath it.
VResh repairs front, back, side, and garage-to-house doors throughout the Portland metro and Southwest Washington. Vlad looks at the door in person, finds the cause rather than the symptom, and tells you plainly whether a repair will last or whether exterior door replacement is the better use of your money. Sliding doors have their own set of problems; for those, see sliding door repair.
(503) 272-6436 — Call or Text, Available 24/7
We answer calls and texts at any hour. For storm damage, active leaks, or structural emergencies, calling directly is the fastest path to a response.
Common Exterior Door Problems We Fix in Portland
01. Sticking, Rubbing, or Hard to Close
A door that rubs at the top of the latch side has usually sagged on its hinges. The screws holding the top hinge loosen over time, or were never long enough to reach the framing behind the jamb, and the weight of the door pulls it down and away from the frame. Wood doors also swell in our damp winters and shrink again in summer. Most sticking doors are fixed by replacing the hinge screws with long screws into the framing, shimming a hinge, or planing the edge and sealing the bare wood so it does not swell again.
02. Drafts and Daylight Around the Door
If you can see light around the edges or feel cold air at the bottom, the weatherstrip or door sweep has worn out, or the door no longer closes tight against it. Foam and vinyl weatherstrip compresses and tears with use, and sweeps wear down from dragging across the threshold. A sagging door can also open a gap along the top of the latch side while it rubs at the bottom. New weatherstrip in the right profile, a new sweep, and an adjustment of the threshold or strike usually stop the draft and the whistle on windy nights.
03. Rot at the Jamb, Threshold, or Brickmould
Portland gets about 37 inches of rain a year, and the bottom of the door frame is where it does the most damage. Rain that sheets off the face of the door pools at the threshold and wicks up into the end grain of the jambs and brickmould, which is the thirstiest part of any wood trim. Soft, dark, or crumbling wood at the bottom corners of the frame is a sign of rot. We cut out the damaged wood, splice in new material, and seal and paint it; see our dry rot repair page for more.
04. Locks and Deadbolts That Will Not Line Up
When you have to push, pull, or lift the door to turn the deadbolt, the latch and bolt no longer line up with the strike plate. This is almost always a sag or swell problem, not a lock problem, and a new lock alone will not fix it. We first correct the door's position, then move or enlarge the strike and reinforce it with long screws into the framing, which also makes the door harder to kick in. If the lock itself is worn or the key sticks, we replace the lockset and can key it to match your other doors.
Exterior Door Symptoms, Causes, and Repairs
Rubs at the top corner on the latch side
The top hinge screws are loose or too short, and the door has sagged.
We drive long screws through the top hinge into the framing and shim or reset the hinges. That lifts the door back into line.
Sticks only in wet months
A wood door is swelling because one or more edges were never sealed.
We plane the tight edge and seal all six sides of the door, including the top and bottom, so it no longer takes on water.
Light or drafts around the edges
The weatherstrip is worn or torn, or the door no longer closes tight against it.
We replace the weatherstrip and adjust the strike and hinges so the door presses evenly into the new seal.
Draft or light under the door
The sweep is worn, or the threshold is too low or loose.
We replace the door sweep and adjust or replace the threshold so the two meet without dragging.
Deadbolt or latch will not catch
The door has sagged or swelled, and the strike is out of line.
We correct the sag first, then realign and reinforce the strike. Moving the strike without fixing the sag only works for a few months.
Soft or dark wood at the bottom of the frame
Water at the sill has rotted the jambs or brickmould.
We cut out the rot and splice in new wood, or replace the frame when the damage runs too high up the jamb.
Water on the floor inside the threshold
The threshold seal has failed, there is no sill pan, or the sill itself has rotted.
We reseal or replace the threshold and check the subfloor for rot. If the framing is soft, the door has to come out for a lasting fix.
Cracked, split, or peeling door skin
Moisture cycling has split a wood door, or the skin or veneer is pulling away from the core.
Minor splits can be glued, filled, and sealed. A delaminating door usually needs a new slab or a new prehung unit.
Exterior Door Repair — What the Project Involves
Water at the Threshold
A wet floor or a soft spot just inside the door after a rainstorm means water is getting under the threshold. The usual causes are a threshold that has separated from the sill, failed caulk at the ends of the threshold where they meet the jambs, or a door that was installed without a sill pan. On many older homes, there was never any flashing under the door at all.
A threshold reseal or replacement can stop the leak if the framing underneath is still sound. If the sill plate or subfloor has already gone soft, the right fix is to remove the door, repair the framing, and reinstall the door or a new prehung unit with a sloped sill pan. We show you what we find and let you choose. A storm door or a small canopy over an exposed door can also cut the amount of water the threshold sees.
When Repair Beats Replacement, and When It Does Not
Repair Is Usually the Right Call When
The door slab is solid and flat, the frame is square, and the problem is hinges, weatherstrip, a sweep, the lock, or a small area of rot at the bottom of the jamb or brickmould. These repairs cost a fraction of the cost of a new door and can give it many more years of service. Repair is also often the better choice for an original door on an older or historic home, where the door and its trim are worth keeping; see our historic home contractor page.
Replacement Is Usually the Better Value When
The slab is split through, warped, or delaminating; the frame is rotted along most of its length; the door has leaked into the subfloor; or several repairs would cost close to a new door. It also makes sense when an old, uninsulated door is costing you heat or does not meet the security you want. See entry door replacement for front-door options and pricing.
Client's Talk
Serving Portland Metro Area
VResh Construction repairs and replaces entry, back, side, patio, and sliding doors, along with windows and dry rot, throughout the Portland metro area and Southwest Washington.
Portland Metro — Oregon
- Portland, OR
- Oak Grove, OR
- Cedar Mill, OR
- King City, OR
- Happy Valley, OR
- Clackamas, OR
- Milwaukie, OR
- Gresham, OR
- Wood Village, OR
- Scappoose, OR
- Sandy, OR
- Newberg, OR
- Estacada, OR
- Lake Oswego, OR
- Beaverton, OR
- Hillsboro, OR
- Tigard, OR
- Sherwood, OR
- West Linn, OR
- Oregon City, OR
Southwest Washington
Extended Service Areas
Exterior Door Repair FAQs — Portland Homeowners
How much does exterior door repair cost in Portland, OR?
Simple repairs such as hinge work, weatherstrip, a new sweep, or strike alignment often run about $150 to $400. Threshold replacement and rot repair at the jamb or brickmould typically cost more, depending on how far the damage goes. We give you a written price after inspecting the door.
Why is my front door suddenly sticking?
The two most common causes are a sagging door, usually due to loose or short screws in the top hinge, and a wooden door swelling in wet weather. If the door rubs at the top corner on the latch side, it has sagged. If it sticks only in the wet months, it is swelling. Both are fixable.
Can a rotted door frame be repaired, or does the door need to be replaced?
Rot limited to the bottom of the jambs and brickmould can usually be cut out and replaced with new wood without replacing the door. If the rot runs up most of the frame or into the subfloor, a new prehung door with a sill pan is often the better value.
How do I stop a draft under my exterior door?
Replace the door sweep and check the threshold height. Many thresholds are adjustable and can be raised to meet the sweep. If the weatherstrip around the frame is also flat or torn, replace it at the same time. We handle all three in one visit.
My deadbolt is hard to lock. Is the lock broken?
Usually not. In most cases, the door has sagged or swelled so the bolt no longer lines up with the strike plate. Fixing the door's position and realigning the strike solves it. If the lock itself is worn, we replace it.
Can you repair a split or delaminating door?
Small splits in a wood door can often be glued, filled, and sealed. A door that is splitting along its panels or whose skin or veneer is peeling away from the core has usually reached the end of its life, and replacing it is the more reliable fix.
Why does water come in under my door when it rains?
Water is getting past the threshold, usually through failed sealant at the ends, a threshold that has pulled away from the sill, or a door that was installed without a sill pan. We reseal or replace the threshold and check the subfloor for rot.
How long does an exterior door repair take?
Most hinge, weatherstrip, sweep, and lock repairs take a few hours. Rot repair at the jamb or threshold may take a day, plus time for paint to dry. Larger framing repairs can take longer, and we provide you with a schedule and a written price.
Get a Free Door Estimate
Vlad comes out, finds what is really causing the problem, checks the frame and threshold for rot, and gives you a straight written price. If replacement is the better value, he will tell you that too. No sales pressure and no commitment required.
- Same-day response on all estimate requests
- No commission-based sales, just honest quotes
- Licensed OR #241979 · WA #VRESHCL776ND
- EPA Lead-Safe Certified for pre-1978 homes
- Written workmanship warranty on our repairs
