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Wichita Falls Foundation

Serving Wichita Falls and nearby areas

Sticking Doors and Windows in Wichita Falls, TX

Sticking doors and windows in Wichita Falls are often the first sign the house has shifted on its clay soil, and a free inspection tells you if it is the foundation or just the door.

Call now: (940) 468-1786 or book your free inspection online

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Local to Wichita Falls

We connect property owners in Wichita Falls and nearby areas, including Floral Heights, Faith Village, Tanglewood, Burkburnett, Iowa Park and Electra, with one independent local foundation repair specialist.

  • Seasons you can feel

    Wichita Falls averages about 28 days a year at 100 degrees or more. Long hot spells dry the clay under the house, and that is when many doors start to bind.

  • Soil that holds water

    USDA rates Tillman and Kamay soils as slow to let water through. One wet side and one dry side of the house can move by different amounts.

What it costs

Typical published ranges for Wichita Falls. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.

WorkTypical range
Foundation inspection and written estimateThrough Wichita Falls Foundation Free
Plane and adjust an interior door $96 to $180
Adjust an exterior door $181 to $336
Replace an exterior door jamb $319 to $594
Piers, if the house is moving $1,000 to $3,000each

See typical foundation repair prices in Wichita Falls

What you will notice

Doors and windows are built square. When the wall around them moves even a little, they show it first. Here is what Wichita Falls homeowners usually describe:

The door drags on the floor or rug

It used to swing free and now scrapes.

The latch will not catch

You have to lift or push the door to get it to click shut.

A gap at the top corner

The door sits tight on one side and open on the other, like a wedge.

The deadbolt will not line up

You have to pull or push the door to lock it.

Double doors that no longer meet

One side sits higher than the other.

Windows that jam

A window that slid easily now sticks halfway or will not lock.

Cracks at the corners

A thin crack runs up from the top corner of the door or window frame.

Why it happens here

The clay moves with the weather. USDA soil surveys list common subsoils around Wichita Falls, like Tillman and Kamay, at 35 to 50 percent clay. That clay swells when it is wet and shrinks when it is dry. USDA notes that Tillman soil can crack more than 4 feet deep in a dry spell. When the soil under one part of the house drops or rises, the walls twist a little, and door frames go out of square.

Summers are long and hot. Wichita Falls averages about 28 days a year at 100 degrees or more. In 2011 the city reached 100 degrees on 100 days, a Texas record. Long heat dries out the soil along the outside walls first, and doors on those walls often start to stick.

Big swings in rain. After the 2011 to 2015 drought, 2015 brought 50.5 inches of rain. When the ground soaks up that much water after years of drought, it swells fast. Doors that had been sticking can suddenly close fine, and others start to bind.

One wet side, one dry side. USDA rates these soils as slow to let water through. A gutter that dumps at one corner keeps that spot wet while the rest stays dry. A big tree on one side pulls water out of the soil in summer. Either way, one part of the house moves more than another.

Just the door, or the foundation?

Probably just the door:

  • One door sticks and nothing else has changed
  • The hinge screws are loose
  • The door sticks only on very humid days
  • The door was recently painted and the edges are thick with paint

Probably the house moving:

  • Several doors stick at the same time
  • Doors stick in summer and loosen in spring, year after year
  • Cracks run from the corners of the door or window frames
  • The gap around the door is wedge-shaped
  • You also see sloping floors or stair-step cracks in brick

Call soon:

  • Doors or windows that stick more each month
  • An exterior door that will not lock, which is a safety problem

How it usually gets fixed

If it is just the door, a handyman can tighten hinges, plane the edge and reset the strike plate. Published guides put adjusting an interior door at about $96 to $180, and an exterior door at about $181 to $336.

If the house is moving, adjusting the door only buys time. The inspector takes floor level readings across the house to see which part dropped or lifted, and by how much. The usual fix is piers under the part that moved, then lifting the house back toward level. Published guides put piers at about $1,000 to $3,000 each. If water is part of the cause, the plan should include a drainage fix too. After the house is stable, doors and windows can be adjusted so they stay that way.

These are typical ranges from published cost guides, not quotes. Your price comes in writing after the free inspection.

What to do before the inspection

  1. Walk the house and list every door and window that sticks.
  2. Note which ones stick only in summer, or only after rain.
  3. Take photos of any wedge-shaped gaps and cracks at frame corners.
  4. Check the hinge screws on the worst door. If they are loose, tighten them and see if it helps.
  5. Look at where the gutters drain on that side of the house.

A list like that tells the inspector a lot about where the house is moving. Call (940) 468-1786 or send the short form to book a free inspection.

Frequently asked questions

Is a sticking door always a foundation problem?

No. Hinges work loose, wood swells, and houses settle a little. One door that sticks with no other signs is often just the door. Several doors at once, or doors plus cracks, point to the foundation.

Why do my doors stick in summer and work fine in spring?

The clay under many Wichita Falls homes shrinks as it dries in the heat, and part of the house drops a little. When the rain comes back, the clay swells and the door may close fine again. That back-and-forth is a classic sign of soil movement.

Can I just plane the door so it closes?

You can, and sometimes it is the right fix. But if the house is still moving, the door may drag again in a few months, or the gap may open too wide next season. Know the cause first.

Which doors stick first?

Often the doors near the part of the house that moved, or inside doors near the middle of a slab. Exterior doors on the side with poor drainage or a big tree are common too.

My windows are hard to open. Is that the same thing?

It can be. When the wall around a window moves, the frame goes out of square and the sash binds. Look for cracks running from the window corners, inside or out.

Will foundation repair fix my doors?

Lifting the house often helps doors close better. Some still need a small adjustment after. Ask if door adjusting is part of the written price.

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Common foundation repair problems in Wichita Falls

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