"Sandra Vaughan" wrote in message
groupdirect.com...

We live in Virginia and are having our house remodeled. New interior, solid
wood cherry doors were installed before the summer humidity, but not yet
stained/sealed, Now that the summer is here they have all swollen and are
sticking.

Question - should we wait until the dry weather in september when the
swelling should go down to have them sealed? or should we adjust the
frames now and seal them while they are swollen.

I worked in Williamsburg at CW and recall that the humidity stayed high for
the summer months in Tidewater, VA. Assuming the frames and doors were well
hung (so the doors and frames are plumb, level and square with even reveals)
and sticking is the only issue, the swelling may not reach it's maximum for
a few more weeks. Being cherry we can probably assume that paint will never
be applied so no additional room is needed in the reveals (gaps) to allow
for paint thickness. If lacquer is being used an allowance should be made
for the finish thickness. Penetrating finishes (e.g., oil based) shouldn't
affect the fit.

Once the fit is corrected the timing of the finish itself generally isn't
critical. At best the finish will slow down the seasonal dimensional changes
but it will not stop them. I wouldn't expect any type of finish to swell the
wood beyond the seasonal maximum...