My woodburner door is stuck

Is your wood-burning stove door stuck? We appreciate that it can be very frustrating. If you’ve spent a long time wiggling the door handle without any success, you might be stumped for ideas as to what to do next.

Perhaps you’re tempted to smash the glass just to create a way into the stove – please don’t! Instead, try this…

How to open a seized woodburner door

The best way to open a wood-burning stove door when it is stuck closed is to find a way to extend the handle. For instance, do you have a pipe or wrench that you can attach to the handle? If so, this will create a bit of extra leverage, which will usually be sufficient to open the door.

Should I use WD40 on my woodburner door?

We wouldn’t recommend using WD40 or other oil-based lubricants because the door is likely to be stuck further on into the stove, where the catch operates at the back of the door frame, so it is unlikely to solve the problem and might cause damage to the finish and paintwork of your stove.

Why is my door stuck in the first place?

If you know that your door has previously worked correctly, the most likely explanation is that some soot, tar or other kind of residue has settled around the catch and caused it to stick.

How can I stop my woodburner door from getting stuck in future?

Once you get the door open, rub down the catch and the section of the door frame where the catch operates with a bit of sandpaper. This should remove whatever has been causing the problem and prevent it from happening again.

Burning the fuels recommended by the stove manufacturer and only burning wood that has been fully seasoned will also help to limit the amount of soot and tar being generated by your appliance.

Likewise, ensuring it is operating well so that the smoke is pulled up the chimney and doesn’t have the chance to settle and solidify within the stove system will help to avoid problems in future.