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Discussion Forum

Doors won’t stay put

jbl | Posted in General Discussion on May 26, 2003 05:52am

In our 2 year old house we have hollow-core masonite doors (not my choice by a long shot). Several doors now won’t stay in place unless latched, either swinging open or shut. After trying for months to get the builder back to evaluate he finally came, said the doors were warped, worse than he’d ever seen, and that he’d order more. Of course I’ve heard nothing in the 3 months since, despite many calls.

Indeed, the doors are warping, hitting the stop at one end but not the other. Several questions: 1) Is his theory correct about the warping causing the movement? 2) Is there anything to do about it? 3) Would getting solid doors obviate the problem?

Thanks.

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Replies

  1. User avater
    jonblakemore | May 26, 2003 07:37pm | #1

    Take a small mirror, and look under the door.  Is it finished or raw? 

     

    Jon Blakemore

    1. FastEddie1 | May 26, 2003 07:51pm | #2

      John, isn't the problem of a swinging door, especially an interior one, more related to the hinges not being aligned vertically?  Maybe the screws are loose and the hinges are not tight against the door stile and/or the jamb...that's an easy fix.  If the hinge side jamb is nopt plumb, then a little shimming might fix it.Do it right, or do it twice.

      1. User avater
        jonblakemore | May 26, 2003 08:01pm | #4

        You're probably right.  I was trying to see what might be that cause of the warped doors.  I think there's more than one problem here. 

        Jon Blakemore

        1. FastEddie1 | May 26, 2003 08:04pm | #5

           I think there's more than one problem here.  If the problem affects more than one door, as noted, then it's either a chitty contractor or several problems combined.Do it right, or do it twice.

        2. geob21 | May 26, 2003 08:13pm | #7

          A warped door should touch the stop  top and bottom or just in the middle. If it's touching top and not at the bottom it sounds more like an installation problem.

          Also since warping will not usually make a door self opening or closing and since you have more then 1 doing this I'd suspect they were not installed incorrectly.

          Just my .02

          _____________________________________________________If you were arrested for being a quality builder would there be enough evidence to convict you?

  2. Piffin | May 26, 2003 07:53pm | #3

    A door that is hung plumb will not swing, except when a tornado blows through.

    .

    Excellence is its own reward!

    1. FastEddie1 | May 26, 2003 08:06pm | #6

      except when a tornado blows through  Hey!  Stay in your own part of the country.  What do you know about tornados?  You should be talking about nor-easters.

      Do it right, or do it twice.

      1. Piffin | May 27, 2003 01:03am | #14

        OK, a door that's hung plumb won't swing on it's own unless the in-laws stop by to argue.

        LOL.

        Excellence is its own reward!

        1. Boxduh | May 27, 2003 01:18am | #15

          A lot can be told about the slab and installation with some fine string or strong thread, and a little duct tape.  Press hard on the tape when you fasten a string end to a corner, so you can get a little tension in it.  String the door slab lengthwise along each stile, checking one side versus the other, to see if there is a cup.  If there is a cupped side, string it both ways, diagonal, and see how close the strings come at the center of the X.  That will tell you about twist in the slab.  You can get a little more sophistication into the testing by duct taping nickels at each corner, to raise the string off the surface.

          Check to see if the door frames are in one flat plane, with no twist, by stringing the diagonals of the frame.  Thumbtacks might come in handy.

          If things check out well with door and frame, using string this way, you will still need a long level, or a plumb bob, to check whether the jamb is plumb.

          I think you should be chasing that builder down.

          1. Piffin | May 27, 2003 02:52am | #16

            "I think you should be chasing that builder down.

            and doing what with him? Cut out his lying tongue?

            We don't really want him back to botch things up worse do we?

            ;).

            Excellence is its own reward!

          2. Boxduh | May 27, 2003 03:31am | #17

            You are right.  The guy is a dope.  But maybe his #1 lead carpenter was nowhere around when the doors got set and nailed.  Fixing these is going to take a little skill, and if I were the owner, I would want the job done right, at the builder's expense.

            One more try might be worth it, after analyzing all the doors that swing open or closed when placed at a 45-degree open point and let go.  I would try to get a visit paid by bossman, accompanied by his ace trim carpenter, carrying a 6-foot level.

            Show him the facts about slab twist and bow from the string game.  Show him any twist ("dog legged") in frames shown by the frame string analysis.  Explain to him that you know that doors swing themselves open or closed because their hinge jambs are leaning.  Ask for a professional repair job, with all cosmetics attended to.

            If he won't play ball, get it done by hiring someone good, then take your story to his local builders association.

            Slab warp, my a**.  If he is sticking to his story and he pays you this visit, make him take one of the doors that doesn't swing, ask him to dismount the door slab by pulling its hinge pins, and hang the "good" door on the "swinger's" hinges.  Let's see what happens.

            What was this clown before he became a builder?

          3. geob21 | May 27, 2003 04:33am | #18

            I seem to remember an article on how to hang a door without using shims and the carpenter never had a call back. May it was a misprint that should have read he never calls back.

            __________________________________________If you were arrested for being a quality builder would there be enough evidence to convict you?

  3. jimmythetoe | May 26, 2003 08:20pm | #8

    i dont think a warped door would cause swinging especially on a hollow core door.i would guess that the doors may have beeen hung out of plumb and the builder is looking for an excuse.its also possible that the hinges have come loose (sometimes screw holes become stripped after being taken out and put back in by the painters),this would be more of a problem on solid core doors ,however. If the doors were not hung right to begin with a solid core door will only make these problems worse. to be sure stick a level on the jamb to see the real truth

  4. brujenn | May 26, 2003 08:25pm | #9

    Have you tried putting a level on the jamb or drywall next to the jamb? Finish carpenters can only cheat a weak frame job so far.

  5. Jencar | May 26, 2003 10:31pm | #10

    What happens when you pull the hinge pins out of one and lay it on a nice flat floor? Does it rock like a see-saw? A 2 yo door, even Masonite, shouldn't be warped that bad unless exposed to a lot of water.

    Get a 2cd opinion from a reputable carpenter.

    Jen

    1. Piffin | May 26, 2003 11:08pm | #11

      I'll bet my name that it is not warped. Any straightedge will show without needing to remove it and a floor that appears flat may not be but good thinking. These doors were never hung plumb and that is why the contractor is giving him a run-around..

      Excellence is its own reward!

      1. Jencar | May 27, 2003 12:19am | #12

        Average homeowner isn't equipped with a straight-edge and a 6 ft level, dude...

        The contractor sounds like the type with an answer for everything. Any way you choose to prove the doors themselves are not warped , the guy would blame the poor installation on the curvature of the earth or somethin.

        Jen

        1. Piffin | May 27, 2003 12:57am | #13

          "I think the curve in this door is caused by trying to conform to the curvature of the babes in the Masonite advertising...".

          Excellence is its own reward!

  6. bkhy | May 28, 2003 05:18am | #19

    I think the wall is out of plumb on one or both sides of the door---creates a twist in the wall, door frame set flush with the wall--appears to be warped door but the problem is in the wall/door frame. Check it with a plumb bob, they never lie.

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