Originally Posted By: jcallan This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I have this inspection scheduled Sept.12 for a 1988 colonial. I was there this morning doing a water test and as the house is unoccupied I thought I would look around and get a head start. There is also an addition a 3- car garage with an apartment over it that was build in 1997. The garage floor has a moderate amount{too much in my opinion} of cracks in the slab and slopes more than it should toward the doors.{cracks have caused this}Went out to my car and checked different areas with my level nothing unusual,except sloping and cracks in slab. When I went in the house I found that none of the interior doors will close{They all hit door jam} upstairs a couple of doors don’t close properly but nowhere near as bad as downstairs. I put a level on the door frames and they were not perfect but no worse than most I have come across including my own. Doors to the front exterior works fine as well as siding glass doors{did not check windows yet}door leading do the garage closes a little hard but not as bad as interior doors. No excessive cracks in walls and basement foundation looks find,just a couple of very small hairline cracks.I have come across a couple of doors out of wack in the past and once a house similar to this with interior doors out of alignment but that house had major foundation issues. Any ideas of what i should be looking for Monday. I would like to give my clients some idea of whats going on.I have never came across expansive soil issues before if thats the problem what is the cure and can it get worse.
Originally Posted By: Jay Moge This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
one thing to check is (believe it or not) check to see if the top and bottom of the door slabs have been painted. they should be. it not then they’ve left a large area for moisture to get into the wooden door and couse it to swell in all direction. you’ll only notice the swelling on the jam side because height isn’t usually an issue nor is thickness or the lower part. also see if in an attempt to “pretty up” the house, did they paint all the doors and the jams? there’s 2 extra layers of paint to consider. see if they are split jams, if they are, are the separating or compressing? also see if maybe the baseboard trim is pushing the jams in a little.>? just a few thoughts providing there is no major foundation issues. the solution? sometimes removing a hinge screw and replacing it with a 2 1/2’’ drywall screw all the way to the stud will suck the jam (either side) in enough to let the door clear. just my immediate thoughts.
Originally Posted By: phinsperger This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I agree with Jay that I would be looking for swelled doors first as the cause. You did say that the house was unoccupied and you did not mention any cracks of the finish surfaces of the wall.
If the previous occupants took a dehumidifier with them when they moved out or the windows have been kept closed, that could cause enough humidity to build up in the house to affect the doors.
In the preamble of my report I mention how different people have different lifestyle habits that can greatly affect the house. In particular I refer to moisture. Number of occupants, pet, cooking & bathing habits, etc. can drastically change the humidity generated. It is possible for one family to need a humidifier and another family to need a dehumidifier for the same house even given the same weather conditions.
Originally Posted By: dandersen This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Most sticking, hitting doors are nothing. However, they are an indicator of structural problems.
Pay close attention to everything from top to bottom.
Also watch for exterior moisture concentration (gutters, downspouts, site drainage).
I use the 1+1+1+1+1 = 5 concept.
When too many indicators are present, there IS a likelihood for a major unseen problem.
Doors and brick veneer are good amplifiers!
They really call out problems of minimal proportion. It dosen't take much to make them not work or crack.
As you may gather, I'm not one to call in an expert without cause, but if you find several associated issues, it may be in your best interest to recommend a structural evaluation.
Who knows, the doors may have been installed that way and were never fixed! And we all know concrete slabs crack.
Take a crap load of pictures of everything (defect or not), all sides, inside and out. As a matter of record, if nothing else.
Originally Posted By: mcyr This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I think you will find that when a door is hitting the jamb at the top of the frame and no structural problems are evident, the the hinge screws are coming loose.
Screw them back in.
If the door buck is pulling away from the rough opening, signs of release will be noticeable from the clamshell and the paint, wallpaper, or whatever finish is on the wall, or the clamshell will stay where it is nailed and the 1/4" reveal has increased.
Solution; if the jam is pulling away, remove the top hinge, and re-secure using screws through the jamb and reinstall the hinge.
Hinge loose, tighten the screws.
If the door hits the jamb at the bottom, chances are it is also hitting at the top, and indicates something has moved. (structural)
