Home Inspection - Common Problems With Hinged And Sliding Doors | Propertylogy

Home Inspection – Common Problems With Hinged And Sliding Doors

By on August 1, 2017

Other than looking for cosmetic defects, the inspection of interior doors is mainly centered around it’s practicality and it’s functionality.

Other than that, there are building codes regarding doors that vary from place to place depending on where you reside.

So we won’t go into measurement guidelines from the authorities.

The most common types of doors found inside residential homes are undoubtedly hinged and sliding doors. And in places where smaller homes are getting popular, it’s no coincidence that many homeowners settle with sliding doors to save space.

Here are the common problems with both types of doors.

Hinged doors

If there are no space constraints to think about, most people will have a preference for hinged doors that swing inwards or outwards.

Maybe that why you seldom find main doors to a house in any other variation than hinged.

1) Catch onto latch jamb

Whenever a door catches onto the latch jamb, it is most often the top part. This is because gravity pulls the door down naturally causing the top hinge to loose from the extra pressure being put on it.

This causes the door to slump to one side. Thereby binding against the latch jamb.

The same issue can also cause the exposed bottom corner of the door to scratch against the floor that in turn causes flooring defects.

If you cannot find anything wrong with the looseness of the top hinge, then the problem might be dented or bent hinge. This can often occur during transport before they were installed on the side jamb.

2) Door cannot close in a steady motion

This can happen then the hinge is too deeply attached to the side jamb. Causing that side of the door to bind along the hinge jamb.

It would be like inserting a small stopper wedged in the hinge.

The hinge has to be removed and reattached after careful measurement.

3) Hinges with edges exposed

When hinges are screwed down too tightly, edges can be exposed as the side jamb is not hard enough to counteract the force without giving way.

Hinges need to be refixed.

4) Floor in the direction of the swing is abraded

If this is a door that leads to the exterior of the house, this can be caused by water and other elemental impact.

If the door is fully indoor, then it either means that the door is installed too low (which is usually unlikely) or the abrasions are caused by expanding and contracting flooring due to seasonal factors.

As the ceramic tiles or wooden planks expand upwards, they come in touch with the swinging door. Resulting in scratches and abrasion.

5) Shape of door don’t seem to match shape of door frame

A problem like this can be either caused by excessive seasonal effects, or a settling foundation.

This will pose you a serious dilemma.

If you can ascertain that there are no foundation issues, then the only way to completely fix the problem is to install a new door that that addresses the seasonal factors.

Sliding doors

Sliding doors are getting very popular in urban areas where space is a luxury. Even in bigger homes, homeowners tend to use sliding doors within the house where space is limited like the bathroom or kitchen.

1) Rough sliding

This is usually caused by a buildup or dirt on the sliding area. But sometimes it can be due to a defect with the roller mechanism.

With how much design work and technology are being put into sliding doors these days, you should hope that it’s just a housekeeping issue that can be quickly fixed with some vacuuming.

2) Abraded floor under the door

The door is sagging for one reason or another.

The most common cause is a problem with the top track.

Maybe is has been bent out of shape or damaged due to excessive force from abuse or unintentional heavy knocks.

Or maybe you just need to make a minor adjustment with the top track.

3) Unable to slide

The top track of the door is probably out of place.

Often times, this issues can be totally rectifies by putting the track back into place.

Remember to meticulously inspect how the roller mechanisms work before proceeding so that you don’t aggravate the already undesirable situation.

4) A lot of sounds when sliding

Most likely a result of wear and tear. Indicating that the door is many years old.

You might be able to get away with this by just replacing a defective wheel… if you are able to identify it.

Remember that door are one of the fixtures at home that is the most prone to damage. This is because every member at home will be using it on a daily basis. Moreover, using it require it to move.

With this in mind, doors should be made more durable. And don’t mistake damage attributed to you with defects that come from the manufacturer.



You May Also Like...

hair1 eye1 abs1
Latest Singapore home loan rates
Hidden items that bring up mortgage costs
Hiring a competent agent
How to burn more calories in the office

Send this to a friend