I installed an exterior door (rear door) in my home four years ago.
It is a nine window door which takes you from the kitchen to the back yard.
For the past year, it has been sticking and hard to close.
Yesterday I removed the door trim and “rehung” the door. It now works perfectly.
I fixed the door by raising the hinge side of the jamb straight up 1/2 inch.
What, if anything, does this tell you about the structur of this home? Is there something going on here or is this common or uncommon?
The door isn’t particularly heavy. It’s $150 metal door from HD.
Seems like I had to raise it a lot. It took three shims.
Is the header above the door sagging? What’s going on here?
Or maybe this is common and it happens all the time. Just seems like I had to raise it quite a bit.
Thanks for any input or suggestions.
^^^^^^
a Smith & Wesson beats four Aces
Replies
You raised the hinge side 1/2"? Wow!
Not to be smart, but was the door operating properly when it was originally installed?
It sounds like something sagged in 4 years. And that's too fast to be good. Have you checked the framing underneath to see if anythings rotting?
Of course, it could be something as simple as not having proper support under the door the first time, or the floor was out of level.
If the header is sagging, it would have bound the door on the head jamb, and that doesn't sound like what's happening.
There was no rotting.The door worked fine four years ago. I installed it and did not raise either side of the door when I installed it. I don't understand it.Thanks for your input.^^^^^^
a Smith & Wesson beats four Aces
It could be a number of things all leading up to one problem and that is there is a weakened area somewhere that's not getting the support it needs. Was this a PH door? If so and it was hung ok to begin with and worked, then nine out of ten it's the framing. Were long screws sunk through the jamb into the framing and were they shimmed where the screw went through so there was solid bearing all the way to the framing? Gotta do that when hanging a door, especially an entrance door that's solid.
What about what the door jamb and sill (if it's PH) is sitting on?Any # of things.
Things sometimes move around as they dry out, I would not panic.
No rot underneath, header sag would have caused the door to bind at the top, I don't think your house is ready to fall down.
Did you install longer screws in the top hinge --- penetrate the jamb and into the framing lumber when you re-installed it? I find this usually helps with preventing sag.
No Piffin screws - GRK's or real wood screws. Do not overtighten, they can and will flex the jamb and alter the door position - just snug is fine.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
I was worried about rot in the floor area and didn't really pay attention to the lower end of the door jamb. Maybe it got wet and rotted and the door sagged downward.The door isn't heavy but the storm door hinges on the same side and it's heavy.Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm^^^^^^
a Smith & Wesson beats four Aces
Could be the house has subsided that much. Could be simply that the hinge side had slipped down due to not being adequately secured to the framing. And several other possibilities.
Impossible to say which from this distance and with your description.
2 things come to mind: shims not in proper place, no long screws in hinge,
mrfixitusa,
First thing I would do is put a level across the door opening, check that the floor is level (still).
Next check your jambs for plumb.
If the floor has sagged the level will tell you , if your jambs have sagged or gotten out of plumb again the level will tell you.
My guess from the limited info is that you have settling for some reason at the floor level.
A loose jamb would have shown itself as a bow in the hinge side and been pulling casing away from it's original position which generally would have been apparent to the naked eye as the settling occurred.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Edited 10/5/2007 6:20 pm by dovetail97128
okay I think you're on to something - I placed a level on the floor and it drops 1/4 or 5/16 in four feet.I think that explains the door not closing properly.Thanks everyone for your input.^^^^^^
a Smith & Wesson beats four Aces
Hmm, Well maybe. What is the drop just across the width of the doorway. That will tell the story. I have seen floors sag across doorways, seen one side sag from a load above and seen rot take out the bearing at the bottom of the trimmer stud combination. What ever it is I would keep looking until I found reasonable explanation for such movement in 4 yrs.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.