Here I thought that the advantage of Masonite doors was that they didn’t warp.
I’ve got two houses with 2 panel, Masonite, pre-painted hollow core doors. The swing doors are fine, but a number of the bifold closet doors have warped. One warped so bad that the hinges between the two panels pulled out.
These are going in houses that are gut remodelled, so yeah, moisture is probably an issue. We typically drywall and paint, then install floors, and only after the floors are in do the doors get delivered. I called the supplier, and they want us to take a “wait and see” approach.
It isn’t like I’ve never put in these doors before. Probably have put in upwards of 300 in the last few years, and this is the first time. Why?
Anyone else run into this?
Replies
Were the doors painted on the top and bottom edges? A lot of times this is overlooked and will void any warrantees. Masonite is a brand name. It's often used as a description of similar man made materials. All "Masonite" doors are not the same. Some are poor quality and all are subject to moisture and warping problems given the right conditions.
Things are different around the country. The doors I sometimes use come primed but not painted. The majority are pretty nice and flat but every now and then one will twist. If the doors were handled, stored and painted correctly, you should get a replacement. I don't think the screws in the hinges are going to set themselves back in!
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I have seen doors that had up to 1/4 inch difference in width. I got tired of dealing with stuff like that. Thankfully I haven't had to do it in a while.
The wait and see approach worked for me.
On a door package I ordered last summer ( 6 Panel , HC ) 3 of the 15 doors were warped 3/8- 1/2".
Just the special order sizes were warped--2-10". Hinge side was fine and true, latch side had the warp.
Anyway I refused the 3 warped doors. 10 days later I went back to reorder the 34" doors and my old ones were in the clearance bin-- straight and true.
I bought them back for $25 each-- $175 original price.
Moisture / storage appeared to be the obvious problem. Mine are still good today YMMV
Wait and see. If the doors were manufactured flat--and they probably were--then they will seek the same shape after getting acclimated. In a hollow core door, the only thing that can warp is the small pieces of wood they use for the stile. The 'masonite' door skin will not warp.
If that stile material is made of cheap lumber--by the way, it IS cheap--that's probably where the problem lies. Taping and bedding a room can effect the moisture levels in an enclosed space.
By the way, these problems can be avoided by supplying IHC (institutional hollow core) doors. They are more expensive, but they are better built with better and bigger stiles and rails.
Thanks for the replies. The factory rep is going to come by next week. Although I fully realize there are moisture issues in a new house, I've gone through this process before and haven't had a problem. And it's fishy that only the bifolds warped. These are factory painted doors BTW.