Interior Doors not closing Properly

[JohnC]

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.

Thanks for any advice,

John Callan

[homnspector]

Sounds like expansive soil issues to me but I would think you would see some movement in the basement walls. We don't have many basements here so I dont know what expansive soil does to basements, but it is very much like what you are describing in the garage, like a heaving up.

[Brian G]

That could be any one of several causes, from a foundation getting ready to take a turn for the worse to lousy door installation (or any combination of causes). The only suggestion I can offer off the top of my head is to watch for doors that have already been trimmed or altered. Sometimes in older houses (much older) I'll see doors that shut okay, but the top and/or bottom has been heavily trimmed at a noticeable angle (typically from settlement).

Oh, you also might look for cosmetic repairs to the walls around door and window openings. Shine a bright flashlight right up the walls, if they were worked on you'll see it.

Basements I don't know about either.

Good luck John, may the Force be with you. [:-batman]

Brian G.

Still Thinking...[:-bulb]

[hausdok]

Some of those were good suggestions.

Here's one you've probably never heard about - check the top and bottom of the doors to see if they were every sealed/painted with the rest of the door. If not, they've probably been absorbing moisture through the unfinished top and bottom for years and expanded after they were installed. A block plane, a few hours work taking the doors off to dress the edges, paint and reinstall them usually cures it.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[JohnC]

Thanks guys for the advice,I'll be using my flashlight on the walls and checking the tops of those doors. I have never came across expansive soil issues before-but you never know.One other thing when I walked the perimeter I noticed that a couple of areas in the back at the foundation felt "spongy" and we have not had any recent rain. If it is expansive soil problems can it get worse{whats the cure} Don't you just love pre-inspections peeks!

Thanks Again!

John

[Brian G]

Say John, you said the house is unoccupied. Did they leave the AC running? If it's been turned off for very long the changes in temp and humidity could be affecting the doors.

Brian G.

Though Not as Much as Jim Morrison Dying [:-dev3][][:-dev3]

[Bill Kibbel]

I wouldn't immediately suspect foundation issues unless the floors are sloping from interior bearing locations to the exterior walls. The most common cause would be deflection of suspended floor structures. Could also be poor installation or loose hinges. If Masonite doors are stored in a damp location prior to being installed, they can be pretty twisted too.

Isn't Moody between Wells Beach and Kennebunkport?

[JohnC]

Brian,house does mot have ac. Moody is actually part of Wells. I leaning to Mike's door theory. will find out Monday. thanks for the help

John

[JohnC]

Well I did the inspection today,4 hours they had a barn I had to also inspect. I posted on a couple of other boards {sorry mike} but I was looking for all the information I could find,a couple of other guys gave me the same advice as Mike.I looked at every thing I could think of as well as the other advice advice I was given.{thanks Brian and the other guys} {I even got advice from the big Poster on another and past boards Jerry P.} By the way Mike he disagreed with the top and bottom door theory you had,bet your real surprised by that! I came to the conclusion that that the doors were taking on moisture at the top and bottom. Thanks for the help. Mike,what is your commission rate for bailing me out? Lobster dinner maybe?

John Callan

[hausdok]

Mmmmm,

Maine lobstah, havahnt had thaat for more'n thaty yeahs.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[JohnC]

You would love it,I'll even but on my red suspenders,but remenber the Maine saying-You can't get there from here!

John

[hausdok]

Eyahh,

Yah caant get theya from heya.

OT - OF!!!

M.