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Doors Inspection

Your homes' doors are its main moving parts. They open to allow movement throughout the house and close to provide physical security and seal out the outside elements. These important seals are made to open and close at a touch of a hand, thousands of times a year. Doors are relatively simple mechanical devices. They consist of a main body, a locking device, hinges, and in the case of exterior doors, weather stripping.

Though there is a wide variety of door styles and sizes, such varieties can be broken down into two main categories: hung doors and sliding doors. Single and double hung doors open either in or out with hinges on the left or right side. Sliding doors move horizontally on a metal track.

Exterior Doors

Exterior doors should fit properly, the door should be straight when it is closed, and there should be a uniform gab between the door and the jamb of about 1/8th of an inch. Check to see that the door works properly both opening and closing smoothly. Doors should not bind or drag when fully opened or closed. Weather stripping should be installed around all exterior doors in the door's jamb and threshold. Make sure it is not missing and that it properly seals the door when closed. Weather stripping, if it is missing or old, can be replaced easily.
Wooden doors should be sealed and free of cracks. If open cracks are present, it will allow water from dew and rain to soak into the wood causing it to warp out of shape. The door may then become bound in its own jamb. Another item of concern is that in some track homes the wooden front door is exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day. This causes the exposed areas of the door to heat to temperatures above 180 degrees. Regardless of the quality of the wooden door this will eventually ruin it over time. This situation may be remedied by the complete replacement of the wooden door to a door made of composite material.

Metal doors can oxidize or rust, causing leaks to develop. Metal doors should be inspected around their corners for these types of problems. If problems are discovered they should be fixed promptly.

Exterior Doors w/ glass

Exterior doors commonly include a window arrangement. Doors that have windows installed should be inspected, to see if the glass is properly sealed and does not rattle when the door is opened or closed. Excessive vibrations can cause the glass to become loose and start leaking.



Exterior sliding glass doors should operate smoothly and not drag or bind up. There should be no debris in the tracks and the locks should operate in such a way as to properly secure the door. Often a dead bolt pin is inserted to provide extra protection on older sliding glass doors. The insect screen should also be smooth in its operation and lock securely. The screen should not have any holes or be bent in any way.


Exterior Locking System

Examine the locking systems on all exterior doors to see that they function properly. The dead bolts should fully extend into their respective jambs. The keys should smoothly lock and unlock both the doorknob and the deadbolt. Locking systems for exterior doors should be inspected periodically for function. If you recently have acquired a new home it is a good idea to replace or re-key all the exterior locks given that you might not possess all of the keys.

Interior Doors

Most interior doors are for privacy and do not require seals, only passive locks such as those found in bathrooms. The most widely used interior doors are hollow core pressed wood doors. They are inexpensive and can be painted without difficulty. Doors made of such lightweight material damage easily if hit with a hard object.

Interior doors should open and close quietly and smoothly. The door should not drag on the floor or get caught in the door's jamb. The latch should fully engage in the strike plate, securing the door closed. The hinges should be securely fastened to the door and the jamb. Look for any holes in the door and check to see if the door is coming un-glued where the skin veneer is attached to the frame body.

Pocket doors should slide smoothly along their track. Common problems with pocket doors are they either come off the track or they drag on the jamb. The track should be firmly attached to the header and it should not have any dents or be bent in any way; the rollers should be secured to the door and the roller bearings should run smoothly.