First before general contractor arrives, inspect the doors to save money when selling your house.

Doors, like windows, are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, materials, and colors. These materials include hardwoods like maple and ash as well as plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Designs include solid core, hollow core, raised panel, flat panel, louvered, bifold, and so on. Styles include "French", "Dutch", double and so on. as well as bypass, accordion, pocket, and so on.

The use of each door is governed by a set of specifications. Doors are more complicated than windows because of their numerous parts and functions, but some of the information is the same.

Avoid getting sidetracked by the descriptions of the doors. When inspecting, you'll check to see if the door is in good working order and if the correct door is being used.

Interior door specifications are looser than those for external doors. It is acceptable to use exterior doors on the inside of a building, but an interior door should never be used on the outside.

To put it another way, an exterior exit door should not have a hollow core. Hollow-core doors do not provide adequate insulation or weather resistance, so they are not recommended for security reasons alone.

As an added precaution, between the living area and the attached garage, there must be a solid core fire-rated door. Below, I'll go into greater detail about the fire door specifications.

Start with the front door, which is the first thing people see when they arrive at the house.

Take a look at the door on the street. Are you noticing anything in particular?

Is it an exterior door with a solid core?

How can you tell if a door has a solid core or a hollow core?

Test the door's stability by giving it a hard rap with your knuckles. If you're still unsure, knock on an interior hollow core bypass closet door and compare the sounds. The door with a solid core will make a dull noise, while the door with a hollow core will make noise similar to a wooden drum.

Look at the way the door hangs in the jamb as you approach it (the trim material that makes up the frame surrounding the door).

See what's revealed in the video below (the space between the door and the frame or jamb).

Is there a lot of variation in the revealing gap? It's not unusual to see a difference of an eighth of an inch in this region. Any additional damage could be the result of deterioration, loose hinges, or poor installation.

Next, look at the surface of the door to see if it's in good condition. Is there any deterioration, scratching, or other damage to it? When exposed to extreme weather, hollow core and solid core doors with veneer skin can delaminate.

There should be no cracks around the latch if the door is solid.

Panels are common on front exterior wood doors. Visually inspect the panels for cracks or damage.

Glazing (glass) panels can also be found on the front of exterior doors. Verify to see if any of the windows have cracks, breaks, or the seal has been compromised. Is it tempered glass?

After that, open the door and grab hold of the knobs while straddling the door's front edge. Gently lift up the doorknob and hinges with your legs, NOT your arms, to see if they are tight and the jamb is securely fastened. There may be loose screws in the hinge area if you notice a lot of movement. With the right screwdriver, you can fix this problem. It's possible that the hinge screws are in good shape, but the hinge pins are broken or damaged. If that's the case, you'll probably want to get a new hinge.

Recheck the reveal around the door after you've made sure the hinges are secure. While it won't solve the revealing problem completely, reinserting hinges may help. Tightening the hinges will fix any previous issues with the door latching properly.

Next, see if the door latches properly.

The number of times I've encountered doors that wouldn't latch will astound you. As a result, the homeowners were frequently taken aback and said things like my response was this: "Of course, I can see your point of view, but the new owners may insist on a latch for some reason.

There are a variety of reasons why doors don't latch properly. If the door does not latch, make a note of it now.

Is there any sticking, dragging, or binding of the door's striker plate in the frame? It is the metal plate screwed into the doorjamb where the latch catches to secure the door that is known as the striker plate. Is the door self-closing or self-opening?

Open and close the door. Does it make any noise or squeak when latched?

Should I lubricate or make any adjustments to the doorknobs and door lock? Hardware problems can be solved by simply tightening the screws.

The privacy lock would not work properly if the doorknob screws were positioned top to bottom instead of side to side. Make sure the doorknob screws are oriented correctly. In other words, they need to be parallel to the ground.

Verify that the deadbolt latches can reach all the way into the mortise hole in the jamb before installing them. You can return the deadbolt to its unlocked position by pushing it back into the latch's unlocked position.

When using a deadbolt lock, try this method. Partially engage the deadbolt with the door open. Stop before the lock mechanism makes a "click." Then tighten the bolt by pushing it in. You'll be able to use your finger to push the bolt back into the door. When you hear a "click," go ahead and push the bolt. The bolt has become immovable.

When you lock the deadbolt, you should hear or feel a "click." If not, the lock is not properly engaged. The jamb's mortise hole isn't deep enough for the bolt to go all the way in before it becomes fully engaged. It's a safety hazard.

Double deadbolt locks will be noted by home inspectors. Some will consider them dangerous and report them. Deadbolts are locks that can be opened only by a key that's been placed in both the outside and inside of the door. This used to be in my reports:

Just so you know, if you lose or misplace your key, a locked double deadbolt lock can be a safety hazard.

Prior to the home inspector's visit, I advise replacing the double deadbolt locks on the doors and windows.

Inspect the jamb for striker plates. Replace or repair any damaged or missing striker plates.

Examine the door's jamb. Is it cracked, shattered, corroded, or water damaged? Note down any of these circumstances.

Water stains around doorframes are carefully investigated by home inspectors and termite contractors. When it comes to walls and exterior siding, water intrusion is a major problem.

The weatherstripping will be required on all exterior doors. The light from the outside should not be able to get in around the door.

Check the sweeping at the bottom of the door in particular Weather-stripping is a low-cost, low-maintenance option. In most cases, the bottom sweep can be lowered to properly sweep the threshold.

How do you keep the knob from slamming into the wall?

As you explore the rest of the building, keep an eye out for bifold, bypass, and accordion closet doors to see if they open and close properly. In addition to the previously mentioned factors, they should be able to glide along the tracks without slipping or snagging the floor covering. It's time to replace the broken mirrors on the bypass closet doors.

The pins on the secondary door should be securely fastened at the top and bottom when inspecting any interior or exterior double doors. Are they easy to use and engage in?

Verify that patio and screen doors operate easily and securely by testing the latches and locks. Missing or damaged screen doors will be noted by home inspectors.

Window coverings are common on patio doors. Window coverings are often overlooked by home inspectors, but they should be checked and noted to ensure they work properly. Unless the house is in bad shape, your realtor is unlikely to suggest you replace your window coverings. The purchasers will most likely want to pick and choose from a variety of options.

Many of the inspections I performed had buyers in attendance. On the other side of the building, I could hear them talking about how they were going to redecorate it to suit their own tastes. The replacement of old flooring and window coverings was almost always on the agenda. Realtors frequently recommend cleaning or removing these things, but never replace them.

Patio door glazing should have tempered glass. Double-pane patio doors and fixed glazing should have their dual-pane seals checked for damage or loss.

Fire doors should be taken into account. These types of doors can be found between the house's living quarters and the garage. In addition to the stairway to the basement, they can be found anywhere flammable materials, such as a water heater or furnace, are present.

When a fire door's automatic closer is released, the door should self-close and latch. Automatic fire doors should have their closers adjusted or replaced if the door does not latch when it is released. When the floor covering gets in the way of the closer, it can cause the door to slacken and become sluggish.

Fire doors are installed to keep smoke and flames out of a home, but they only work for a short time before they need to be replaced. Modifications to these doors, such as adding a pet door, create a potential hazard.

Installing pet doors in a fire door defeats the purpose of the door's fire suppression system. I'm aware that, for obvious reasons, we must assist our pets in entering and exiting our buildings. Although I have pets of my own, you should be aware that a pet door installed in a fire door will be noted by the home inspector.

Fire doors with door stops installed may be written off by home inspectors who believe they serve no useful purpose.

The direction in which a door swings is also crucial. The code necessitates the use of a 36 "the place where you'll land if a door opens over you.

HAZARD

An open door could cause someone to trip and fall if it is swinging out over a step.

This is a common blunder made by homeowners performing home renovations.

Remember that the doors' appearance and functionality are the most important considerations for us. Doors with holes bigger than a nail or screw in the hollow core should most eventually be replaced.

Doors with deteriorated thresholds may also require new doorjambs. You can check for deterioration by using an awl or screwdriver to probe these areas.

Use the same procedures to check the rest of the house's doors. When you do find something, don't let yourself get discouraged. That's why you're putting in the effort.

INTERVIEW RESULTS: CORRECTIONS AND SOLUTIONS COMPUTER HARDWARE USE

If there is a lot of play or movement around the door hinges, check the screws. If this is the case, use a screwdriver to tighten them up.

If a screw won't turn, it's likely stripped. To secure the hinge to the jamb, you may need to use a longer screw. In order to prevent the hinges from closing properly, use a screw with the correct bevel and head size.

Non-latching doors may indicate a variety of problems.

A door latching one time of year or season but not the next is a very common occurrence. This is a sign of the building's normal shape-changing due to changes in temperature or humidity.

a short, neat bob Unless the plate was not installed in the proper position during construction, the striker plate design usually accounts for these variations.

A warped or out-of-plumb doorframe is one possibility. A plummet is an instrument with a pointed tip on the bottom that is used as a vertical reference line and is suspended from a string. Bricklayers, masons, and carpenters have used this instrument since ancient Egypt to ensure that their structures are "plumb," or perfectly upright. Although the plumb bob is still in use, the builder’s level has largely replaced it in the construction industry.)

For the same reason some doors don't latch, others bind, stick, open, or close on their own. The doorjamb may need to be repositioned or the striker plate may need to be adjusted if the hinges are loose.

A door or jamb that is out of alignment or not plumb can be adjusted or repaired by a skilled handyman. Alternatively, you can have the door reinstalled by a certified contractor.

Despite being more difficult, secondary doors that do not lock properly can usually be adjusted as long as the internal hardware is in good working condition.

If the knobs and locks aren't working properly, they'll need to be lubricated. Oil-based lubricants should be avoided in favor of dry graphite. By attracting more dirt, the oil will hasten the problem's progression. Locks and knobs that are a pain to operate can be solved by a locksmith.

Replace any striker plates that are damaged or missing.

CONDITION

Frame and Jambs

Putty or caulking can be used to repair cracks in the jamb and around the hinges that haven't been too badly damaged. Whether or not you repaint the trim is entirely up to you and your realtor.

Door

Repairing a damaged or worn door's surface is often difficult. If the edge of the door is not too badly damaged, small cracks can be filled with putty or caulk.

If the door binds in the casement frame or drags on the floor, it may need to be shaved to make more room. An issue like this arises if new, thicker floor coverings are installed.

It's great if a few simple repairs restore a door's usability. Repairs may be possible if the door isn't too badly damaged, but this will cost nearly as much as buying a new door. This is especially true for the entranceway.