New prehung exterior door is springing back
#1
08-08-21, 05:49 PM
New prehung exterior door is springing back
Just installed a new prehung fiberglass door. When it reaches about 2 inches to closing the door has a little resistance and springs back a little. In order to bolt lock it and unlock it I have to pull it a little. I noticed on the lock side of the door it lines up with frame until middle way then it is kind of pushes out a little the rest of the way. down. When I put pressure in the middle and below the lock opens and close smoothly. I checked with level while I was installing and it seems to be plum but I will check again tomorrow. Anyone know what would make a brand new door cause this problem? Thanks in advance.
#2
08-08-21, 06:00 PM
Group Moderator
Possibly because you were not using a 78" long level when you installed it? You need to use a straightedge that is as long as the door is if you want to be really accurate. Otherwise your hinges will not be perfectly plumb and aligned with one another.
My guess is that your hinges are not aligned and if you used shims in the rough opening, you may have pinched the jambs or hinges. Spray foam can also bow the jambs if you use the wrong kind of foam or didn't have the jambs fastened securely so that they wouldn't move.
Might also be racked, meaning the left side and right side are not in the same plane. You can check that by closing the door until it gets close to the jamb... and observe the gap between the latch side of the door and the jamb, from top to bottom. If you hold it there and its 1/8" away from the jamb at the top of the door, it should also be 1/8" away in the middle and at the bottom. If you find that it's 1/8" away at the top and a 1/2" away at the bottom, that is what we call "racked". the legs of the jamb are not plumb with one another.
Hard to say from your description what is going on. is it dragging on bottom? When its closed, is the gap above the door straight and even?
My guess is that your hinges are not aligned and if you used shims in the rough opening, you may have pinched the jambs or hinges. Spray foam can also bow the jambs if you use the wrong kind of foam or didn't have the jambs fastened securely so that they wouldn't move.
Might also be racked, meaning the left side and right side are not in the same plane. You can check that by closing the door until it gets close to the jamb... and observe the gap between the latch side of the door and the jamb, from top to bottom. If you hold it there and its 1/8" away from the jamb at the top of the door, it should also be 1/8" away in the middle and at the bottom. If you find that it's 1/8" away at the top and a 1/2" away at the bottom, that is what we call "racked". the legs of the jamb are not plumb with one another.
Hard to say from your description what is going on. is it dragging on bottom? When its closed, is the gap above the door straight and even?
#3
08-08-21, 07:35 PM
Member
Sounds like what's called hinge bound.
If the hinge jamb is twisted out of plane with the latch jamb, the door is going to want to keep springing open.
There's lots of videos on You Tube avalible if you type in hinge bound.
If the hinge jamb is twisted out of plane with the latch jamb, the door is going to want to keep springing open.
There's lots of videos on You Tube avalible if you type in hinge bound.
#4
08-09-21, 08:02 AM
Xsleeper I have a 72" long level and I just rechecked and it seems to be plum. I checked the level on the top of frame and at the sill and they are leveled. The door is not dragging and when it's closed the gap on the top is even. it wants to close perfectly until it reaches a inch or two to closing the door and then there is a little resistance and will spring back a little. I have a electronic deadbolt lock and the dead bolt won't unlock automatically unless I pull the door a little to lessen the tightness and same for locking the door too. On the lock side of the door the gap is even until it reaches toward the bottom then the gap widens, I will start investigating to see if the problem might be with the hinges.
#6
08-09-21, 08:48 AM
Group Moderator
Lay the level on the door so the round vials are facing you. Slide it against the hinges. See if all 3 hinges are perfectly aligned or if the middle one is causing the level to rock. (Or there may be a gap, showing that all 3 hinges aren't aligned) Flip the level to the other side of the hinges and check it again. If the gap on the latch side is bigger at the bottom, you may have put too many shims in on top and middle and not enough on bottom, (if you stuck them all in with the narrow end facing the same direction, that can pinch/twist the jamb) you could be rolling the top / middle hinge in, making it too tight on the latch side. And did you put a long 3" screw in the top hinge to pull the door tight to the studs?
#7
08-09-21, 10:45 AM
I have 3" screws in hinge. I put a shim in the hinge and the door is not spring back and close perfect but my dead bolt is still not catching without pulling the door some and is tight when trying to open it. I am wondering if this was a two problem issue. Maybe my pre cutout on the door is a tiny to far up to reach my lock bolt. I am thinking about chiseling some of the side off the latch cut out so I don't have to pull the door to lock the dead bolt. my regular handle lock catches with no problem. I will try and wait to hear a response before I start the chiseling.
#8
08-09-21, 10:47 AM
Group Moderator
You typically need to use a rotary rasp on a drill to fine tune the deadbolt bore in the jamb. And some companies just seem to have problems locating them in exactly the right spot. I've seen some up to 1/4" off.
#9
08-09-21, 11:58 AM
Lol I was going edit my post about chiseling. I knew you guys was going to catch that mistake. I will use the rotary rasp when get a chance and report back thanks.
