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Our house is a new build (2 years), and noticed that a lot of our doors aren't aligned/level when we first moved in. I'm told it's normal because of the house settling.

Up until 4 months ago, our doors were fine, but I noticed this slight gap between the front door and frame. Two things to call out here:

  1. The door isn't aligned as you can a variance in gap from left to right.
  2. The bottom corner isn't sealed, with some light showing through.

Ideally I'd like to have the door aligned with the frame, but I'm more concerned with the gap and how to fix it. Should I get a thicker rubber seal for the threshold?

Door gap

Door Misalignment

Threshold

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  • The only question you actually ask here is about thicker seals. The answer to that is no. If you like, revise to ask about one of the things I mentioned above so answers can be more specific.
    – isherwood
    Commented Jul 26, 2023 at 18:25
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    There are lots of similar questions on this site. You need to first determine why things are shifting, then re-set the door jamb (or make local adjustments to the hinges). See my answer to a similar question for help with the latter--particularly the section about resetting the jamb.
    – isherwood
    Commented Jul 26, 2023 at 18:29
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    A two-year old house should not be settling significantly, unless the foundation is sub-standard. Sadly, some areas have weak building codes and lots of shoddy foundations as a result, per questions we've seen in the past.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Jul 27, 2023 at 0:02
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    @Ecnerwal It's also the case that the draining of aquifers has made previously stable ground unstable and many localities have not addressed this in their zoning and building codes. In Florida, it's well-known that many houses are built directly on top of sinkholes.
    – JimmyJames
    Commented Jul 27, 2023 at 14:20

4 Answers 4

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The door frame is moving, pushing out of square. Whether that's just the door frame or the entire wall would be best examined by the builder, under warranty.

On a 2-year-old build, that's not a DIY job. It could be a sign of normal settling or something worse. Whilst the guarantee is still in force, basically it shouldn't be 'your problem'.

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Could just need to be rehung. Worst case it needs foundation repair.

There are a few options that come to mind depending on your budget and other factors.

Call the builder

Your home may still be under warranty

Call a carpenter or handyman

You could simply rehang the door to account for the movement. But if it is due to the foundation, then this is only recommended as an addition after the foundation is repaired, not to do this only for aesthetic reasons.

Call a foundation specialist

They can assess if and what work needs to get done. You will have different options depending on if you are on a slab or raised foundation.

Bigger door seals

Totally wrong, ugly, and neglects the underlying problems. But fast and cheaper now, though this will contribute to a less efficient home.

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Call a company that does foundation leveling and repair. Often they'll send someone out to assess your foundation for free. You can use that assessment to determine what to do next without having to spend any money.

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Unless there are noticeable cracks in the walls around the frame I doubt it is a foundation problem. You can check if the frame is out of square to make sure.

Having said that, I think the door just sagged which is something you can expect to happen, especially if the hinges are not top quality. You can try to deepen the mortice of the top hinge so that it pulls the door back into position.

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