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Posted by on January 5, 2007, 3:45 pm
> Bill85367 wrote:
>> I own a lower level condo unit where the building has settled due to
>> improper water runoff and drainage. My unit took the brunt of the
>> settling as it is on the ground level and the building was built on
>> fill. Consequently I have a patio door that is badly out of square.
>> When the sliding door is moved to meet the jamb, without being
>> recessed into the jamb, the top of the door is over 1" from being
>> parallel with the jamb. The floor slopes to the left due to the
>> settling and after adjustment to maximum capacity of the rollers there
>> is nearly 3/8" of daylight at the top when the door is fully into the
>> jamb at the bottom. The door latches only with considerable effort;
>> with the use of both hands and some muscle. The Homeowners
>> association is responsible because it is part of the building's common
>> area, but they are giving me the run around. I am requesting any
>> help for instructions on how best to install a new door. What is
>> the best way to make the door opening plumb and level so the opening
>> has the same dimension when measured diagonally from the left and
>> right corners? If a new bronze anodized, insulated, tempered glass
>> unit needs to be special made to fit the existing out of square
>> opening what should the price be for an acceptable quality 6068 patio
>> door with screen, not including installation. Can anyone help? I
>> really would appreciate any suggestions.
>>
>> Thank You
>
> I would not suggest any work on the door until the problem is resolved
> and there is no more settling.
>
What he said- the door is the least of your problems. If there is that much
sag in six or eight feet, the first thing I would do is get an engineer in
there to look at the foundation and overall structure. With that much sag,
there is a distinct possiblity the local code compliance folks might red-tag
the entire building as unsafe. The description you give implies that the
building didn't just settle, the basic structure is actually 'racked', like
an old barn tired of fighting the wind. Depending on how the place was
built, they may be able to jack things around and redo the foundation, but
it ain't likely to be cheap or painless.
How old is the building? I'd also be looking at the association needing to
sue the builder. That degree of sag in a building young enough to have
sliders is a clear indicator that it was not built in a good workmanlike
manner. Without seeing it, my guess is that they cheaped out on drainage,
like you said, and probably didn't compact the fill correctly and/or used
way undersized foundations. If the builder is long-gone, I hope you and the
association have good insurance. Your insurance company or the associations,
may be willing to join in the legal fight with you.
aem sends...
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