Answers

Hire a structural engineer. This could be a bit more expensive initially, but you could stave off lot of frustration later.

Usually cracks in wallboard or ceilings indicate movement or settling in the structure. This is not uncommon in new home construction as footings and foundations cure and the moisture content stabilizes in the framing. It can also be caused by frost heaving in colder climates during freeze / thaw cycles. If your builder won't address it, hire a structural engineer. An engineer should be able to identify what is causing the movement to occur. Good Luck!

We Sell, Finish, and Install a few hundred doors each year. Real wood doors are beautiful, but they are the hardest to maintain. They also have short warranties. We have solid wood doors available, however most people today are buying lifetime warrantied fiberglass and composite doors that looks so much like wood that most people can't tell a difference. If you have a covered porch you might be ok with a good wood door, but those are hard to find. If you do go all wood, be sure that the door is a laminated veneer solid core door with a 1/4" skin. The LVL will not twist and warp as bad as a solid wood door. I have 16 year old Thermatru Fiberglass doors in my home and they are in just as good a shape now as when I Installed them. Go to www.thermatru.com to learn more about these.

If you are going for a patio door, I would suggest Andersen, with a composite exterior and several species of real wood options on the interior. This would be in their A-Series.  for more info on these: http://www.andersenwindows.com/products/a-series-hinged-patio-door/ If you are in Kansas City, call us for a free consultation 913-262-4380

Doug Bennett 

President/ Owner

All-Weather Window, Doors and Siding, Inc.

While sometimes this is a door installation issue, It is often from seasonal temporary weather changes affecting your homes foundation, or other settling issues. Dry spells and winter freezing cause the soil to shrink and pull away from the foundation and can cause movement that will cause the problem you describe. I would  inspect the trim on the frame and look for signs that the frame has moved. This could happen if a door is not shimmed properly. Also inspect the hinge screws, strike plate, and hardware to make sure that nothing has loosend up and moved. If all appears tight, close the door and look at the space around the edge of the door, this is called the reveal or margin. You will see this gap from the interior on an inswing door. The reveal should be somewhat consistant around the edge of the door panel and the door frame. If the reveal is tight at the top and gaps at the bottom on the latch side of the door you will likely need a carpenter to reset the door or adjust the strike plate that engages the hardware into the frame.  I would wait until the next season if you can, as sometimes it will move back with the seasonal weather change. If the condition persists or worsens to the point that it will not lock, or affects multiple openings, you might have a foundation shifting or other structural problems and should consult a foundation expert or structural engineer before spending money to fix the door. Good Luck, I hope this helps. If you are in Kansas City, Call us- We do house calls!

Doug Bennett, President All- Weather Window, Doors & Siding Inc.

Hi Glenn,

If they are cloudy between the panes it is almost always and indication of "Seal Failure". If the windows are still covered under a 10 year warranty you should first contact the window manufacturer. They may provide a service provider to install the glass as well as providing the glass itself. You may want to hire a pro to do this job. If you are in the Kansas City area, we do this work on most brands of windows.

If you plan to do this yourself you'll want to invest in a suction cup from a glazing supplier, or rent one from a tool rental or local glass supplier. This will make lifting those big glass units a lot easier.

Depending on what type of window that you have, there may be a trim piece that is removable around the glass and attached to the frame. If so, you'll need to carefully remove it to replace the glass. I say carefully because you may want to re use it, or if it is wood you might just want to replace it. Thes stops may be either on the interior side or the exterior of the unit.  Once this is off, you'll need to cut around the silicone adhesive or tape that is holding the glass in. Run a knife or a flat blade between the glass and the frame to seperate it. Some units may have a flexible boot that goes around the perimeter that will be removed and reused. Once the glass is out, scrape out any remaining sealant or tape and apply setting blocks on bottom and sides of the frame. Apply a bead of sealant to the perimeter of the frame where the glass is going and install the new glass units. Install the stops back around the glass. Once it cures, you can water test for leaks.  

Hope this helps.  

Doug Bennett / President,  All-Weather Windows Doors and Siding , Inc.