Ghostly door.

[T5 TDI]

I'm hoping this is just a question for chippies and not underpinners (and certainly not undertakers!)

I have a bedroom door that has started closing by itself. It doesn't do it in normal swing shut sort of way but a more subtle, turn your back and it's closed next time you go past sort of way. Anyway it's a fairly heavy oak veneered door (fitted by a chippie) about 5 years ago and it's always been perfect. Could it be connected with building movement or does it just need some adjustment of the hinges?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Sounds more like it might need the services of an exorcist......

When closed is the door actually vertical, or does it lean in a bit at the top? I'm thinking that the door might have been installed slightly out of plumb and that it has taken several years for the hinges to bed in sufficiently and become loose enough for it now to close on its' own, especially if there is now heavy traffic (buses, trucks, etc) going past on the road outside which could put vibration into your building. A couple of times I've seen doors that started to close on their own after the hinges had been oiled (they were out of plumb but prior to oiling there was sufficient friction in the plain hinge to prevent this). There might also have been a bit of settlement which has influenced this.

Personally, though, I still favour the haunting theory

 

[T5 TDI]

Thanks for your reply. It does seem to be fractionally out of true but it really is a tiny amount. I discovered that if I leave the door open a little more fully it stays open. It obviously suits the ghost better that way!

 

[Notch7]

Out of plumb or hinges out of line so they are in tension when opened.

Or a draught.

Or youve been dating too much cheese before bed