Wobbly / Hollow door frame missing screws?

Rose

2 years ago

We are not sure why, but we can hear our upstairs neighbor stamping much more clearly when the doorframes are wobbly.

1) Our bedroom and bathroom doorframe are screwed in place and tightened by screws on the inside of the frame.

some of these holes have screws you can tighten and some of them have just a hole with no screws.

Picture 1 is an example of one with screw and the other without.

Picture 2 is a closeup look on the hole without screw

Is it supposed to be like that?

2) Also on the bathroom door frame, almost all of the holes are filled with grout where the screw/hole are.

why is it like that?

3) Some places, our floor is hollow and the upstairs neighbors can feel it when we stamp on those hollow places. Is it because the vibration is going through those wobbly/hollow door frames? (and wobbly/hollow wall?)

thank you!

Featured Answer

millworkman

2 years ago

" what do you think i should do with the empty screw jamb holes? "

Probably could not get the screws into the concrete or they broke off. Whoever installed was probably a real hack. I would fill them with wood filler and repaint. If the jambs move, you should have someone reset them properly, makin sure they remain, plumb, level and square. I would hire someone as, no offense, this seems like it may be over your head, especially being the walls are concrete allegedly.

" and what about the jamb holes with grout? "

You sure it is grout?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

millworkman
2 years ago
I would think the holes should have screws in them, they did at one point. As far as the noise, I cannot see the door frames not having all the screws in place would make enough of a difference to actually hear it.
A Mat
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Might have been for a storage system, wire racks?
Related Professionals
Hot Springs Home Remodeling · Burlington Home Remodeling · Minneapolis Home Remodeling · Amarillo Home Remodeling · Grand Island General Contractors · Middletown General Contractors · Wheeling General Contractors · Palm Desert General Contractors · Bend General Contractors · Covington Bathroom Remodelers · New Orleans Bathroom Remodelers · Plainfield Bathroom Remodelers · Plattsburgh Bathroom Remodelers · Riverside Bathroom Remodelers · Vancouver Bathroom Remodelers
millworkman
2 years ago
@A Mat, who really can tell from 2 zoomed in closeups?
ci_lantro
2 years ago
Some places, our floor is hollow and the upstairs neighbors can feel it when we stamp on those hollow places. Is it because the vibration is going through those wobbly/hollow door frames? (and wobbly/hollow wall?)

No.
Rose
Original Author
2 years ago
thank you for your answers

the building is made of cement. the ceiling is cement hard. it seems the vibrations are coming through the hollow walls and or the not so stable door frames..

Here is the holes covered on the door frames where some if them have screws and some of them dont as shown in OP

This is the bathroom door frame, neighboring bedroom which is on the left.

here you can see the hole is covered in grout. Almost all of the bathroom door frame holes are covered in that which i find very strange.

should you remove it and see if theres a screw behind to tigthen?

Bathroom door frame full view

thank you!
millworkman
2 years ago
Are the frames truly loose? All those screw holes should be covered with wood filler and painted. If truly loose then yes the jambs need to be reattached. You may very well need tapcons or some other type anchor since your walls are cement.
Rose
Original Author
2 years ago
the frames are not really loose. rather they feel wobbly/hollow when you for example poke it. you can feel the vibration when it is supposed to be solid and tight!

what do you think i should do with the empty screw jamb holes?

and what about the jamb holes with grout?

thank you!
Rose
Original Author
2 years ago
it looks like it and feels soft squishy but fastened. in my previous post on picture 2, you can see it.

i dont know what to do with the empty jamb holes yes. i could only tighten the screws where it wasnt empty.

thank you
w0lley32
2 years ago
In your second picture, it looks like the plastic plugs shown on picture 1 that have been broken or sheared off more than grout. You can probably take what's left of the plastic plug with a sharp object and replace them with new ones, or like has been suggested, wood filler sanded smooth, and paint.
Rose thanked w0lley32