The Residential Construction Performance Guidelines, published by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), states that both interior and exterior doors “shall not swing open or closed by the force of gravity alone.” This applies to new construction and it makes an exception for a remodeling where a new door is installed in an existing wall that is out of plumb—which is reasonable.

    We agree that the doors in new construction should be mounted plumb and stable, and would consider it a defect that requires repair if a door would not stay put when opened, unless intended to be self-closing. It’s not something we carefully check for in existing homes because there are so many other defects that are more significant, such as a door that binds, does not latch properly, sags, has damage, or a visible gap around it when closed. Also, a door that swings by itself is likely to have one or more of those other defects anyway. We note a door that closes by gravity as a defect, if observed, but do not specify repair in an existing house. 

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  To learn more about doors and windows, see these other blog posts:

• What causes sweating (condensation) on the inside of windows in the winter? 

• Is every exterior door of a house required to have a landing outside? 

• What are the small slots at the bottom of the outside of my window? 

• Why does condensation form on the outside of some windows and not others in the morning? 

• Why if the garage door track a white tube? 

• What is the raised metal plate on the floor under the garage door?

• Why do I have to hold down the button to close the garage door? 

• Where is safety/tempered glass required for the windows of a house?

• How can I tell if a window or glass door is safety glass? 

• Should a front door swing in or out? 

• Why is pressure washing double pane windows an expensive mistake? 

• How many exit doors are required for a house?

• How many exit doors are required for a mobile/manufactured home? 

• Are openable windows required to have window screens? Will windows with no screens pass a home inspection? 

• Can a bedroom door open into the garage?

• What are the building code requirements for a door from the garage to the house?

• What is "low-E" window glass? 

• What does ANSI 297.1 on glass mean?

• Why is a double cylinder deadbolt lock on an exterior door a safety hazard?

• How can I check my garage door to make sure it is safe?  

• What is an egress window?

• Does a home inspector test all the windows and doors in a home? 

   Visit our DOORS AND WINDOWS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.