Stop caulking trim before you check the door swing

I've seen three jobs this month where someone caulked all the baseboard and casing, then the door couldn't close because the frame shifted a quarter inch. We had to cut through fresh paint and redo a whole hallway in a house near Austin. It's not just amateurs either, I watched a guy with 20 years experience do it because he was rushing to beat a thunderstorm. The math is simple: a door needs a 1/8 inch gap minimum on the latch side, but caulk hides the fact the jamb is leaning. Why spend 40 bucks on good caulk and two hours smoothing it out just to tear it all off again? Check the swing, close the door, listen for the rub, then seal everything. Has anyone else had to explain this to a customer who insisted on caulking before the final walkthrough?

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riley_wood8424d ago

You know my buddy Mark, right? He did that exact thing on a rental flip.