No, no…you replace with the same construction. You won’t be on the hook for $6000, probably $400 at the worst…if anything at all. It’s NOT your fault they used the wrong door, you just need to prove that. Heck, get with your city’s code authority and show them the wrong type was used.
As a window cleaner, if I scratch a window and it was $200, would I replace it with an $800 Marvin? No.
Yeah I agree with you.
It seems like the installer went on the cheap, if the doors cannot get direct weather on them, probably pocketed the difference and put up internal doors thinking no one would find out.
Is it a newish build?
If not surprised it had not swelled before, I put a door just like that on a shipping container I got from the recycle shop for $5 and it looks just like that after it got wet.
Reading these types of things makes me want to get my conditions more refined, that all work is performed with the assumption that proper work and materials have been used on previous constructions and up to standard with all relative building codes, any damage that occurs due to improper construction materials used will not be held liable for.
I would get a building inspector to come and give his opinion on if these doors are the doors that should be used.
Thanks for the input, everyone really.
I will be amending my quotes with words to that effect from today - they already include:
Recommended notice period:
24hrs minimum.
Purpose of notice:
•to minimise inconvenience to residents/tenants/occupants.
•to relocate ANY moveable object that would hinder or prevent work from commencing at the scheduled time. This includes any soft furnishings/clothes etc.
•where necessary - all doors/entries and windows near pressure cleaning operations should be closed or shielded from the potential ingress of water generated from operating the equipment.
•to allow any other concerns to be addressed BEFORE work commences.
The doors had to be in a covered area, under a porch or something weren’t they or otherwise they would have already been like that?
All the hardware should be re-usable
Yes, you’re correct @Racer they are under a porch.
They specified that the fly screens and doors were cleaned though - so there’s no way without wetting them, and why would I not wet them? I’ve cleaned thousands of them…I’ve never walked up and checked the construction of them first.
As they are painted, there would be no real way to tell if they suck up water.
Good luck with it. Just going to have to sit down with property manager and discuss. Let us know.
If a door is dirty, wipe it down with a sponge and a towel. We never spray doors on apartments or townhomes.
Hey Steve,
I have had a bit to do with painting and in my opinion for water to penetrate even MDF doors and do that kind of damage it requires bare spots to absorb the moisture.
It is good practice for painters to seal the top and bottom edges of doors along with areas in lockset and striker to prevent water damage occurring (especially exterior doors and wet area doors)
From assessment of your images I suspect that bare areas have been exposed from previous change out of door hardware and previous damage that has flared bottom edge corners.
These areas require further inspection to determine if sealer has been correctly applied to required surfaces.(doesn’t look like it)
I see shoddy work practices such as these all to often,
MDF doors are garbage and definitely should not be used as external openings!
Its probably not going to solve problem by quoting Australian standards for painting to clients unfortunately.
If they try to give u grief feel free to call me and maybe we can work out a course of action. Please do not pay $1000 per door to replace.
Clayton Rose
Darwin N.T
0438927959
I know it’s too late now, sorry.
Cheap and lazy carpenters. Lazy inspectors. Bad follow up by the management company that should’ve inspected it before purchasing.
If anything, you just gave the management company a reason to take action against the installers If they are the first owners. If they purchased it secondhand they might be out of luck.
Wonder why the painters didn’t say anything. I wouldn’t use MDF in my house for anything but trim work much less outside.
You could, if needed, offer to place those door cylindrical kickplates on the swollen door while explaining to mgmt that its best to get exterior doors installed in the future.
I can’t thank you all enough. I’ve been very stressed and didn’t sleep too well last night worrying about this.
Even if I don’t have the solution yet, the support has really helped me. Thank you so much.
I’ve woken up to an email saying that two of the door locks have seized up and they can’t get the keys in and out - so I’m going there shortly to spray them with lubricant.
Turning into a nightmare job this one 
@AUSSIE thanks for the offer (and long reply) today is the cut off for Christmas pay with the Strata Company - if they don’t pay me by the end of today, I guess I have a problem.
If they do, I still have a problem, but I’ll sleep easier over Christmas knowing I don’t have to chase money as well as any issues arising from this.
I’ll update this thread, there’s so many ideas - like those door plate covers, but right now I don’t know which way this is going to go.
Have a great day everyone 
Yeah we don’t wash doors either. It takes a little extra time but we hand wipe all doors. I have seen too many posts of doors getting messed up to bother with them.
I feel like it’s not your problem, this is an issue with the builder. If you can prove that those were not the correct doors then the entire neighborhood should have a claim with the builder.
You didn’t break anything, you washed the doors as is.
File an insurance claim and let there inspectors deal with it. That’s there job . To determine we’re the legal liability lies.
I’ve been back around and fixed the locks this morning - keys were literally corroded in there. I suspect it was the corrosive nature of SH. They worked fine before I cleaned.
I’ve done many houses and this is unheard of to me.
Same wash, same rinse.
Cheap locks? That’s what I’m thinking. Anyway, it’s one less thing to deal with now.
@florida_condo_cleani I’d only file something if I really had to. No liability has been accepted at this stage, I’m going to help where I can, but the doors have been fitted with smaller hardware than originally fitted. This left a gap around them and that’s where the water got in. It should have been sealed and painted while they were out. Poor workmanship.
The bottoms of the doors haven’t been painted either. This is another thing that would have prevented a simple wash from doing any damage.
I’m going to wait it out today and see what happens.
Thanks again for all the input. It’s nice to have an ear on these matters.
Did you by chance tape the key holes. That will prevent bleach in the key holes. I tape all mine in breezeways, even though we don’t spray doors.
Little piece of painters tape will take .04 seconds to save tons of headache!
