Door not closing properly

[BlueHouse]

Hi everyone,
My front (exterior) door is no longer closing properly and I hope one of you will give me the proper terms to look up a youtube video or else point me in the right direction of what is happening and how to fix. 

I have an electronic deadbolt lock, and a door knob/handle directly below it.  The door knob/handle doesn't lock, it just has a latch for closing.  The deadbolt is used for locking the door. 
The problem is that the door isn't closing all the way anymore.  There's plenty of room for it to close, but it seems that either the door (fiberglass) has shrunk or the doorjamb has expanded.  When I shut the door by hand, no problem, and I can hear the doorknob latch catch in the plate but when I let go of the door, it settles back a few millimeters away from the entry, which leaves a bit of sunlight around the edges of the door, and then causes my electronic lock on the deadbolt to miss the strikeplate by a tiny amount. 

I don't want to move either of the strikeplates, because I don't think they're really the problem.  It's the amount of space in the door now and the re-positioning of the door (away from the edges of the jamb and toward the interior of the house) that makes the space that throws off the alignment.  I searched on youtube and might try the "door packing" thing with sticking paper or cardboard behind a hinge, but wanted to check here before I try this. 

I did change locks recently, but they worked perfectly for about a month before this started happening. 
I have one other change that I suspect could be a problem.  3 months ago, I started using a security bar under the door knob to keep the door from being kicked in.  (similar to placing a chair under a door knob)  When I place it under the knob, I usually give the floor part a little kick with my toe to wedge it tightly.  (Yeah, I'm kicking myself now and will no longer kick the bar). 

Any thoughts or ideas?  Any other terms I should search for on Google for attempting repairs? 

Thanks in advance to the team of MMM experts!

[lthenderson]

There are several things that can be happening. The first thing that comes to mind is that your door is warping in the sun which fiberglass doors are prone to do. If you go outside and shut your door, look around the perimeter and see if the sealed gap is uniform all the way around. If not, the door is warped. Your statement of seeing daylight also seems to confirm this. There really isn't an elegant solution to fix a warped door. You can replace it with a better quality one or use a combination of shims, different seals, move the deadbolt hole, etc. to get it to seal and lock.

Since you replaced the locks recently, just seasonal temperature changes can affect your door. In the summer, my deadbolt locks easily but in the winter, I need to apply some slight pressure to get it to lock. I like it this way because it keeps the seal a bit tighter in the winter and prevents drafting. But if one doesn't like that, you will need to adjust the lock plate for your dead bolt to a position that works all year round.

Cardboard packing is really only used to get a door to fit in an opening that isn't square. It really wouldn't affect your deadbolt fit. It is also something that is not likely to change over time or be required unless your house settled recently.

Unless you are locking the door with the deadbolt after the security bar has been kicked into place, I wouldn't think it would play a part in this either. But if you are placing the security bar in place AND THEN trying to lock the deadbolt, I could see how it might be causing issues. I am assuming however that the door was installed well and that placing the bar isn't jacking the door around causing the gaps to change. If it is, you may have other issues.

[sonofsven]

When installing a door I always add a much longer screw to the top hinge, in the location closest to the center of the wall.
You want something solid into the framing to really hold it, remember there might be an inch or so gap from the jam to framing, so usually a 3.5" construction screw is sufficient.
Careful not to use one with too big of a head that will restrict the hinge from closing all the way.
Have someone hold the door up as you remove the stock screw and replace with the longer screw, or use shims on the floor to hold it.
When you kick the security bar in, does the latch work, or does that make it worse? With the door open, can you lift it and see movement at the top hinge?
This is a seasonal problem, what works in one season often does not in another.
You can also carefully grind away the soft brass strike plate as needed. Or reset the strike.

[BlueHouse]

There are several things that can be happening. The first thing that comes to mind is that your door is warping in the sun which fiberglass doors are prone to do. If you go outside and shut your door, look around the perimeter and see if the sealed gap is uniform all the way around. If not, the door is warped. Your statement of seeing daylight also seems to confirm this. There really isn't an elegant solution to fix a warped door. You can replace it with a better quality one or use a combination of shims, different seals, move the deadbolt hole, etc. to get it to seal and lock.

I can't see any gaps from the outside -- there's a strip of wood that the insulation sits against that would hide any gaps.  But from the inside, the gap starts about 1/3 of the way down the door and is widest right at the middle. 

Cardboard ... really wouldn't affect your deadbolt fit.

Glad I asked before I tried it.  Thanks!

Unless you are locking the door with the deadbolt after the security bar has been kicked into place

No, I'm not. 

When you kick the security bar in, does the latch work, or does that make it worse? With the door open, can you lift it and see movement at the top hinge?

Kicking or placing the security bar in actually makes it better.  The door sits all the way against the weatherstripping with no visible gaps. 

You can also carefully grind away the soft brass strike plate as needed. Or reset the strike.

I think there may be room to move the strike plates or adjust them.  I'm not sure though which strike plate to move. 
Do I move the handle strike plate to make a smaller target, forcing the door to shut tighter so the deadbolt moves into its plate cleanly?  (seems like a difficult thing that may take many tries)
Or do I move the deadbolt strike plate to make a larger target, which will leave a gap and allow cold air into the house? 

One other thing:  I noticed that the paint around the door frame is cracking (looks like drying out caulk and paint, but could also be settling causing movement in the frame or something like that.  I'm unsure if that has anything to do with the problem.

[lthenderson]

from the inside, the gap starts about 1/3 of the way down the door and is widest right at the middle. 

Kicking or placing the security bar in actually makes it better.  The door sits all the way against the weatherstripping with no visible gaps. 

This to me sounds like more evidence that your fiberglass door is warping or warped permanently. I would continue to use your security bar or move the strike plate on the jamb as temporary measures until you replaced the door.

[sonofsven]

There are several things that can be happening. The first thing that comes to mind is that your door is warping in the sun which fiberglass doors are prone to do. If you go outside and shut your door, look around the perimeter and see if the sealed gap is uniform all the way around. If not, the door is warped. Your statement of seeing daylight also seems to confirm this. There really isn't an elegant solution to fix a warped door. You can replace it with a better quality one or use a combination of shims, different seals, move the deadbolt hole, etc. to get it to seal and lock.

I can't see any gaps from the outside -- there's a strip of wood that the insulation sits against that would hide any gaps.  But from the inside, the gap starts about 1/3 of the way down the door and is widest right at the middle. 

Cardboard ... really wouldn't affect your deadbolt fit.

Glad I asked before I tried it.  Thanks!

Unless you are locking the door with the deadbolt after the security bar has been kicked into place

No, I'm not. 

When you kick the security bar in, does the latch work, or does that make it worse? With the door open, can you lift it and see movement at the top hinge?

Kicking or placing the security bar in actually makes it better.  The door sits all the way against the weatherstripping with no visible gaps. 

You can also carefully grind away the soft brass strike plate as needed. Or reset the strike.

I think there may be room to move the strike plates or adjust them.  I'm not sure though which strike plate to move. 
Do I move the handle strike plate to make a smaller target, forcing the door to shut tighter so the deadbolt moves into its plate cleanly?  (seems like a difficult thing that may take many tries)
Or do I move the deadbolt strike plate to make a larger target, which will leave a gap and allow cold air into the house? 

One other thing:  I noticed that the paint around the door frame is cracking (looks like drying out caulk and paint, but could also be settling causing movement in the frame or something like that.  I'm unsure if that has anything to do with the problem.

Stacking cardboard or shimming behind the hinge, or cutting a hinge deeper, are all good tricks, but I would do the screw trick above first. What happens is the doors start to sag with time and so the long screw into framing at the top hinge is how you counteract this, especially when you first install the door, or after excessive sag causes the door to stick, or the latch malfunction. If you step back and look at the top of the door it should be pretty consistent to the jamb.
It's possible kicking the security bar in has weakened this top hinge connection to the jamb and this is causing the door to sag, If the deadbolt is hitting the bottom of the strike, this is what's happening.
If you can push the door in, while it's latched, to get the deadbolt to work, then you can adjust the strike (the door knob one) to close it slightly tighter by bending the tab on the strike (remove it first).
Also, sometimes the deadbolt set can get wonky in the door, so loosen the screws and check the alignment, and re tighten. It's usually better to leave the screws on the *just snug* side and not overtightened.

[BlueHouse]

If the deadbolt is hitting the bottom of the strike

YES! 

If you can push the door in, while it's latched, to get the deadbolt to work

Also YES! 

Okay, sounds like I'll do the screw, and the strikeplate and then eventually (hopefully not for a few more years) replace the door. 

Thank you guys so much.   I'm really trying to not blow any money on any non-fun things right now because life is awesome right now and I'm spending a ton of money out at bars during the World Cup!  I don't want to blow my budget due to real-life maintenance events! 

[yachi]

If you can push the door in, while it's latched, to get the deadbolt to work

Also YES! 

This is how we've been using our kitchen door for what feels like all 10 years we've lived here.  Pull on the door knob to relieve pressure to engage/disengage the (manual for us) deadbolt.