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The gap between the top of the door and the upper frame appears uneven, looking tight on one end and wide on the other.
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Multiple doors or windows throughout the house begin sticking around the same time.
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Diagonal hairline cracks appear in the drywall springing from the upper corners of the doorway frame.
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To fix a door affected by frame movement, you can adjust the hinges by placing thin wooden or cardboard shims behind the hinge leaves to re-center the door within its shifted opening.
4. Dislodged, Damaged, or Hardened Weatherstripping
Exterior entry doors rely on flexible rubber, foam, or vinyl weatherstripping along the perimeter frame to block draft, moisture, and pests. If an exterior door suddenly requires force to latch shut, the weatherstripping is often the obstacle.
Weatherstripping can cause door closing problems in several ways:
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Dislodged Strips: A section of foam or rubber weatherstripping can pop out of its mounting groove and bunch up near the hinge side, acting as a wedge that stops the door from swinging fully shut.
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Cold Weather Hardening: In severe cold snaps, low-grade rubber seals lose flexibility and turn rigid, refusing to compress when the door closes.
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New Installation Friction: If you recently replaced weatherstripping, purchasing a seal that is too thick for the frame gap forces you to slam the door to engage the latch.
Inspect the rubber seal along the entire door stop moulding. Push any loose sections securely back into their channel, or replace hardened, brittle weatherstripping with flexible silicone seals designed for wide temperature ranges.
