Is the front door part of the addition, or did the addition elsewhere somehow effect the performance of the front door?

The front door is part of the addition. I should add that a couple of weeks ago, the contractor took down the door, trimmed the top to make it fit better, and adjusted the latch where the deadbolt fits into. Everything worked great until a recent round of cooler weather. Now the door is slightly off again, although it stll opens and closes easily. But the deadbolt latch once again needs adjustment - for the second time in a few days. Any thoughts?

Sounds to me like it is not installed correctly. Make certain it is plumb, level and square before you allow him to trim anymore off of the door.

I agree with millworkman (like I have a clue?) but I do know wood expands and contracts, and it sounds like your weather has some pretty good fluctuations.

It's never good to replace something, but fiberglass that imitates wood, or steel, might have been a better choice. Yep! Expensive for fiberglass. Steel is a cheaper alternative, but it doesn't expand.

Is the surround wood too?

Millworkman, I'll ask a cabinet maker friend to check for plumb, level and square, since I have no clue how to do it.

Desertdance, we have three other Therma tru fiberglass exterior doors and they all work fine. As for the surround, I'm not sure if it is wood - another question for our friend.

There is a limited amount of wood surrounding a T.T. Fiberglass Door and while it can be trimmed it is not usually necessary nor is it necessary to move the strike plates especially in new construction if the door is properly installed.

Millworkman, so far, the strike plates have been adjusted three times, so I suspect that there is an installation problem. Is it possible that the material in the frame that came with the door is defective in some way? The installer put in three other TT doors with no problems so he is experienced at it.

I guess it may be possible bur the more he screws with it without addressing the real issue the worse he will make it in the long run.

Is something settling/sinking? Do you notice any cracks opening, or gaps widening?

Millworkman,when he comes back, I'll ask him to start from scratch. He's reputable, so I'm confident that he'll resolve the issue, especially now that I know what to say,, thanks to the help I'm getting on this forum.

Peegee, I checked the drywall, and there are no cracks or gaps in it or the trim. Everything looks good from the outside too.

Ok, it's a lovely warm day today (70's) - and the door lock is working perfectly. What on earth is going on?????

Btw, I should mention that there is a storm door - but the TTpeople say that is ok.

Very puzzling, please have someone check to make certain it is plumb, level and square as it has to be some sort of installation issue, what I am not certain but........

We live in an older farmhouse and deal with this exact problem every year, twice a year. Fall and spring for about 2 weeks we are battling the door. We adjust it up or down accordingly and after the weather "stablilzes" to the new temperature everything is good. We have stone foundations that I think shift slightly near the door when the ground changes temp.There is a giant slab in front against the foundation near the door. For us we think its just a quirk of owning an older home. We have gone under the house to put in support columns, but it didnt' change anything. We also have a few cracks in the trim/ceiling transition that are visible in winter and gone in summer.
You might have to look beyond the trimming of the door, to foundation/supports around the door to find the problem.

Millworkman, I had the door checked, and it is indeed plumb, level and square. The problem appears to be humidity related. The door itself fits well - the top deadbolt is what is sticking. The contractor made an adjustment to the strike plate, and asked me to let him know how it works when our weather changes again. I hope this solves the problem....

Millworkman, I had the door checked, and it is indeed plumb, level and square. The problem appears to be humidity related. The door itself fits well - the top deadbolt is what is sticking. The contractor made an adjustment to the strike plate, and asked me to let him know how it works when our weather changes again. I hope this solves the problem....