Yeah, that’s been my experience too—locks started acting weird after the first winter. I thought maybe it was just humidity or the house settling, but honestly, I keep coming back to the install job. My neighbor had the same windows but got a pro to do it, and his are still smooth as butter. Makes me think the product’s just kinda sensitive to how it’s put in. Not sure if it’s a design thing or just picky hardware, but man, it’s annoying.
Yeah, I’ve seen that a bunch—ReliaBilt’s not really forgiving if the frame isn’t perfectly square or if the shims are off even a little. Some brands are more forgiving, but these locks especially get sticky if there’s even a bit of twist. I’ve fixed a few by just rehanging the sash or tweaking the strike plate, but that’s not what you want to be doing after one winter. Annoying is right.
That’s exactly what happened with mine—first winter and the latch started catching every time the temp dropped. I get that nothing’s perfect, but I kinda expected more wiggle room for older houses. Has anyone tried weatherstripping or is that just a band-aid?
Yeah, that latch issue in the cold isn’t just you. I’ve seen it plenty, especially in houses that have settled a bit over the decades. Weatherstripping can help with drafts, but if the frame or door is swelling or shifting with temp changes, it’s really just masking the bigger problem. I tried a thicker strip once and it made the latch even tighter—kind of backfired. Honestly, sometimes a little sanding or adjusting the strike plate works better, but it’s not always a one-and-done fix. These newer doors just don’t seem to have as much tolerance for movement as the old ones did.
These newer doors just don’t seem to have as much tolerance for movement as the old ones did.
I’ve noticed the same thing with my ReliaBilt—installed it about five years ago, and every winter, the latch sticks worse than before. My house is mid-century, so there’s been plenty of settling over time, but the original wood doors flexed a lot more gracefully. With the new one, even a small shift from humidity or cold seems to throw everything off alignment.
Tried weatherstripping too, thinking it’d help with drafts, but yeah, it made the latch almost impossible to close. Ended up having to file down the strike plate just to get through January without slamming it every morning. I get what you mean about “masking the bigger problem”—feels like these engineered doors are built to tighter tolerances, but that backfires once your frame isn’t perfectly square anymore.
Not sure if it’s just ReliaBilt or if all modern doors are like this now. Wish I’d kept one of those older solid wood ones sometimes… they weighed a ton but at least you could count on them.
Yeah, I hear you. My ReliaBilt isn’t much older—maybe four years—and it’s already a pain every time the temps swing. The old slab door we had before just sort of shrugged off whatever the weather threw at it, even when the frame was obviously out of whack. This new one? If the humidity changes, suddenly I’m wrestling with the latch or kicking the bottom to get it closed.
I get why they make these doors so precise, but in an old house, that just means more headaches. Tried adjusting the hinges and even shaved a bit off the edge last fall, but it’s like playing whack-a-mole—fix one thing, something else pops up. Honestly, sometimes I miss that heavy wood beast that never cared if the house moved an inch or two.
Maybe it’s just the tradeoff for energy efficiency, but still feels like these newer doors aren’t made for houses with “character,” if you know what I mean.
That’s wild—I had almost the exact opposite experience when I swapped out my old door last spring. I figured a new one would solve all my “sticky in summer, drafty in winter” problems, but now it’s like you said:
Mine’s not ReliaBilt (went with Jeld-Wen), but I still end up fiddling with the hinges every time the weather swings. It’s supposed to be more efficient, but I swear the old door just put up with whatever the house threw at it.“it’s like playing whack-a-mole—fix one thing, something else pops up.”
Maybe these new doors just aren’t cut out for houses that shift and settle every season. I do like that my heating bill dropped a bit, but I kinda miss not worrying about the door swelling or sticking. Has anyone tried those adjustable strike plates or weatherstripping kits? Wondering if that actually helps or if it’s just another temporary fix...
That’s been my experience too—new door, new set of quirks. I actually tried one of those adjustable strike plates last fall when mine started sticking. It helped for a bit, but I still have to tweak it every few months. Weatherstripping kits are a quick fix, but in my old 1950s house, nothing’s ever totally square. Still, I’d take a little fiddling if it means lower heating bills. Sometimes I wonder if these houses just have a personality of their own...
Can definitely relate—older homes are a puzzle, and door installs never go quite by the book. I’ve put in a few ReliaBilt doors for clients, and honestly, they’re decent for the price, but I’ve seen similar issues crop up over time. Sometimes it’s just the house settling or shifting, especially with those mid-century frames. I usually end up planing the edge or adjusting hinges as things move with the seasons. Wouldn’t trade the character of these old places though... quirks and all.
I usually end up planing the edge or adjusting hinges as things move with the seasons.
That’s fair, but do you ever feel like you’re doing more maintenance than you should? I’ve had older doors (not ReliaBilt) that held up better over time. Maybe it’s just luck, but I wonder if some brands handle movement a bit better. I get the charm of old houses, but sometimes I wish things would just stay put for a year or two...