"Noozer" wrote in message
news:XWaHd.111488$8l.35103@pd7tw1no...
It appears as though the door or frame has shifted and the deadbolt no
longer lines up with the catch in the door frame. Normally I'd
attribute
this to settling or shifting, but the gap around the door is still
consistant and I can't find any evidence that anything is out of
kilter.
The
deadbolt appears to be as much as 1/8' out of line with the catch in
the
frame. The door latch still engages and I can lock the door using the
knob,
but what shifted to put the deadbolt out of place?


Don't know where you are. Don't know how the garage is constructed.
Don't know if it has footings.
But here in the NE US, right about now, it could be due to frost heave.
One side heaved more than the other?

24'x32' on a 6" slab (no footings) in Calgary, AB, Canada... Just
finished
a bout of -40 degree weather. 2"x6" stud wall construction.

I'd agree with the heaving, but I can't find any evidence of movement. I
just thought it was very odd.

Going to investigate further this weekend...



Since you said your door is even all the way around, this suggests to me
that the problem lies between the door and the stop.

If you were in a warmer climate I would suspect swelling in the door, but
sounds to me like it is not swelling as at -40 there is not much moisture in
the air.

FYI the latch is the primary thing that holds the door shut. The dead bolt
should have free play all the way around when it enters the strike plate.
If you measure the bolt and then measure the strike plate you will see the
amount of play it has.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.