The front door only closes with a bang

Good evening,

the latch of the front door in our new build often does not engage properly if the door is not closed with force.

Do we need to adjust the strike plate differently or does the door need to be readjusted elsewhere?
Here is a photo of the strike plate. There is an adjustable part and a crosswise non-adjustable part with a recess. When we move the adjustable part, the latch no longer engages at the deepest point of the recess of the fixed part. Is that a problem?

Sure, sounds to me like a typical case of "the latch not hitting properly." That can be pretty annoying, especially when you have to swing the door every time to get it to close properly.

In the picture you can see the strike plate quite well. The movable part is there to adjust the pressure with which the door presses against the seal – basically how tightly the door is pressed against the gasket. But the latch is supposed to snap into the fixed recess next to it, preferably as centered as possible. If you move the movable part too far, the latch no longer fits cleanly into the recess, and then it gets stuck or the door only closes with a lot of momentum.

You could try closing the door slowly and watch exactly where the latch hits. If it hits too high or too low, the door might need to be adjusted at the hinges – set a bit higher or lower. If the height is right, it might be that you need to reduce the pressure a little via the strike plate so that the catch snaps in more easily.

Sometimes it’s also because the seals are still very tight, which is quite normal with new doors. That eases up over time. If it doesn’t get any better, a specialist can help with a few targeted adjustments, which is usually no big deal.

But yes, basically the latch should sit properly in the recess, otherwise it will generally get worse rather than better over time.

Try treating the clips and traps with some silicone spray.

Many thanks again for the feedback. The strike plate only had to be moved a small piece inward, thus reducing the contact pressure. Now the door closes perfectly.