If tightening the hinges doesn’t resolve the latching issue, try filing the strike plate hole with pipe sealant, lipstick, or caulk. Retract the latch slightly and close the door completely. Once the latch is touching the plate, move back and forth a few times.
Doing so can help keep your home safe. Doors that won’t latch can be frustrating, but they can be fixed with the right tools. Proper DIY offers step-by-step guides on how to align a door latch with a strike plate using lipstick, hinges, and a chisel. The Honest Carpenter also provides step-by-step instructions on how to fix a door that won’t latch with simple tools and materials.
If there’s an annoying grinding noise when trying to close the door, it likely has a problem with the latch. Door jambs can also cause issues, such as misaligned strike plate, door and jamb, or loose hinges. To fix these issues, tighten the hinges using a screwdriver, shim the hinges, or sand the jambs. If the door’s latch hits the jamb wood too high, the position of the strike plate is likely the issue. If the latch doesn’t line up with the hole in the strike plate, remove the strike plate or use a dremel to bore out the hole.
To fix the latching problem, tighten the hinges first, ensuring all the door’s hinge screws are tightened. If the latch contacts the strike plate too high or low, replace the latch set with a screwdriver, half an hour, and a new latch set.
📹 How To Fix a Door That Won’t Latch- It’s Simpler Than You Think!
This is the easiest way to fix a door that won’t latch! Tools for the Job: Dremel Carbide Cutter: US Link: https://amzn.to/3vxwGUk …
Why is my door not locking from the inside?
A door lock may not lock due to a misaligned latch or the lock itself, as the latch may not align with the hole in the strike plate. It is advisable to call a professional locksmith to double-check the lock, ensure proper maintenance, and identify any other issues causing the door to stop locking. They have the correct tools to fix misaligned doors without causing additional damage.
The approach a locksmith takes to fix broken locks depends on the reason for the lock’s failure. If the door is misaligned, they can realign the latch and strike plate, file away the strike plate, or tighten the doorknob. If the lock is frozen or seized, they can thaw or clean it out using lock de-icers or graphite. They can also clean out a door lock to maintain it and prevent future issues.
How to fix an interior door that won’t latch?
To fix a door that won’t latch properly, first inspect the door and identify the problem. Gather tools, tighten hinges, shim the hinges, sand the jambs, enlarge the strike plate hole, and move the strike plate. Common reasons for door not latching include old hinges, improper installation, or issues with the door jambs. Ensure the door is properly installed and that the latch is perfectly aligned with the striker plate. These step-by-step instructions will help you fix your door quickly and effectively.
How to shim a door that won’t close?
To fix a hinge bind, place a support or wooden wedge under the door to relieve tension. Remove the hinge and add a steel shim between the hinge leaf and the door or frame. Repeat this process for each hinge on the unit. Use two shims of half the thickness to minimize gaps and ensure hinge leaf surfaces remain flush with the rabbet and backset surfaces. Reinstall the hinge and tighten the screws into the reinforcement.
Close the door slowly and check the clearances for the desired dimension. Hinged door bind occurs when the hinge side edge hits the rabbet of the frame, causing the door to spring back away from the frame on the lock side.
How do you fix a door that sticks at the latch?
To fix a sticky door, first clean the door and lubricate the hinges. Tighten the hinges and strike plate, replace the screws, trim the door, and refinish the door. This beginner-friendly guide covers how to un-stick a stuck door, which can be a problem for everyone. The total work time is 2 hours, with an estimated cost of $20. Doors are essential fixtures in every home, but improper opening or closing can be a significant issue. By following these simple steps, you can resolve the problem and prevent potential issues.
Why is my door latch not retracting?
If the latch doesn’t retract using the knob or handle, it’s likely broken or damaged. Check the spindle and latch mechanism for any defects, clean it, and lubricate it. If no defects are found, try operating the latch with your fingers. If it’s responsive, you can refit it. If not, consider investing in a new latch or hiring a professional to troubleshoot. To loosen a stiff door latch, lubricate it by removing it from the door and checking for rust and other damage. Clean any dust or dirt out of the latch with a brush and wipe it down. This prevents the lubricant from releasing grime that could cause the latch to freeze later.
How to fix a door lock that won’t lock?
The article explains how to fix a door that won’t lock by identifying the source of the misalignment, tightening the hinges, checking the strike plate, repositioning the door stop, sanding down or shifting under hinges, and enlarging the strike plate hole. If the door isn’t locking properly, it’s likely due to the latch rather than the locking mechanism. If a strike fails to penetrate a jamb, it may be warped or the screws have loosened, causing the plate to shift.
This can prevent the strike from sliding past its plate into the jamb’s receiving hole or reaching the bottom, preventing proper locking. Locking problems are common but need to be addressed for security or privacy reasons. The team at Access Residential Hardware provides a step-by-step guide on how to fix a door that won’t lock.
Why won’t my internal door close?
The door won’t close properly often due to hinge issues. To fix this, tighten the hinges with a screwdriver. Close the door to check for gaps between the frame and door and the door latch. If there’s an inconsistent gap, widen it by removing the screws in the hinge closet. If there’s a too-deep mortise, decrease the space by fitting heavy paper or index card between the surface and hinge. If the latch hits the strike plate too high or too low, use a file to file down the hole to fix the misalignment. If there’s a significant misalignment, widen the shallow groove with a chisel.
Other practical tips include spraying hinges with oil-based lubricant, lubricating the latch every six months, breaking the seal around the latch with a utility knife, and installing a 7. 5-centimeter screw in the jamb side of the hinge. If the door’s condition is deteriorating, consider buying a new quality interior door at an affordable price. Check out our collection of interior doors for guidance on choosing the right door.
How to fix a stuck latch?
To fix a stuck door latch, use a flathead screwdriver or Philips head screwdriver to free the latch. Hold the door open with a door wedge, tap the latch with a hammer, and remove obstructions. Repeat on the underside of the latch. Check if the strike plate is misaligned to prevent door closure. Test the tubular latch by twisting the doorknob, allowing the latch to slide into the interior of the door.
Why wont my inside door close?
The door won’t close properly often due to hinge issues. To fix this, tighten the hinges with a screwdriver. Close the door to check for gaps between the frame and door and the door latch. If there’s an inconsistent gap, widen it by removing the screws in the hinge closet. If there’s a too-deep mortise, decrease the space by fitting heavy paper or index card between the surface and hinge. If the latch hits the strike plate too high or too low, use a file to file down the hole to fix the misalignment. If there’s a significant misalignment, widen the shallow groove with a chisel.
Other practical tips include spraying hinges with oil-based lubricant, lubricating the latch every six months, breaking the seal around the latch with a utility knife, and installing a 7. 5-centimeter screw in the jamb side of the hinge. If the door’s condition is deteriorating, consider buying a new quality interior door at an affordable price. Check out our collection of interior doors for guidance on choosing the right door.
How to fix a door latch that doesn’t catch?
A door that won’t close properly can be frustrating. To fix this, adjust the alignment of the strike plate in relation to the door latch. Begin by tapping the metal tab in the strike plate with a screwdriver and hammer to bend the tab slightly. If this doesn’t work, loosen the screws on the strike plate and tap the entire plate toward the door opening. If this doesn’t work, loosen the screws holding the plate and tap the whole unit toward the door or possibly remove it altogether and remount it closer to the casing edge.
How do you adjust a misaligned door latch?
To fix a deadbolt misalignment, start by rubbing red lipstick onto the edge of the deadbolt. Tighten the hinges at the bottom of the door or raise the latch by tightening the hinges at the top. If the misalignment is minor, tighten all hinges. If the hinges don’t work, measure the lipstick marks on the strike plate. If the latch is off by 1/8 inch or less, remove the strike plate and enlarge the hole slightly with a file.
If the mark is more than 1/8 inch above or below the strike plate hole, reposition the strike plate by enlarging the indented section that holds the strike plate. Drill new 1/16-inch holes to accommodate the screws and use wood filler to fill in the visible gap.
📹 How To Fix A Door That Won’t Latch
I will walk you through 3 different fixes for a very common issue of a door that won’t stay closed because the latch is misaligned.
Scott, Grandpa here. I watched as you did a very good job to adjust the door angle. Sometimes though, brick is on the far side of the hinge, which means, longer screws wont work. Most door frames are from soft pine, and that is why the screw for the hinge failed. I always carry a few toothpicks (flat type). With a touch of white wood glue, I jam two or three toothpicks into the screw hole and just restore the screw.
Hinge bending works better than shims (washers) in the hinges. There are special tools specifically for hinge bending, or a 10″ Cresent wrench (adjustable spanner if your in the UK) works great also. Like you pointed out, as long as your screws are anchored well the hinge will bend without any problems.
A simple fix if your ok with your current door gaps. Regarding the problem seen in this article there is an option to fix the door which wasnt mentioned. Remove the striker plate and insert an appropriately sized wooden dowel rod (or wooden golf tee) with wood glue into the screw holes. Once the glue has been given time to cure, replace your striker at a lower position and reattach it with your choice of screws. You may still need to file the striker/wood should there be a large offset, but this tip will limit such to a minimal amount.
I had a 38 year career as a locksmith at a university that had well over 20000 doors and over those years I had thousands of calls for doors not latching especially at dorm room doors. Great article and I did the exact same process diagnosing and repairing the doors at our university over the years! There is one more tool called changing the swag of the hinge and you can use a tool called the hinge doctor to do this. Great article!
Had a similar issue with one of my interior doors because the previous owner installed the strike plate too high. I removed the strike plate and filled the screw holes with toothpicks and wood glue. The large center hole was big enough but I would have used a round wood rasp to enlarge it downward. Used a chisel to lengthen the mortise down a bit. Placed the strike plate in the correct location and screwed back in. I even filled in the mortise above the strike plate so there wasn’t a gap. Works perfectly again.
I go down to the big box store and buy one of those extra long strike plates (about 3″ long). The extra length puts the screw holes away from the original screw holes. With a wood chisel I quickly chisel out where the new plate will have to sit. Then with a Dremel I grind out the wood in the latch hole and I am done. Got to love a Dremel. I do not know how you get through life without one. Big Box store also has a strike plate with an extra long hole for the latch. I put one of those on the porch screen door. It is very humid in my area. The humidity causes that screen door to lift then sag then lift, sag, etc. That plate with the extra long latch hole gives the latch room to move. All I have to do is grind the latch hole, in the jam, to fit the hole on the plate. Now any time of the year the porch screen door stays latched. In my area it is always the humidity that messes with the doors.
Great article — thanks so much. After perusal it I hoped that method #1 (tighten the screws) would fix things, but the screws were all tight. So I moved on to method #2 (take a file to enlarge the strike plate hole) and it worked like a charm. I removed very little material and it only took a few strokes of the file. Method #3 for me would have turned into “call a carpenter,” but I didn’t to go there. So thanks!
I lived in an older home and had some doors misaligned. Tightening the screws is definitely a fix a good number of times. If I could add that if you find a stripped screw and you don’t have a longer one on hand, you can jam as many toothpicks necessary to fill the hole right through the plate and the snap them off at the same time. The original screw will go back in tight and hold you can add the longer screw later if you want. I also invested in something called a Hinge Tweaker. It helps alot.
Good concepts. Door specialist for the last 25 years I’ve always tried to get 1/8 inch gap on all sides of door ideally. I use pasteboard instead of washers to shim hinges placing strips carefully to tilt the hinge as needed. A 1/4″ strip near the door stop shrinks the gap and vice versa. Remove the strike from the door to allow for longer file strokes. They screw right back on. I use rotary carbide burrs to grind them but I have to do this regularly. Good info bro
You skipped “move the latch plate” solution. I think that’s easier than shimming the door hinges. Just loosening the screws on it and pushing it down or up a little bit so that you can still use the same screw holes works. In extreme cases I have had to drill new holes but that’s the exception. I’ve found sometimes the issue is that the door latch was just never installed correctly to begin with. As with most contractor work, it was done by someone in a hurry who didn’t really care whether it worked or not as long as it would pass inspection.
Your articles are usually very well done. However – for this one you should have done some research first. Washers are pretty lame. You can actually buy a set of plastic hinge spacers that are in the same rectangle shape and are slotted so you only have to back the screws out enough to slip them in place, adding more as required. I’d take this article down and put up another one. BTW – the file is convex. Concave means caved in 🙂
Nice info. I am in North Texas, and we have serious foundation fluctuations in this area. it is common to see doors with as much as a 1/2 to 3/4 inch sag and alignment issues. My garage door was so extreme, I had to remove the latch plate, enlarge the hole in the jamb, then install the plate higher. I will try your tip using the washers behind the hinge on a few of the other doors though. – Thanks.
This is a very common problem in my town. On Exterior door hinges I use 4″ Exterior screws in the back holes to drive them into the Stud. This helps with security as well. I also use them on the Deadbolt strike plate for the same reason. On lighter interior doors I place white drywall anchors in the holes and reuse hinge screws. Some use toothpicks and glue but that just takes longer.
I have an almost identical solid wood door with glass panes and the same latching problem because the door sags on the latch side. I replaced some short screws (whose idea was that) with #9 x 3″ screws. Some long screws were hard to drive in, but strangely some screws holes were already stripped. I’m already using a 3″ screw. What do I do with the stripped holes?
Very useful info — thanks so much! I fixed two doors: one with method #1 (tighten the screws/changing screws), the second one with method #2 (take a file to enlarge the strike plate hole). They both work like a charm. Method #3 will be the backup, but I don’t think it will go there. Again, thanks a lot!
Your technique is awesome and your article was the best I watched for door repairs; I watched a dozen of them and you were #1 in my book. I have an issue with our house settling; it is affecting several doors…each one differently (my luck). The first one I tackled was an inside door to our hot water heater closet, which was binding at the top. I tried hinges, with no luck and I finally resorted to sanding some from the top of the door. It now closes but the latch and the strike plate are misaligned. I am taking on that project next… QUESTION: if the latch is hitting high, do I adjust the top hinge with washers?
This is actually a very common problem. After tightening the hinges and using longer screws and it still won’t latch, I use a high speed rotary tool like a dremel and file out the catch plate. They also sell a rotary file bit if you want to you use a cordless drill it works the same but a bit slower. That usually fixes the problem in minutes. If it’s really off, I move the whole catch. It takes some chiselwork and wood putty but it comes out nice, just don’t forget to pilot drill the new screw holes first to prevent the jam from splitting. I never had to resort to spacing out or bending the hinges because it might cause the doors to stick or stick later when the weather changes. It’s just a can of worms I would rather avoid.
please don’t bend hinges to fix this problem. especially on hinges like yours that are the thinner, cheaper radius hinges. if they are easy enough to bend, they will just bend back. it’s a quick temporary fix that bad handymen do. if your hinge is already bent, or “sprung” as some people call it, replace it. a long screw 2.5″ and above for interior door in the top hinge, in the middle hole, or hole closest to the middle of the jamb will draw a door up. if like yours the strike plate is too high, simply move the strike plate and touch up with some wood filler and paint, or if you don’t mind the aesthetic, some color matched caulk. your hinges really didn’t need to be shimmed out and if you did shim too far, your door will become hinge bound and cause other problems. secure the hinges, and make the door as straight in the jamb as possible then simply over or file the strike.. it is a more permanent solution
Washers are too complicated. I use cardboard box, like cereal boxes. I use the hinge as a template and cut a shim(s) the exact size then place them in the mortice of the hinge and screw them home with longer screws. They wont show as badly and wont compress and loosen over time like other materials will. Old shoe leather works well to, but it can compress over time.
I make these adjustments all of the time. Washers behind the hinge is not a good idea. The hinge will not sit properly on the jam, and will move or rock on the washers, causing more problems. It’s better to properly install the strike plate in the correct position. I use wooden cooking scewers to fill the old holes so I can position the new hole properly.
When the screw is stripped out, you can use a wooden golf tee, after you remove the door hinge, hammer it into the wooden golf tee into the hole break of what part that won’t go in and it has always come out flush for me, you can tap the tee downward or upward, use the same screw and into the golf tee and it like putting a new door frame in. The screw stays in place.
This is amazing info. I don’t know how this article popped, but I am having a problem with my front door due to taking it off the hinges and change the sweeper. I hated it when I installed it and and it wasn’t latching properly. I will try your method and hopefully I will be in luck. Thank you for sharing
realizing this article is 2 years old, I like to fill the old holes with a wood glue and saw dust mixture followed buy taking a shim custom ripped from another piece of wood to help make up the difference for the gap. A little sanding and some paint and you can reinstall all the Hardware like before and the gap is gone. leaves a great finish appearance in my opinion as well.
Rather than bending the hinges, I would be tempted to take off the strike plate and drill new mounting holes and move the strike plate, to fit the latch. You can fill the old holes in the wood, to help keep them from starting any sort of split. But then your fix is just 2 new holes in the strike plate. Perhaps not the prettiest. But if you fill and paint over the old holes in strike plate they can pretty much go away. Turns out, the one I am just working on – replacing all the hardware, the new latch isn’t perpendicular to the door. So take my chisel to the recess in the door to change the angle of the plate, once it’s screwed in to fix it.
Great article! How would you solve the problem that I have. My basement door closes as it should during the summertime but in the spring, fall and winter when the weather is damp the door sags and will not line up properly for either the latch or the deadbolt. It is an insulated steel door with 3 hinges and I have replaced all of the screws with 2-1/2 inch long screws without solving the problem. Do you have any suggestions?
You can also take a 3 inch wood screw (depending on which way the door needs to rise or fall to meet the strike plate hole) and remove the 3/4 inch screw from the (Top or Bottom) door hinge, and screw in the three-inch screw deep into the 2×4 frame. This will raise or lower the door just a bit. If you have more of a dramatic sag in your door frame due to settlement, the door strike plate and hole may have to be adjusted. There is another common issue I’m sure you have seen where when the door latch or dead bolt screws have stripped out the wood and just spin. There is a new hardware solution that sits inside the door along the latch that is threaded, called Resecure Latch. They have a website here that shows how it works. Its a awesome handyman/DYI product that is a permeant solution.
A single, wood, shim works better than washers, and is a heckuvalot easier to install! Even if you don’t bother to drill holes for the shim, and it splits while inserting the screws, it will maintain the desired thickness and work just fine. Granted, the washers are far more durable, but, you’ll save a lot of time and effort and blue tape! 😉 If the only spare wood you have is too thick, just saw or sand it down to the desired thickness (measure twice, cut/sand once!). If you have spare, wood, panelling, most are almost the perfect thickness for such a job, even if you have to overlay one on top of the other for extra thickness. If you need to adjust two of the three hinges more than 1/16″, as shown in the vid, consider removing the third hinge (i.e., the one that doesn’t need as much adjusting, if any), and sand down the frame behind that hinge (i.e., the mortise), rather than adjust the other two hinges; a rotary grinding or router bit is perfect for the job. Don’t over do it, or you’ll have to shim that, too! In this case, lowering the river rather than raising the bridge, so to speak, may save you a lot of time and trouble (and blue tape!). 😉
Most of the time it is due to complete incompetence on behalf of the individual that hung the doors in the first place. The striker plate should be installed so that the striker is perfectly centered in the opening, which will allow for shifting/settling in the future. Most people do not take the time to measure properly and just cut the hole by eyeballing it, which is just lazy and pathetic. Finding people to do things the right way is getting damn near impossible.
Hello, I clicked on this article in hopes that I could learn how to fix my door. I’m still not sure what the problem is. I have to keep my bedroom door shut because my roommate has a cat & im allergic :(. But also my roommates cat is a bully. Kitty bites and claws me and my roommate. My roommate is obviously fine with it, but I’m not. From perusal your articles I can tell you that my latch is stuck. The l latch refuses to retract. If you get a chance please shoot me some advice
You can just shim the hinges without all that extra work. You just take the screws out of the hinge on the jamb side one at a time. Leaving the hinge attached to the door. If you want to move the bottom of the door towards the latch side, you add a shim behind the bottom hinge closer to the pin on the jamb side. If you want to move the bottom away from the latch side, place the shim behind the bottom hinge further from the pin on the jamb side. This method of shimming causes your hinges to tilt one way or the other, rather than shimming the whole hinge in only one direction, you can adjust your door both ways with your shim placement. I usually just use cardboard as a shim. Layering it up if I need the shim to be thicker.
Outstanding! Thank you! Have a new home and the only door that wouldn’t latch was to master suite. Step one wasn’t an issue, but after spending a good 20 minutes on step two filing down the strike plate and chiseling out a tiny bit of wood on the inside, it now works like a charm! Got it to partially latch soon enough, but wanted that striker to fully extend into the door frame/strike plate, so the final tweaking took much longer than the the initial success, but now I’m confident of the latch’s security and my wife is much happier. Happy wife = Happy life. Thank you again! So helpful.
If anyone is having the issue where their latch or deadbolt is loose or falling out due to the screws stripping out the inside of the door. I have invented a new door hardware that solves this problem, ReSecure Latch. No more glue, sticks, puddy, or that ugly metal sleeve that ruins the look of your door. Great for DYI people like Everyday Home Repairs, property owners/maintenance technicians.
After checking the hinge screws, check the doorknob to be sure that it is centered and the screws are tight there as well. I have seen some where it was loose and the latch was angled down. This can cause the same problem you had. But if the hinges and knob are OK, I would just move the strike plate down and fill the old screw holes and/or put in longer screws. One other thing is you can adjust how tight the door closes by bending the tab on the strike plate. You can reduce air infiltration on your exterior doors that have foam insulation this way very easily.
Convex, not concave. Or you can say half-round or just rounded. If you shim the top hinge, likely it will undo the lift effect. Likely need 1/8 on the bottom and 1/16 on the middle. Leave the top alone. If the door itself is no longer square, you may need to move the strike plate. It is a bit more complex, including drilling a deeper latch hole, chiseling the frame and moving the plate. You probably will want to fill and paint the now open area above the plate.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION and the sheep and the goats Revelation 6:8 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. Revelation 20 The Thousand Years 20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They(a) had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. The Judgment of Satan 7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle.
I love the way you make your articles so clear, so well paced and to the point. Whenever I look for home repair tips, if your articles come up I always prefer them. You do t waste time trying to draw attention to yourself. Just cut to the chase in a pleasant, thorough manner. Thank you for your commitment.🙏🏽❤️ I just purchased the DANCO all-in-one toilet seal wax kit. I saw other articles but yours definitely gave me the courage to try this.
I’m here perusal this article, the first article I have ever seen on this website, having just bought our forever home, completely unknowledgeable in general home repair, and really rooting for fix number one for me! 🙏 However I now am a subscriber! Thank you for the tips; I’m about to go try them now! 🪛🪛
So what is your suggestion if it appears it is a latch/ lock problem not door/hinge one..besides the obvious of replacing door and all hardware or latch/ lock hardware..the doors and all hardware are 80 yrs old as us the house I have one exterior door and one interior door having latching issue. exterior one is more in the cold winter weather than when temps get above 50 degrees….seems to be a little play in the exterior door knob latch mechanism.. unfortunately budget will not allow for full replacement of either door especially exterior..and just replacing lock/ latch mechanism and know on exterior door would be very difficult if not impossible per a 30 yr+in business locksmith ..finding new mechanisms to fit in existing holes is almost impossible….looking for any suggestions to solve the issue..
I’ll start by saying these are good solutions if they work for you. After perusal a 13 minute article, however, I was able to figure out in less than 30 seconds that none of these options will work for my situation. It would have been helpful for the author to run through those diagnostics before asking me for 13 minutes. 1. Check to make sure your hinges are tight and that you don’t need to simply fix the sag that way. 2. Before considering any of his fixes, check to be sure that you have enough clearance between the door and the casement (on all 4 sides) to move the door within the frame to adjust the strike position. You can eyeball it and get a general idea but before you attempt these fixes you would want to take precise measurements. In my case, there was not sufficient clearance to raise the top right of the door by adjusting the angle of the door itself. I think that means that my only option is to adjust the location of the strike plate. This is the dowel reinforcement of the existing screw holes and plate raising or lowering technique. Now you have the benefit of two minutes of my time that may save you 13. You’re welcome. Secondary lesson learned. Always read the comments before perusal a 13 minute how to article.
That’s NOT how to fix the door latch problem!! Why would you take off your hinges and screw around with them, and move the entire door, to make it fit the strike plate??? That’s like trying to buy a suit to match a tie. No. Take off the strike plate. Position it properly. Cut out whatever wood you need to. Fill in the old screw holes with wood from anything that’s wood like an oak twig out in the yard, or a splintered off piece of wood from a 2 x 4 or something that you might have in the garage, or use a few toothpicks if you have to. Hammer the pieces of wood into the old holes. Line up the new strike plate position with the latch and screw the strike plate into position. You can patch the holes in the door frame with wood putty or bondo. When dry, prime and paint that area.
I think the washer thing is my issue! Thank you in advance. I put a solid wood 70 year old door into my pre hung hollow core door frame (doors the same size). Its been a riot (completely novice, no clue what I’m doing). Our latch is a bit too high but I think the biggest issue is the door is too far to the right (towards the hinges). The washers should fix it. I’m so excited to have real hardwood doors that have a STORY with them (they survived Hurricane Hugo..amongst the normal daily life they saw for the past 70 years).
My front metal door latches fine at the handle (no lock). However, in order to lock the door with the deadbolt, you have to either pull the door from the outside or push from the inside in order for the deadbolt to latch. I am assuming what I need to do is either file the latch plate in the door frame to the deadbolt or move it a little bit to fix that problem? However, I’m afraid I won’t have a good seal like I have now. Is there something I’m overlooking that can help me out?
Noooooo. I knew to stop listening when you busted out a file and not a Dremel. Remove strike plate. Notch out wood to lower strike plate. Use longer screw on top of strike plate……messing with building up hinges is nonsense. In most cases it will push the bottom of door into frame or start binding hinges!
A couple of my newly hung solid core doors seem to bind a bit during their final 1-2″ of closure. Like there is some resistance during the closing of that final couple inches. And if I don’t latch them they will swing back open a few inches. The gaps all seem legit. I’m thinking the edge of the door and the edge of the jamb are not square with one another. Does that make sense? What’s the fix? Shim out the hinges? Thanks!
One of the doors in my apartment doesn’t close and maintenance takes forever (and always only halfway does the job anyway) so I wanted to see if there was something I could do about it. Thank you for this article!! I couldn’t have figured it out without the tutorial and turns out it was super simple 😊 shockingly, the apartment screwed the latch plate in crooked, which is why it wasn’t closing…. I wonder what the world would be like if everyone half-did their jobs the way apartment complexes do 😅 if you do things correctly the first time, there’s less issues down the line! I’m just glad it was so easy with the help of this article!! Thanks 🙏🏻
When I was looking at my plate, it seemed I would take the plate off and use a real thin, shim or piece of wood or maybe like you did some washers glue it all on with gorilla glue and therefore the plate extends out a little bit more because my insert doesn’t reach in far enough so I thought I’d have to bring that out. I think that would work.
I’ve been hanging doors for 38 yrs plus. The simplest method would have been to adjust the striker plate as long as your gaps are in tolerance. That washer idea is fine if you want to make the job grow into a longer job. Most of my customers wouldn’t want me to charge them $ 300.00 to fix there door. You would want to find the simplest method so it doesn’t make you look like you trying to pay off your truck.
I’m grateful for youtubers like you, my dad didn’t have the opportunity to be there in my life and teach me some basic men skills like in your article due to divorce. Keep up the great work educating others who may need it and it happens my bathroom door had the same issues, I’ll go step by step with your article 😎🫡🍻
This has been the case as long as we have owned the home… a couple of months now. Hmm. That washer method… why stack them all in one place? You could shim between the jam and the hinge AND the door and the hinge. That would make all of this less dramatic. Alternatively… since the door look more plumb… adjusting the catch would have probably have been the best solution because you only just barely get clearance. Adjusting that catch would let you clear it better.
Door was crooked and hitting the trim at the top and was extremely difficult to close. I thought since there was such a large gap on the latch side at the bottom, shimming out the bottom hinge with washers would be the way to go. Didn’t help a thing. I now think the only thing that will help is chiseling out the recess in the jam for the top hinge.
Well this is a little closer to my door problem. The door frame has shifted so much that the doorknob latch won’t catch on the strike plate. There is a big crack over the door and goes through the ceiling above. Only the deadbolt catches and secures the door since it it longer and placed 12″ above the door knob. Will using washers on the lower hinges work here?
Why would I spend so much time on moving the entire door wheen 2min with a small grinding tool, taking off the metal of the strike plate, would get the same outcome. I’d care less about the larger opening in the plate than possibly making my entire door now look crooked in my doorway when its closed 🙄 Great article to show how to make a simple solution over complicated tho 👍🏻
these are what we call micky mouse fixes, things slumlords do etc…they will work for short term. longer lasting is find out if the frame is out of square, fix it right the first time. for the loose screw use sawdust and add crazy glue to fill screw hole or tap a golf tee into hole and cut off top of tee replace screw. the bolt latch, if frame is square, mark the frame where the bottom of the hole on the plate should be, (if you don,t have a tape measure) remove the plate, fill in screw holes, remove the lower portion of wood to match correct hole location, reinstall the plate. damaging the plate on a bolt lock makes it much easier to break in through the door. I would never let anyone do the stuff this guy talks about in my home. In 3 months all of these problems will return.
My aging parents have more problems with doors and these door problems keep piling up and because they have to hire people, lost all their confidence cause of age, they worry about finding someone. Up keep of the house is a constant discussion of the day with parents. Thanks for showing this. I will pass it along to parents.