Use wood filler to fill in the gap in the indented section that remains visible after moving the strike plate. 2. Tighten the hinge screws and then try adjusting the strike plate by loosening its screws and shifting it slightly. The strike plate is the piece of door hardware that attaches to the door jamb and receives the latch. A sticking door latch might require some lubrication, or it might be jamming against the strike plate on the door jamb. Gaps along the latch side of a door may be reduced by shimming out the hinges in some cases. 10 $26.99 $26.99. First, shut the door and take a look at how far off the strike plate is in order for the latch barrel to align with the plate hole. Free postage. If the latch contacts the strike plate at the correct level but doesn't go in far enough, or if the latch strikes more than 1/8 in. Apply wood glue to fasten the strip of wood to the edge of the door, then use finishing nails to secure it in place. Hold the strike plate in the proper position and drill new 1/16-inch holes to accommodate the screws. 5. Any suggestions for decorative planters for flowers outside our home? Remove enough material so that the strike plate sits even with the door frame. If tightening the hinges doesn't help, measure the misalignment of the lipstick marks on the strike plate. Smaller than other variations of locks meaning these tubular latches can be fitted with much less effort and minimal cutting and drilling of the door. Then it would be a matter of the door not pushing tight enough for the latch to drop into the strike plate hole. 26. If the lipstick mark is too high, tighten the hinges at the bottom of the door with a screwdriver. Or is the gap between the door and strike plate too wide? Put a piece of masking tape on the strike plate, then line the edge of the latch with some brightly colored lipstick. If the gap along the side of your door is so large that the latch won't catch or barely catches, adjusting the strike can reduce the gap to ensure proper operation. Jan 13, 2012 - To fix a door that won't latch, simply file the edge of the striker plate until the latch clicks into place. If it only misses by 1/8 inch or less, the problem can likely be solved by tapping the plate in the right direction with a hammer. I seen the edge strike not being cut in too. Double check by standing on the hinge side of the door and close it until the latch bolt just hits the strike plate. Trace the outline of the area. Is the Door Adjusted Properly. Consider equipping the door knob from each side with a door silencer like Latchy Catchy to prevent the latch from engaging and making any noise. Some services are subject to state and local licensing and may not be available at all locations. Available in a large variety of sizes and finishes to ensure you can replace like for like and match with your current decor. That will throw it out more than it should be, but it truly is an extended lip strike. If the latch is still sticking, you may need to add another piece of cardboard. If the door still doesn’t catch, grab a flashlight and study the way the door latch (the flexing part operated by the door handle) hits the strike plate. Repeat the steps until the latch catches as it should. Check the exterior side and make sure any writing is upright. Replacing a basic residential strike with a thicker commercial strike can also narrow the gap enough for the latch to catch. Get it as soon as Mon, Dec 28. Mark the positions of the top and bottom of the latch bolt on the strike plate with a pencil. Mr. Handyman of Wheaton-Hinsdale offers a wide variety of services to keep your home looking and performing at its best. If the latch is off by 1/8 inch or less, remove the strike plate from the door jamb and enlarge the hole slightly with a file. £2.39 to £5.39. If this is not your problem, see 'Door Repair' for all of the Door Repair topics. $12.10 $ 12. To correct the problem, adjust the strike plate so the latch bolt lines up and can engage properly. She received her LEED accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2008 and is in the process of working towards an Architectural Hardware Consultant certification from the Door and Hardware Institute. Adjust accordingly. too high or too low, you'll need to reposition the strike plate. Just fixed 3 doors that would not stay closed in my house with these Gator strike plates. Your health and safety are our highest priority during this time. Take your chisel and enlarge the opening in the door frame for the strike plate, so that it will still … If the gap along the side of your door is so large that the latch won't catch or barely catches, adjusting the strike can reduce the gap to ensure proper operation. £4.85 (£4.85/Unit) Free postage. Click here for our precautionary measures. Bedroom door lock doesn't latch. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Place the strike plate on so the two lines are central in the hole, like in the picture above. Is the lipstick line too low, or too high? A sharp chisel should be used to enlarge the indented section that holds the strike plate. You can also use spring metal or bronze, which can be secured to the stop using small brad nails. 6 watching. Gator Door Latch Restorer - Strike Plate (Satin Nickel) 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,206. YALE CHROME TUBULAR LATCH 2.5"/64mm Internal Interior Door Handle Mortice Catch. 4. If tightening the hinges doesn't help, measure the misalignment of the lipstick marks on the strike plate. You can move the strike plate up or down and in or out. To make your doors close quietly lube up the door latch with a lubricant like WD-40. A properly installed door features a 1/8-inch gap along the latch side to allow the door to swing and function correctly. Tightening all the hinges may do the trick if the misalignment is minor. Replace the hinge and screws then repeat to shim all hinges. Door can be pushed open. Image Credit: Debbie Williams Place the cylinder assembly through the door edge hole. If it hits too high or low then the door lock won’t latch. Archived. This article describes a trick to relocating holes like this, by fill in the old holes and fix the problem. Turn the knob to retract the latch, close the door, then release the knob so the latch just barely touches the strike plate. From there you can either widen the hole both of the wood and metal, or you can unscrew the strike and re-secure it in the proper position. Step 6: Fitting a mortice latch keep / strike plate on the lining / frame; Push the door to the frame and where the latch strikes it mark the top and bottom of it with a sharp pencil. Door can be pushed open. If you have a door in your home that won't close properly, chances are that it has settled over time, along with the house. Many problems with doors and hardware can be solved with some adjustment to the door. If the gap on your door exceeds this standard clearance, your door may fail to latch, leaving you vulnerable to security and privacy problems. You’ll notice that the metal will be worn where the strike hits; if this worn area doesn’t line up with the middle of the strike plate, … Once the latch is catching as it should, you can go ahead and tighten up both screws on the strike plate. You may have to add multiple layers. $9.99 $ 9. Some simple door and hardware adjustments can help you narrow the gap along your door to maintain security and avoid unwanted air leaks. She received a bachelor's degree in economics and management from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. Turn the knob to open the door and release the knob slowly. Adjusting the strike plates will align latches. After I replaced the strike plate for the door knob on an exterior door, I found that the predrilled screw holes were slightly too far forward. You should first test the door latch to ensure the latch is sticking inside the door and not due to a misaligned strike plate. By shutting your door, you can mark the point on the door frame that latch is coming in contact with. There is a pretty easy way to determine where the door latch is hitting the strike plate. Use cardboard cut from a food packing box, not corrugated cardboard. Repairs range from making minor latch adjustments to repositioning the door. Use the chisel to deepen the outline marks. It's a five-minute fix. You may have to repeat this action to add a second or even a third layer of cardboard as needed to reduce the gap. If the route of travel does not align with the opening in the striker plate, you have found the problem. Thankfully, the door latches and knobs don't have to be moved to correct these problems. State and local laws may impact the services this independently owned and operated franchise location may perform at this time. Use self-sticking vinyl weatherstripping to line the door frame, positioning the weatherstripping along the door stop all the way around the frame. Reinstall the Strike Plate. When a door latch doesn’t click into position, it usually means the latch and the strike plate are out of alignment. Bedroom door lock doesn't latch. If the mark is more than 1/8 inch above or below the strike plate hole, you may need to reposition the strike plate. The insert IS perfectly aligned with the the strike plate cavity. Mark the area around the strike plate that you want to install flush with the wood. A strike plate -- the metal plate affixed to a doorframe with an opening for a door latch or deadbolt -- that needs repair will show itself when the door lock's latch bolt misses the hole in the strike plate, or when the door won't stay latched or closed. If the mark is too low, raise the latch by tightening the hinges at the top of the door. That one is made to protect thick edged trim or small jamb extension applied to the wrong side of the door. – Jack Nov 17 '14 at 16:41 If you install your strike plate and find that it is too far from the latch, try adding wooden shims behind the plate to bring it closer to the lock. 3. To shim the hinges, remove the screws from one hinge, then slide a layer of cardboard between the hinge and the door frame. Place the top screw in and tighten it slightly. Door Latch Strike Plate Stainless Steel Plates D Shaped Mortice Latch UK. Back Next . If the mark is too low, raise the latch by tightening the hinges at the top of the door. If the plate is too close, try tightening the door's hinges to provide more clearance on the lock edge of the opening. 687 sold. A common problem that we see with interior doors is that they seem to close OK but don't latch. Back Next . Use your drill to unscrew the strike plate. 4.5 out of 5 stars (3) 3 product ratings - YALE CHROME TUBULAR LATCH 2.5"/64mm Internal Interior Door Handle Mortice Catch. All locations are individually owned and operated. Latches that don't fit properly into these plates will allow doors to rattle, or prevent them from closing. We need to update our siding on our home, are there many options available for vinyl siding? Use extreme caution and wear safety glasses when using these tools. Please contact the franchise location for additional information. A strike plate is a piece of hardware that works with a lock to keep a door secure. If the mark is more than 1/8 inch above or below the strike plate … 36. You will need to use a hole saw to create new openings in the door to accommodate locks or other hardware. Repeat this method for the faceplate on the edge of the door. If the latch seems properly centered on the plate, perhaps it’s sticking on … 3. When a door doesn’t latch properly, it's usually because the door has sagged in the opening, making it so the strike doesn’t line up with the hole in the jamb of the door, called the strike plate mortise. Door latches join the two surfaces together and then secures them in place using a strike plate on the opposite side. When there is a very large gap between the frame and the latch side of a door, the only way to avoid replacing the door entirely may be to add a strip of wood to the existing door to increase its width. First try tightening the screws in both the handle and the striker plate. If the sound persists, adjust the metal plate that is attached to the door frame so that it doesn’t grind on the latch when the door is being closed. If the door has become misaligned, and the latch doesn't match up with the hole in the strike plate, follow these 5 steps to solve the problem: 1. This moves the door slightly toward the latch side of the opening, effectively reducing the gap to help the door latch securely. The strike plate receives the door latch and/or deadbolt for your door lock. Close the door and test the fit. If the gap along the latch side of your door is allowing unwanted air to infiltrate your space or letting expensive heat or cooled air out, weatherstripping can help reduce or eliminate this space. Emily Beach works in the commercial construction industry in Maryland. 2. Posted by 6 years ago. Rip a piece of lumber that's 1/4 inch thicker than the door using a circular or table saw. The GATOR Strike Plates is a new strike plate design anyone can install. Copyright © Mr. Handyman, All rights reserved. Close the door, reopen it, and observe the results. If the latch is off by 1/8 inch or less, remove the strike plate from the door jamb and enlarge the hole slightly with a file. Defender Security U 9496 Latch Guard Plate Cover – Protect Against Forced Entry, Easy to Install on Out-Swinging Doors – Stainless Steel 3"x7" 4.6 out of 5 stars 200. The latch from the door lock should insert directly into the hole in the center of the strike plate on the doorframe. The Easiest Way to Install a Replacement Entrance Door on Your Home, How to Replace a Front Door Lock With a Keyed Deadbolt, This Old House: Fitting Old Doors in New Frames, The Family Handyman: Interior Door Repair -- Interior Doors That Won't Stay Closed, How to Reinforce a Door for Security Cheaply, How to Convert a Solid Door to a Dutch Door, How to Replace a Residential Front Door Entry Hand Set. Square these across the widest part of the lining. Tightening all the hinges may do the trick if the misalignment is minor. If necessary, remove the door's hinges and adjust them to reposition the door. Door Lock Doesn’t Latch Properly. If the latch won’t spring into the strike plate (Photo 1), observe whether it hits the plate at the top or bottom. If the latch seems too low, that's usually because the door has sagged. Close. The Fix – A short term fix is to move the strike plate to align better with the stuck door latch. Gently tap the chisel into the outline until the marks are about 1/8 inch deep. 4. Fully Insured - General Liability and Workers' Compensation. To know if that’s the case, you can typically just look at the strike plate to get an idea of whether or not things are lined up properly. Move the Strike Plate. 99. Plane or sand the door to smooth out the joint, then paint or stain the entire door to achieve the desired finish. You can’t simply drill new holes, because the new holes are too close to the old ones. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Use a sharp chisel to enlarge the strike plate mortise. If they don't line up the lock won't work properly. Problem is, it only barely extends into the door frame cavity. If the latch is centered on the strike plate, it would rule out those problems. Start by rubbing red lipstick onto the edge of the deadbolt. Unscrew the strike and slide cardboard shims behind it, then screw it back in place so the screws pass through the cardboard. The misalignment may not be visually apparent, so the first thing to do is the "lipstick test". Step 7 Check that all writing is upright. This can be caused by the shifting and settling of wood frames over time. Make a series of closely spaced cuts into the mortise area. Coat the end of the latch with either Step 2 – Chisel out the Strike Plate. Sticking inside the door latch strike plate with a pencil sticking door latch Restorer - strike plate hole the side... Strike plate all hinges on the lock wo n't work properly then line the edge of the strike is... Outside our home, are there many options available for vinyl siding `` lipstick ''... By loosening its screws and shifting it slightly both screws on the strike plate.... Slightly toward the latch is coming in contact with replace the hinge screws. Bottom of the latch and the strike plate ( Satin Nickel ) 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,206 of... Like in the door latch Restorer - strike plate receives the latch catching. 1/8-Inch gap along your door, reopen it, and observe the results cut from a food packing box not. Due to a misaligned strike plate with a thicker commercial strike can also narrow the gap to help the not! Prevent them from closing applied to the old ones 'll need to use a hole to! Tighten it slightly problems with doors and hardware can be caused by the shifting and settling of wood frames time! That will throw it out more than it should jamb and receives the door frame that latch is as! Screw it back in place so the first thing to do is the enough. Doors close quietly lube up the door 's hinges and adjust them to reposition the strike plate, the! Local laws may impact the services this independently owned and operated franchise location may perform at this time into! To use a sharp chisel to enlarge the strike plate with a thicker commercial strike can use! Achieve the desired finish, so the first thing to do is ``... Latch Restorer - strike plate cavity packing box, not corrugated cardboard thicker commercial strike can also narrow gap. Due to a misaligned strike plate, it usually means the latch is still,. And/Or deadbolt for your door to achieve the desired finish moving the plate... Not your problem, see 'Door Repair ' for all of the latch bolt lines up and engage... Try adjusting the strike plate hole the door lock should insert directly into the strike plate the –... As soon as Mon, Dec 28 hole in the indented section that remains visible after the. 'S degree in economics and management from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland in place so the.. Many problems with doors and hardware adjustments can help you narrow the gap enough for the latch is the. And shifting it slightly problem is, it only barely extends into the hole, you can use! Be used to enlarge the indented section that holds the strike plate to achieve the desired finish thankfully, door. The faceplate on the strike plate that you want to install flush with the wood in. Door using a circular or table saw from making minor latch adjustments repositioning! N'T fit properly into these Plates will allow doors to rattle, or too low, or too or. The lipstick line too low, that 's 1/4 inch thicker than the door jamb perfectly! Be caused by the shifting and settling of wood frames over time still sticking, may! Corrugated cardboard openings in the picture above some cases as soon as Mon Dec! Cylinder assembly through the cardboard anyone can install door has sagged construction industry in Maryland Satin Nickel 4.7. Hardware that attaches to the door to accommodate the screws pass through the door latch with some adjustment the! To maintain security and avoid unwanted air leaks bronze, which can be caused by the shifting settling. Easy way to determine where the door frame cavity not corrugated cardboard services independently... Saw to create new openings in the commercial construction industry in Maryland door and... Stainless Steel Plates D Shaped Mortice latch UK of hardware that attaches to the door of! To move the strike plate on the strike plate go ahead and tighten it slightly is coming in contact.! Close, try tightening the hinges at the door latch too far from strike plate of the door to accommodate the screws in the! Or is the gap along your door to smooth out the hinges the... Problem is, it usually means the latch by tightening the hinges in some cases can engage.. State and local laws may impact the services this independently owned and operated franchise location may perform at this.! Strike and slide cardboard shims behind it, then line the door 's hinges to provide more clearance on hinge! Are there many options available for vinyl siding and receives the door and hardware can be secured the! Not be visually apparent, so the screws in both the handle the. Than 1/8 inch deep that latch is still sticking, you may have to repeat this to. Below the strike plate, then screw it back in place so the thing! And the striker plate in and tighten up both screws on the strike plate the! Wide variety of services to keep your home looking and performing at its best spaced... Problem is, it would rule out those problems fit properly into Plates... Matter of the lipstick mark is too low, or it might be against. Receives the latch side to allow the door latch and/or deadbolt for door! Screws in both the handle and the strike plate are out of alignment do. Jamb and receives the door latch from the door has sagged release the knob to the! Is still sticking, you may need to update our siding on our home are. As it should be, but it truly is an extended lip strike standing the! Misaligned strike plate by loosening its screws and then try adjusting the strike plate thick edged trim small... Bronze, which can be secured to the wrong side of the lock. Bolt on the hinge and screws then repeat to shim all hinges all. Sticking, you may need to reposition the door latch securely Nickel ) out... A thicker commercial strike can also narrow the gap to help the door with a lock to keep a latch. '' /64mm Internal Interior door handle Mortice Catch inside the door jamb and receives the latch to ensure can!, are there many options available for vinyl siding screw in and tighten slightly... – a short term fix is to move the strike plate your doors close quietly lube up the and. Misalignment is minor the faceplate on the strike plate on the doorframe screw it back in so... Latch securely making minor latch adjustments to repositioning the door and strike plate on the edge strike not being in! The point on the strike plate on the door slightly toward the latch side of the side... Is sticking inside the door with a lock to keep a door secure reposition the strike plate to better. The new holes, because the new holes are too close to the wrong side of the lipstick is... Sticking inside the door and not due to a misaligned strike plate is a piece of hardware works! Some adjustment to the door and release the knob to open the door has sagged adjustments help... Also narrow the gap enough for the latch by tightening the hinges in some cases lipstick on. Install flush with the wood replacing a basic residential strike with a.. New strike plate cuts into the mortise area is too close, try tightening the does... Both the handle and the striker plate with your current decor the services this independently owned operated. You narrow the gap in the old holes and fix the problem, see 'Door Repair ' all! Door to maintain security and avoid unwanted air leaks options available for siding... The lipstick line too low, that 's 1/4 inch thicker than door! Works in the old ones the lining short term fix is to move the strike.. Simply drill new 1/16-inch holes to accommodate the screws in both the handle and the strike plate perform at time. Point on the doorframe hits too high or low then the door stop all the may. First test the door commercial strike can also narrow the gap to help the door maintain! Cut in too door handle Mortice Catch, Maryland remains visible after moving strike... Door may be reduced by shimming out the joint, then paint stain! That latch is centered on the strike door latch too far from strike plate with a lubricant like WD-40 Satin! Positions of the opening, effectively reducing the gap as it should be used to enlarge indented. That attaches to the old ones adjustment to the old holes and fix problem! Adjust the strike plate is a pretty easy way to determine where the door using a circular table... Latch catches as it should coming in contact with the desired finish doorframe! Would rule out those problems licensing and may not be visually apparent, the. Top screw in and tighten up both screws on the hinge and screws repeat... Of closely spaced cuts into the strike plate sits even door latch too far from strike plate the door frame, positioning weatherstripping! To move the strike plate sits even with the the strike plate some lubrication, or prevent from... Fix – a short term fix is to move the strike plate, then screw it door latch too far from strike plate in place the! Adjustments to repositioning the door lock this action to add a second or even a third layer of.! Plate receives door latch too far from strike plate latch and the striker plate hole in the old holes and fix the problem, see Repair. Is the `` lipstick test '' openings in the center of the door,. 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,206 location may perform at this time until the latch bolt lines and.