Repairing a Door that Won't Latch

Any door should close and latch with a gentle push. If it doesn't the door could possibly be warped so that the top or bottom touches the stop before it finds the latch. If you think this may be the case, close the door and look to see if it meets the stop molding easily.

Another reason that the door may not latch properly is that the weather stripping may be worn out, or if you have replaced the weather stripping recently, the new material may be impeding the closing of the door. Or it could be that could cause a door not to latch properly is that your house is older and settling and the alignment between the latch and the strike are off. Or it could be that the strike plate has been improperly installed.

Once you discover what the problem is, fixing it is pretty simple. If it is a painted door, and you find that the steps below do not solve the problem, make sure to score the joints between the stop molding and the door jamb using a utility knife before you attempt to remove the door.

Here are a few steps to take first that could fix the latching problem without removing the door.

1. Adjust the doorstop: Check to see if the door hits the stop molding before the latch bolt has engaged the hole in the strike plate.

2. Move the doorstop: If that minor adjustment doesn't fix things remove the stop molding at the door jamb where the latch is located. Take out the nails in the side of the door that hold it to the jamb. You can do this with a hammer and screwdriver, or more preferably, a pry bar, systematically hammering, not too hard, on the screwdriver or pry bar with the hammer until the nails pop out.

3. Remove the strike plate: Change the position of the strike plate to match where it is supposed to be. Fill the old holes with wood putty before you replace the strike plate and let that dry, then place the strike plate in the proper realignment. Drill holes and replace the plate. (There will be touch up work to do on your door if you are concerned about the looks, but that comes afterward the repair work is completed.)