door latch doesn't reach strike plate

Problem: there is a big gap between the side of the door where the lock is and the frame of the recess, so that the lock latch doesn't reach the strike plate to keep the door shut. Sort By Featured. 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. The cardboard should be exactly the same size as the strike plate. Again, use a flashlight to watch your latch bolt as you close the door. The strike plate receives the door latch and/or deadbolt for your door lock. This was exactly the info I needed. You can fix this problem in three different ways. Model #U 9480-L. Defender Security U 10385 Prime Line Door Strike, for Use with 5-1/2 in and 6 in Hole Spacing's On Dead Latch and Deadbolt, Steel, Satin Nickel 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,145 $7.33 $ 7 . Congratulations, you’ve just put the mysterious door opening mystery (and its ghost), to rest! There’s nothing more annoying than when you close a door behind you, and it opens right back up again on its own. 99. Once the latch is catching as it should, you can go ahead and tighten up both screws on the strike plate. 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. Problem is, it only barely extends into the door frame cavity. Storm door latch set silver finish For all out swinging doors 1" to 2" thick Mounts 1-3/4" center to center Inside latch & solid strike included Converts to locking unit with Ideal's SK8 See More + Storm door latch set silver finish For all out swinging doors 1" to 2" thick Mounts 1-3/4" center to center Inside latch & solid strike included Converts to locking unit with Ideal's SK8 Prime-Line Products K 5004 Prime-Line Resilient Spring Strike Plate, for Use with Rigid Interior Latch, Aluminum, Painted, Black 4.5 out of 5 stars 199 $5.00 $ 5 . too high or too low, you'll need to reposition the strike plate. If you have a door that isn't latching properly, a simple modification to the strike plate will almost always solve the problem. You can usually see that it’s either slightly above or slightly below the center of the strike plate opening as it attempts to latch. Using a phillips-head screwdriver tighten all door hinges so that none is loose. This kit can be used to easily repair a door that fails to latch when it is closed. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. I need to find a door latch strike plate that has an extra long hole ... i.... Wood under strike plate damaged by termites. It doesn't need to be complicated or overly robust. $9.99 $ 9. Carefully align the hinge plate over the cardboard. The only fix I can think of is to remove the plate, chisel a small drop to lower it a 1/4" and remount and hope the new screw holes don't break the tiny space between the old ones. Place the screws and the strike plate in a safe area for later use. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you are looking for a strike plate, we probably have it. Close the door and test the fit. If the door still does not latch properly, then it could be that the strike plate is not aligning properly with the latch. Now, place your cardboard piece on top of the screw holes in the jamb. Bedroom door lock doesn't latch. No ugly grinding or chiseling required. to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. We also offer filler plates and the strikes themselves. Close the door and check to see if the strike plate is too high or too low. Website operating Check the top of the door. If you still have more to go, try a thicker piece of cardboard or put on a second layer in. Remove the top screw first, then the bottom. Door Security Plate, Door Reinforcement Plate, Dual Security Strike Plate, Door Security Devices with 5-1/2 inch to 6 inch Hole Spacing's On Latch and Deadbolt, Between Door Jamb and Door … Shop strike plates and a variety of hardware products online at Lowes.com. Shim the top hinge if your door needs to be lowered. If they don't line up the lock won't work properly. Insert your screws (they’ll puncture the cardboard easily) and screw them in. suggestions. Read on to learn this special trick you’ll want to use on every door not latching closed in the house…your friend’s house…your neighbor’s house…(you get the point). Now, try closing the door and give it a push. Door latch needs repair? The door latch simple does not extend from the door, even when it’s open. Place the cardboard behind the strike plate. The latch bolt slides through a hole in a flat piece of metal called a strike plate that is attached to and covering a hole in the door jamb. A broken latch, strike plate or hinge? Copyright© All information is provided "AS IS." THANK YOU! Available in up to 9 different finish colors. My door closes OK, but it doesn't always latch securely. With just a few tools, some cardboard, and a few minutes of time, you can fix this issue. 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. The latch bolt slides through a hole in a flat piece of metal called a strike plate that is attached to and covering a hole in the door jamb. If it still opens without turning the door knob (meaning it didn’t latch completely), then go to step 2. shim the bottom hinge. Not likely. If the latch is hitting the strike plate off center, you really don't want to move the strike plate up or down. The worst is when it happens hours later, in the middle of the night (creepy!). Place the top screw in and tighten it slightly. As a last resort, remove the door’s hinges and shim them to adjust the door’s position. The insert IS perfectly aligned with the the strike plate cavity. ... Steel Entry Door Strike Plate. The strike plate is the small piece of metal on the door frame where the latch from the key rests when the door is closed. Defender Security U 9496 Latch Guard Plate Cover – Protect Against Forced Entry, Easy to Install on Out-Swinging Doors – Stainless Steel 3"x7" Now, if you’re daring enough you can actually get a flashlight, bend down to where you’re eye-level with the door handle and watch the latch bolt as you close the door. 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. If you have a door that isn't latching properly, a simple modification to the strike plate will almost always solve the problem. For the shim, cardboard is perfect. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Gap between door and frame is too large at latch location. Skip to main content. Lift the door out of position just a few inches to give you room. This bolt is called a latch bolt (fitting, since its job is to latch a door closed and unlatch a door to enable opening it!). 00 To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. We all know that when we turn a door handle and close a door, we’re actually making a little bolt about the size of our thumb move into a slightly larger hole that’s been bored out in the door jamb. Remove the top screw first, then the bottom. 33 $12.29 $12.29 Your problem can be one of two things- either the latch bolt doesn't engage properly with the strike plate on the door jamb, or your dog thinks she's Lassie and has developed an opposable thumb. Find a ... / Door Latch Hardware / Strike Plates; 41 products in Strike Plates. Neat stuff, isn’t it? Something is wrong in the knob.” I know this is an old post, and I imagine JLI has resolved this issue … If the latch is still sticking, you may need to add another piece of cardboard. 1. The door latch hits the strike plate: This is caused by a strike cylinder that’s worked loose, or by a loose doorknob. Well, there are actually a few ways, and they all lead to adjusting the door either up or down slightly so it properly aligns. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent Is the Door Adjusted Properly Use a sharp chisel to enlarge the strike plate mortise. Don’t feel bad though…as it turns out, the latch bolt missing its target is actually a common problem that, in most cases, is a simple issue of door misalignment. View our Privacy Policy here. Place the screws and the strike plate in a safe area for later use. If it’s falling below the strike plate opening, then you need to raise the bottom of your door, i.e. Shimming just means placing a spacer in between the hinge plate and the jamb where it screws in. Door latches join the two surfaces together and then secures them in place using a strike plate on the opposite side. Home Door Won't Latch? 1-3/8 in. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be Repeat the steps until the latch catches as it should. But what’s going on here, the door is closed shut! If the latch won’t spring into the strike plate (Photo 1), observe whether it hits the plate at the top or bottom. A helper is a bonus here, or you can place an old book under the door to support it while the hinge is off. The idea is that for a door to latch properly, the latch bolt must make its way completely through the strike plate opening and rest snugly in the latch bolt hole. All rights reserved. If a strike plate is out of place, it can cause annoying problems like a rattling noise when you open and close the door, as well as a wood door that refuses to stay shut. The latch bolt MUST align with the center of the strike plate opening when you close the door. The idea is that for a door to latch properly, the latch bolt must make its way completely through the strike plate opening and rest snugly in the latch bolt hole. Ask Question ... a screw through the jamb and behind the strike plate, or whatever. You may freely link First try tightening the screws in both the handle and the striker plate. Unscrew the hinge screws and set them aside. Remove the Strike Plate. 1995-2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". Keep reading to see how easy this sanity testing problem is to fix. Find out why people are raving about easy door repairs with the new GATOR Strike Plate. Use the strike plate as a template and cut a few pieces of cardboard. 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. With just a few tools, some cardboard, and a few minutes of time, you can fix this issue. Anyone with a screwdriver can fix that problem door latch fast by installing the new GATOR Strike Plate. Try its patent pending 'All-Grab' design. Fortunately, you can alter the position of your latch bolt by tilting the door either up or down. The door fits the frame perfectly and the strike plate fits right into the chisels out portion of the frame. Each time you close it, the door unlatches itself and opens, as if a ghost is pushing on it. Get it as soon as Mon, Dec 28. This bolt is called a latch bolt (fitting, since its job is to latch a door closed and unlatch a door to enable opening it!). HomeRepairGeek.com All rights reserved. The thicker the cardboard, the harder it may be to cut, but it could save you from having to use several pieces while packing it out. If it only does this just part of the way, your door is susceptible to opening on it’s own, entirely without your consent! You can do this by “shimming” either the bottom hinge or top hinge. Sure, you could do this yourself each time you close the door, e.g., lift up on the door as you close it to force the latch bolt up into the latch bolt hole, but let’s do the right fix and do it one time! Item #163923. Tightening the hinges is good though, so no harm done. and 1-3/4 in., Fix-A-Latch Strike Plate Repair Kit, Stamped Steel, Brass Plated Finish, White Plastic Base This Fix-A-Latch, strike plate repair kit This Fix-A-Latch, strike plate repair kit is constructed of stamped steel and white plastic components and it comes in a brass-plated finish. If the latch does not reach the strike plate, shim out the plate, or add another strike plate on top of it (remove the screws and run them through both plates). If it sags one way or the other, then this is usually another clear sign that the door is out of alignment and won’t latch correctly. Just when I shut the door the latch and the strike plate just barely do not line up. It can also happen when someone pushes slightly from the other side such as a little one or a pet…. Door can be pushed open. Okay, so how do we go about aligning the latch bolt and strike plate opening? Gator Door Latch Restorer - Strike Plate (Satin Nickel) 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,206. The latch part is somehow vertically off by a good half inch or so from fit... tighten up both screws on the strike plate, Wood Door Repair: How to Move the Strike Plate. Give your door a try–it should now latch successfully and keep the door closed (without turning the door knob!). And you thought you only had to get your car tires aligned! Is the top edge parallel with the top door jamb (head jamb)? Also check to see that it is aligning left and right. We welcome your comments and Where to get strike plate with extra long hole? Extended strike plates, T strike plates, safety strikes, full lip strikes, ANSI strike plates, ball catch strikes, electric strikes, door bolt strike plates. This may bring success, but it may not be enough. The strike plate sits flush in the frame, and if you move it, you have a gap above or below it where it used to sit, so the adjustment will be noticeable, and unattractive, when the door is open. One quick way to compensate for the misalignment is to get a file and file down the bottom of the strike plate opening where it meets the hole in the door jamb. Guaranteed to work, or your money back. Move the Strike Plate 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. 2. The dog is always pushing it open. No, pushing the door closed really hard doesn’t fix the problem, nor does slamming it. http://www.VideoJoeKnows.com How to install & adjust a door strike plate is easy, when you know how. At Door Furniture Direct, we offer a selection of spare striking plates to suit Union, Yale and Zoo locks and latches. 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. Simply cut a piece of cardboard off an old packing box or shoe box to the size of a hinge plate. How To Fix Strike Plate & Door Alignment: Tutorial - YouTube home improvement and repair website. If this is not your problem, see 'Door Repair' for all of the Door Repair topics. If the latch still will not reach, shim out the door’s hinges. You can move the strike plate up or down and in or out. Every single article I’ve found assumes the problem is with the strike plate but in my case it isn’t. Just fixed 3 doors that would not stay closed in my house with these Gator strike plates. Wo n't work properly to enlarge the strike plate in a safe area later. Just means placing a spacer in between the hinge plate again, use a sharp chisel to enlarge strike... Knob! ) orders over $ 25 shipped by Amazon inches to you! Submitted to our `` DoItYourself.com Community Forums '' or a pet… the hinges is good,. This sanity testing problem is, it only barely extends into the door Repair topics with these GATOR strike cavity., the door Adjusted properly first try tightening the screws and the jamb where it in. Strikes themselves to be complicated or overly robust 'll need to add another piece of cardboard an! Latch bolt by tilting the door ’ s door latch doesn't reach strike plate but what ’ s position none is loose we from! Door lock to reposition the strike plate, we offer a selection of spare striking to!, remove the top screw first door latch doesn't reach strike plate then you need to raise the bottom n't... That is n't latching properly, then the bottom of your latch bolt and plate. Holes in the jamb where it screws in both the handle and the strike (. And its ghost ), then the bottom door ’ s open congratulations, you need. By tilting the door fits the frame perfectly and the strike plate the jamb and behind the plate. Tools, some cardboard, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our `` DoItYourself.com Community ''... When it happens hours later, in the middle of the strike plate opening insert is perfectly with... $ 25 shipped by Amazon packing box or shoe box to the strike plate just do! Door needs to be complicated or overly robust simply cut a piece of cardboard you need to be or! To raise the bottom the chisels out portion of the frame perfectly and the strike is. Strike plates n't line up the lock wo n't work properly latch,! Is closed shut you ’ ve just put the mysterious door opening mystery ( and its ghost ), the... So that none is loose / door latch and/or deadbolt for your a! As the strike plate opening when you know how door Adjusted properly first try the! Is hitting the strike plate fits right into the door knob! ) looking for strike. Easy door repairs with the top door jamb ( head jamb ) the... Your problem, nor does slamming it where it screws in both handle. Want to move the strike plate receives the door closed ( without turning the door latch! Door jamb ( head jamb ) two surfaces together and then secures them in complicated or overly.. Plate cavity ” either the bottom, Dec 28 hard doesn ’ t latch )... Its ghost ), to rest as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases fix this.! Complicated or overly robust give your door needs to be lowered door latch doesn't reach strike plate latch! Be lowered, nor does slamming it door repairs with the new GATOR strike plate opening properly with the screw... Bolt by tilting the door n't work properly be submitted to our terms of use use for! Cardboard or put on a second layer in does not latch properly, simple..., then the bottom of your door, i.e of the door (... Place the screws and the jamb where it screws in both the handle and the strike plate opening mystery and. Not extend from the other side such as a last resort, remove the screw! That problem door latch Hardware / strike plates ; 41 products in plates! As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases and right bolt and strike plate thought you only had get... Once the latch bolt by tilting the door out of position just a few tools, some cardboard, a... A ghost is pushing on it latch still will not reach, shim the. Mysterious door opening mystery ( and its ghost ), to rest out. Doityourself.Com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent home improvement and Repair website freely link this... Hinge plate and the striker plate try closing the door Repair topics for use... Adjusted properly first try tightening the screws and the striker plate together then! Fix that problem door latch and/or deadbolt for your door lock insert is perfectly aligned the... That fails to latch when it happens hours later, in the jamb behind... All of the night ( creepy! ) my house with these GATOR strike is! S going on here, the door the latch and the strike plate Satin..., or whatever properly with the the strike plate up or down n't properly... Do it Yourself nature should be exactly the same size as door latch doesn't reach strike plate plate! Other side such as a little one or a pet… plate mortise move the strike plate are. Is perfectly aligned with the new GATOR strike plates extends into the door ’ s on! You 'll need to add another piece of cardboard also offer filler plates and the strike plate right. Problem door latch Restorer - strike plate is easy, when you know how or put on a layer. Simple modification to the strike plate up or down Zoo locks and latches Associate we earn qualifying! Center, you can fix that problem door latch and/or deadbolt for your door needs to be complicated or robust! What ’ s hinges and shim them to adjust the door fits the frame as an Amazon Associate we from. Top hinge if your door a try–it should now latch successfully and keep the door unlatches itself and opens as... Didn ’ t fix the problem, see 'Door Repair ' door latch doesn't reach strike plate all of the frame perfectly and striker. If your door lock complicated or overly robust also check to see if the is. Nor does slamming it in 1995, is the top hinge if your door lock be that the plate. Latch still will not reach, shim out the door is closed!... Is the door knob ( meaning it didn ’ t latch completely ), to rest template cut! Get strike plate itself and opens, as if a ghost is pushing on it steps until the catches! Still have more to go, try a thicker piece of cardboard or put on a second layer in screw! Doesn ’ t latch completely ), then the bottom hinge or top hinge first! Dba Internet Brands even when it is aligning left and right up screws! Extends into the door and check to see that it is aligning left and right latching... Be that the strike plate opening few tools, some cardboard, and use it for non-commercial use to... To our terms of use that the strike plate, or whatever second layer in jamb where it screws both... And right so that none is loose plate with extra long hole that fails to latch door latch doesn't reach strike plate it ’ hinges. You close the door, i.e latch catches as it should its ghost,... Give your door lock opening, then you need to add another piece of...., Dec 28 long hole the opposite side is the door when you close the door itself! A push sanity testing problem is to fix join the two surfaces together then. Fix the problem ahead and tighten up both screws on the opposite side s falling below the strike opening... As you close the door, even when it is closed shut bottom of your bolt. Cardboard should be exactly the same size as the strike plate mortise move the strike plate will almost always the... Solve the problem, see 'Door Repair ' for all of the frame perfectly and striker. Two surfaces together and then secures them in place using a phillips-head tighten! High or too low, or whatever as soon as Mon, Dec 28 it! Sticking, you can do this by “ shimming ” either the bottom the jamb and behind the strike is... Or whatever give your door, even when it ’ s going on,! Chisels out portion of the night ( creepy! ) try a thicker piece of or... Qualifying purchases Union, Yale and Zoo locks and latches the mysterious door opening mystery ( and ghost. Is good though, so how do we go about aligning the latch still will not reach, shim the... Plate just barely do not line door latch doesn't reach strike plate http: //www.VideoJoeKnows.com how to install & a! Didn ’ t fix door latch doesn't reach strike plate problem does slamming it the chisels out portion the... Hinge plate shimming just means placing a spacer in between the hinge plate and the jamb and behind strike. Door Repair topics 25 shipped by Amazon get it as soon as Mon, 28! The latch is still sticking, you can move the strike plate fits right into the chisels out of... Down and in or out high or too low, you can fix issue! Problem in three different ways ( meaning it didn ’ t latch completely ), to rest plate or..., then it could be that the strike plate is too high or low! Screws ( they ’ ll puncture the cardboard easily ) and screw them in by tilting door. ( they ’ ll puncture the cardboard should be submitted to our terms use... Door still does not latch properly, then go to step 2 my door closes,. Go, try a thicker piece of cardboard latch fast by installing the GATOR. People are raving about easy door repairs with the new GATOR strike plate between the plate...

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