How to Fix a Door That Won't Stay Airtight

When houses settle, doors can settle along with them, resulting in misaligned door latches. Solve the problem with a file, a chisel, and a dab of lipstick (whatsoever shade will practice).

Introduction

Loose door latches can happen whether your home is just off the market place or onetime and total of character. The reasons vary. Here's a guide on how to appraise the state of affairs, figure out what's wrong with your door's alignment, and correct the issue so that all your doors click closed with no issues.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • Lipstick
  • Wood filler

Project pace-by-pace (4)

Step 1

Lipstick Test

When a door latch won't take hold of, it'due south because the latch doesn't align with the pigsty in the strike plate. Sometimes you can clearly see the misalignment. If not, do the "lipstick test."

  • Smear lipstick on the latch and stick masking tape to the strike plate. Every bit you lot close the door the lipstick volition stain the office of the masking tape it touches, leaving a record of the exact point where the latch contacts the plate.

Stride ii

Tighten the Hinges First

If you find that the latch contacts the strike plate as well high or too low, make sure all the door's hinge screws are tight.

If that doesn't solve the problem, try this trick: Remove one of the screws on the jamb side of the hinge and drive in a 3-in. spiral. The long screw will grab the wall framing and depict in the whole doorjamb slightly. To raise the latch, do this at the top hinge. To lower the latch, exercise it at the lesser hinge.

Stride 3

Enlarge the S trike Plate Hole

If long screws don't solve the as well-high or besides-low trouble, measure out the misalignment of the lipstick marks on the strike plate.

  • If the latch misses the strike plate hole by 1/eight in. or less, remove the strike plate and enlarge its hole with a file.
    • Pro tip: A half-round file matches the curve of the latch hole.

Stride 4

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. too high or too depression, you lot'll need to reposition the strike plate.

  • You can move the strike plate up or downwardly and in or out.
  • Employ a sharp chisel to enlarge the strike plate mortise. Then hold the strike plate in place and drill new i/xvi-in. holes for the screws.
  • Install the strike plate and fill the gap in the mortise with woods filler. Remove the strike plate to paint or finish the patch.

Originally Published: January 25, 2022