Step 1 close shave photo by craig raine.
Door latch sticking.
Fixing a few stubborn locks might involve disassembling cleaning and then reassembling the lock.
Sticking door latches.
Often turning these four screws slightly clockwise is enough to eliminate the scuffing.
Most times you ll find that the door sticks along the top because the door is sagging.
The issue a door latch stuck due to a jamming latch will have no real variation between how the latch moves when it is pressed in or when the handle is turned both when the door is open and when it is shut.
You should first test the door latch to ensure the latch is sticking inside the door and not due to a misaligned strike plate.
A sticking door latch might require some lubrication or it might be jamming against the strike plate on the door jamb.
First clean the keyhole with a penetrating lubricant like wd 40.
Watch joe as he shows you how to unstick a sticking door latch.
A latch bolt that sticks in the strike often leave tell tale marks or scrapes on the strike plate.
You can fix this problem relocating the hinges or using longer screws.
Ironically by cleaning and oiling them you can fix most locks in a matter of minutes.
With your door lock stuck in unlocked the position your home can be made vulnerable.
Inspect the strike plate on the edge of the door frame.
Many people put up with the aggravation of a sticking door lock for years.
The most pressing will be when your deadbolt door lock is stuck in the open position because your deadbolt provides the real security.
One of the problems that causes this is that the hinges are loose or the house has settled from the freezing and thawing of the ground.
Door lock stuck in open position.
Turn the knob to open the door and release the knob slowly.
Expert advice on how to repair common problems with door knob locks and deadbolts such as stuck or frozen door locks latches that don t latch and keys broken off in door locks.
Many door knob and lockset problems can be corrected before they become so serious that the lockset does not work at all.
Tom s rule of thumb for keeping a door from sticking in the jamb is that the reveal the space between the door and jamb should be 1 8 to 3 16 inch wide or about the thickness of a nickel.
Another problem with many door knobs latches and even hinges is that the door itself will get stuck and close or open hard.
If it s a matter of friction on the strike plate try to tighten both the plate and the lock on your door.
Equip a rotary tool with a carbide tip.
Follow along as tom fixes a swelled door in his own home with just a few simple tools.
