Many problems with doors and hardware can be solved with some adjustment to the door.
Door latch to striker alignment.
The family handyman suggests covering the strike plate with masking tape and smearing lipstick on the latch.
First try tightening the screws in both the handle and the striker plate.
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Beginning to make sure the door will latch properly.
If not do the lipstick test smear lipstick on the latch and stick masking tape to the strike plate.
Need to drill a new hole really close to the original one.
Reinstall the plate and test the dead bolt.
When your door doesn t latch the problem may not be with the latch itself.
Is the door adjusted properly.
If this is not your problem see door repair for all of the door repair topics.
The strike plate receives the door latch and or deadbolt for your door lock.
The problem of a door not latching is commonly caused by a misaligned strike plate so the first thing you have to do is to check the strike plate first for alignment.
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Luckily this is an easy fix and all that you need is a screwdriver small chisel hammer and a pencil or marker.
Sometimes you can clearly see the misalignment.
Turn the latch to draw in the bolt close the door and turn the latch again so the bolt hits the strike plate.
While it is possible it isn t functioning properly or is out of alignment it.
Have a door out of alignment due to settling.
If they don t line up the lock won t work properly.
When a door latch won t catch it s because the latch doesn t align with the hole in the strike plate.
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When you close the door the lipstick transfers to show if the latch is hitting the strike plate too high too low or just right.
Unscrew the strike plate from the door jamb clamp it in a vise then file it down to the chalk mark above right.
Open the door and look for a telltale kiss on the strike plate.
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 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.
