Fix a door that won’t latch
If a door bounces back or won’t catch, the latch and strike plate are not lined up. The videos here run through three fixes from easiest to hardest. First tighten the hinge screws, which often pulls the door back into line. Next, adjust or file the strike plate opening. Last, move the strike plate or shim the hinges.
Mark the latch position with lipstick or chalk, close the door and see where it touches. You need only a screwdriver, a file and sometimes a cordless drill. A latch that works in summer but not winter is a sign of swelling wood. For a door that also rubs, see fix a sticking door, and the wider door won’t close or latch problem page.
Videos
Related topics
Follow a job, a problem, a room, a system or a tool.
Job
- Build built-in bookshelves 16
- Tile a shower 11
- Build a shed 8
- Build a deck 7
- Tape and mud drywall 7
- Paint a room 6
- Patch a hole in drywall 6
- Install a backsplash 5
- Replace a light switch 5
- Change a furnace filter 4
- Frame a wall 4
- Install vinyl plank flooring 4
- Unclog a toilet 4
- Finish a basement 3
- Fix a garbage disposal 3
- Fix a leaky faucet 3
- Fix a sticking door 3
- Unclog a drain 3
- Fix a leak under the sink 2
- Fix a running toilet 2
- Flush a water heater 2
- Install a GFCI outlet 2
- Install a dishwasher 2
- Install a smart thermostat 2
- Install baseboard trim 2
- Regrout tile 2
- Replace a kitchen faucet 2
- Replace a toilet 2
- Caulk a tub or shower 1
- Install a ceiling fan 1
- Replace a light fixture 1
- Replace a shower cartridge 1
- Replace an outlet 1