Why Your Door Suddenly Stopped Latching 

Whatsoever is the reason your door stopped latching, you need a fast solution. Procrastinating the repairs of non-latching doors is a safety hazard and can lead to compromised security. For that reason, the experts from A&A Aventura Pro Locksmith developed this article to educate our readers about non-latching doors and the solution to the problem.

Reasons Your Door Stopped Latching

Ideally, doors stop latching because of misalignment with the hole. Two major factors can cause such misalignment:

• The door shifts out of position 
• Sinking or broken hinges

Dampness and high humidity can cause the position of a door to shift. That means, shifting doors are environmentally influenced. Age and frequency of use are other reasons doors may shift from their original position.

The second major reason for shifting doors is broken or weak hinges. In technical terms, hinges are the soul of every door. Because when the hinges are bad, the door will not function properly. There are different types of hinges – the ball bearing hinge, butt hinge, spring-loaded, barrel hinge, etc. However, hinges seem to become weak or sink due to the heaviness of the door. And of course, the hinges damage or get weak when used for a long period.

How to Fix a Door That Won’t Latch

Tools

Here are some of the tools for a DIY fix:

• Hand drill
• Philips-head screwdriver
• Utility knife
• Hammer
• Superglue
• Wood filler
• Chisel
• Putty Hand drill and 
• A knife

Crosscheck the Door and Hinges

If your door will not latch because it is sagging, you have to check the hinges. The first step is to get a screwdriver, then open the door to tighten the screws on the hinges. Close the door to check if you have solved the problem. Replace one of the screws with a longer 3’’ screw if the problem persists.

Adjust the Strike Plate and Enlarge the Hole

The misalignment may arise because the latch sits too low on the strike plate. Check if this is the case and lower the plate to align. With the chisel and hammer, you can lower the plate within minutes. Then check if the door can close properly.

Assuming the door has not started to latch, remove the plate from the jamb and adjust its’ size. With a metal file, you can widen the hole through the strike plate. After which, ensure you tighten the screws. Following the above procedure must resolve the latching issues of your door.  

Call a Locksmith for Help

A door that is not latching weakens the security system of your home. If you followed our procedure but couldn’t resolve the problem, then call a locksmith from A&A Aventura Pro Locksmith to work on your door.

With our door lock repair service, our locksmiths will work on your door to close properly. Our goal is to help you regain a sense of security and privacy when you close your doors. Give us a call today.