I have bought a house that the inside doors will not close properly. It seems that when we turn the knob on the doors they come undone even if they are in the lock position. Builders will you tell me how to make the doors stay closed . there is a small gap in the door frame. Can this be fixed by changing the knobs latch--or will it ruin the door to move the lock?. This is only on the inside doors--ok DIY people--tell me how to fix this problem.
2007-05-21 03:12:08 · 6 answers · asked by dirtdabber 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Your doors are out of plum. If you have just moved in have your builder send someone out to make the corrections. These should have been on the punch list. Hopefully not the same carpenter that hung them.
They are just out of plumb and need a small adjustment under the hinge (probably the bottom one).
Go to the hinge side and unscrew the screws part way insert a washer or something (even a fold of cardboard) under the hinge and screw the screws back in. This should tighten up the lock and make it work.
Good luck.
Try one and play with it till it works correctly. Then you can go on to the others. It is not a big job.
2007-05-21 03:22:36 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi - It sounds like the latch (the bit that sticks out on the edge of the door) isn't fully locating in the metal plate fitted to the doorframe. Open the door and visually see how much the latch sticks out from the edge of the door. Turn the doorknob/handle as if you were opening the door. Close the door, still holding the handle. Slowly release the handle and look carefully in the gap where the latch is. As you slowly release the handle look in the gap and see if the same amount of latch that shows, when the door is open, moves across into the doorframe. You may need to do this a few times just to be sure.
If the latch is catching on the doorframe, and not going into the hole cut in the doorframe for it to locate into, you will need to move the small metal plate, that's fitted to the doorframe, slightly forward in the direction that the door opens.
If the gap between the door and the frame, where the latch is fitted, is so wide that the latch fails to locate properly in the frame then the door and/or frame have been fitted incorrectly and it's down to your builder to sort it out.
2007-05-21 10:35:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The latch isn't falling into the strike plate. Put some lipstick on the latch, then close the door- the lipstick mark will tell you how much to move the strike. If the srtike is too low, raise the latch by installing a three inch screw in the TOP hinge's TOP screw hole. The instructions with most pre-hung doors say to do that- few installers read the instructions.
2007-05-21 12:47:58 · answer #3 · answered by donmohan2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lots of things could cause this, and lots of ways to fix it. If it is an older house, the frame could have warped from water. If it is a new house, it was probably just not put in properly.
To fix it, you will most likely need to adjust the strike plate (where the latch hits the frame). It is also possible to shim the hinge, but that is a little more complicated.
As long as there is not too big of a gap, the strike plate is your best bet.
2007-05-21 10:24:29 · answer #4 · answered by j c 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Usually you can adjust the strike plate if this is the problem. That's the plate on the door frame. If the bolt from the lockset is not going in the hole for it on the strike plate it will not latch.
Easy to check by looking in the gap between door and jamb to see if the bolt lines up with the plate.
If this is not the problem then we need more info to help.
2007-05-21 10:18:00 · answer #5 · answered by DT 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Should have checked before taking possession from the builder as they always cheat on quality
2007-05-21 10:16:15 · answer #6 · answered by Hari O 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋