Patio door lock won't engage. How to move it to correct position?

Question

This aggravating thing! I am selling my house, and although this lock never worked when I bought the house, the inspector for the new buyer says it has to be fixed.

Simple right? It appears that the receiving part is too high for the lock thingy to engage. I removed the receiving end that has a rectangle opening, but how to know where exactly to mount it?

I tried a little higher, a little lower. There must be a trick. I can't see or mark exactly where to mount it, since it's hidden when the door is closed. You can't see the lock at all.

Could it be the 'hook' part itself that is not staying in the rectangle receptacle? How to know?

Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated!! Thanks.

Answer 1

Ive repaired and installed many sliding doors over the years.... There can be a couple of reasons for the latch not catching in the receiving plate.

1) The door is out of adjustment.

2) The frame is not straight.

First thing to do, is to check the alignment.
Pull the door open, so that you have about a 1/4" gap between the door and the frame. If the gap is open more at the center than at the top or bottom... then your jamb needs to be shimmed behind the receiver, to straighten up the jamb. (It is possible to have a jamb that bows into the opening at the middle -- but this wouldnt cause the lock problem you specifically mention... having the latch too far away from the door though, would)
If the gap is wider at the top, or bottom... then the door needs to be adjusted.

To adjust the door, look at the bottom of it.. you will find that the rollers under the door can be adjusted up or down. There is a screw there that you can turn in or out, to move the door up or down. You may need to move both sides of the door, to get it to align properly. There can be a LOT of movement made to the door adjustment just using these two screws (one on either side of the door....if you are looking through the door to the outside, one is on the lower left, and the other on the lower right. There are 2 screws at each bottom corner, one holds the caster in place, and the other is for adjusting it - usually a large phillips head screw)

Once you have the gap between the door and the frame so that it is even all up and down it... check the latch.

With the door slightly open, operate the door lock so that the latch pops out where you can see it. Now, slide the door to where you can see the latch right next to the frame, and pull up a chair, .... get your eye level right down even with that latch, and make a pencil mark on the frame, where you see the latch. That is where the receiving plate needs to be.

If you find you cannot move the receiver far enough... go back to the bottom of the door, and move both casters up or down, (the same amount) as needed to get the latch to line up properly.

This is an easy fix... to adjust the door, all you need is your eye, and a phillips screwdriver... if you have to adjust the frame itself, then you'll need something to remove and replace the trim. I use a putty knife to pry the trim off... pliers to pull the nails out, and a pin nailer to put the trim back on, though, you could use colored panel nails, if you don't own a brad gun. (It only requires a few nails, doesnt make sense to buy or rent one just for this.)

If you have a camera, and can get some pics, you can email me, and I can help walk you thru the process, if you like.

Have Fun

Answer 2

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RE:
Patio door lock won't engage. How to move it to correct position?
This aggravating thing! I am selling my house, and although this lock never worked when I bought the house, the inspector for the new buyer says it has to be fixed.

Simple right? It appears that the receiving part is too high for the lock thingy to engage. I removed the receiving end that has a...

Answer 3

Andersen Sliding Door Lock

Answer 4

Anderson Sliding Door Lock

Answer 5

Try putting a little paint on the hook...then try to close it and see where it makes a mark when you open it up again.

Could be it is just worn out. Did you look at your local hardward store to see if you could find a replacement?

Did you try to go to your hardware store with some pictures of the door and the mechanism to see if someone can help you?

As a last resort you could call a MR Fix It kinda guy?

Answer 6

This is one of few times I will say this, but you just might have to call a locksmith to get fixed right the first time. It would probably cost less then $60 to fix it, and your probably losing more then that messing with it.

If you can push the hook down, the the lock probably needs to be replaced. You can pull the handle off, there are usually visable screws to do this.