This will loosen deposits on the metal parts that are preventing the key from turning. A heat gun or a blow dryer to heat the door latch area. Give your door a try–it should now latch successfully and keep the … Spray thread lubricant into the keyhole if the deadbolt is difficult to turn when the door is open. Don has:• Over 30 years’ experience as a remodeler and builder.• Written more than 30 home improvement books.• Served as Senior Editor at Home Magazine.• Appeared as a segment host on HGTV’s “The Fix” for 3 seasons.• Been a featured expert on MSN.com, US News, and many others.• Learn more about the trusted HomeTips brand! Take a 2 liter coke bottle and cut out a strip about 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. You can now use your observations to make an informed possible diagnosis on the reason the door latch is stuck. You can invest in higher-quality lock products that not only provide more security but will also need less maintenance, and not break down as often as the cheaper locks. More force is needed to turn the knob and unstick the latch. When possible, it’s easiest to file the slot in the strike plate a little bit so that it will receive the latch. If the mark is too low, raise the latch by tightening the hinges at the top of the door. When you do not understand what you are doing fully, there is a chance of damaging the lock further, so it is important to take your time with each step in the processes. How often? Now that the door is open, with the door handle, try to trigger the latch turning the knob and simulate opening or closing the door. That should restore the operation of the knob. From there, try some lubricant (silicone spray and graphite powder are my preferred lubricants for locks, WD-40 will quickly dry and attract dirt). Take note of the type of resistance. Note the differences or similarities in resistance. Remove the two screws that hold the lock faceplate on the edge of the door. If you can’t get a grip even with needle-nose pliers, cut off a coping saw blade and, with the teeth pointed outward, insert the blade into the keyway and try to hook and drag the key out. Quite often, if your door is sagging – it can be very easy to fix. Essentially rust creates the extreme potential for re-rusting on those same areas. 3) If this does not help, remove the knob and check the spindle; if the spindle is worn, it must be replaced. How to fix a damaged door frame? Lets assume nothing is loose or broken. With the door latch stuck, you want to know how to fix the issue, but in order to do that you must find out the reason it is stuck. Exterior locks can freeze, interior locks get dirty, and small internal parts eventually wear out or break. Be sure the strike plate is secure and in reasonable alignment with the bolt. You can buy door knobs online at Amazon. Besides just wiping down the finish, you may also need to scrub out certain nooks and crannies with a small brush. How you fix the problem depends on the design of your doorknob or lever and how it is fastened to the spindle and the door. 2) Hold the knob on the other side of the door, and turn the loose knob clockwise until it fits snugly. Slide the doorknob off the spindle, pull out the lock mechanism, and remove the latchbolt from its hole in the edge of the door. For serious lock problems, it is usually best to call a locksmith or to replace the lock entirely. Then tighten the screw until you feel it … For less than a 1/8-inch misalignment of the latch bolt and strike plate, file the inside edges of the plate to enlarge the opening. Methods of tightening them depend upon the type of lockset. HomeTips.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Step 3 - Align Strike Plate Remove the handles, including the thru spindle. If you have a door latch stuck open or a door latch stuck closed, you can now get them back into working order. The knob or handle will not turn to retract the stuck door latch. If you are looking to make a permanent fix to this issue, you will still have to make the short term fix, then take additional steps to address the larger issue. Once you have figured out the problem, try one of the methods shown here.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'hometips_com-box-4','ezslot_0',601,'0','0'])); If door latch doesn’t align, adjust the position of the strike plate. However, if you are only moving the strike up, down, or to the side slightly, then you may not be able to simply re-screw it into the frame. 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