When doors won’t fully close, or seem to be automatically opening on their own, it may be caused by other issues besides faulty locks. In this blog entry, the lock and door repair experts here at Green Locksmith will detail some of the major causes of door’s inability to close, and some of their remedies
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Debris Issues
Debris can gather within a door’s strike plate – whether dirt or dust, or loose wood from the door’s jamb itself. Check to see if there’s any debris in the door jamb hole that’s preventing the latch from entering. Strike plates are sometimes blocked on purpose by burglars to enter a building after closing. The issue might innocently be caused by blockage from an item like a jacket hanging on a door – or possibly caused, in sliding doors, by debris on the doors track. Simply remove any found debris and see if this fixes the problem – and clean the area with soap or water if the found debris is sticky in any way.
Wood Expansion
Wooden doors can expand during weather changes, causing their tops, bottoms, or sides to drag along the floor, ceiling, or doorway, prevengiinc cutting. Hollow core doors have this issue somewhat less – but can still experience issues due to shifting in your home’s foundation. Check to see if there’s any tight areas in the doorway that seem to be causing a blockage- you can trim the wood around these areas periodically to lessen the issue, however you may want to consider replacing the door or lock fully.
Strike Plates
It’s possible that your strike plate hasn’t been properly aligned. Some locks require unique types of strike plates or specially installed catch holes – so if they are mismatched, only repair will fix this issue. Keep in mind that if strike plates are regularly readjusted when doorknobs are replaced, it can compromise the integrity of the door jamb, affecting security and ability for doors to close. Ensure that the lock’s latch fully falls into the strike plate’s catch.
Sticking Latches
Latches that don’t fully extend into strike plates can cause this issue – sometimes it is fixed with simple fiddling around. If spring loaded latches are sticking, try applying door lock lubricant and activating the lock a few times – extending and retracting it. However, sometimes latch and handle connections break – which only a lock change will remedy.
Hinges
Make sure that your hinge is aligned with the door by opening the door and moving it in different directions – a wobbling door will show you that the hinge is loose. Try tightening the hinge’s screws to solve this problem. However, this action when performed regularly can erode the hole, causing increased sagging over time – try replacing set screws to screws that are over 3 inches. If the door is not wobbling, and the hinges still seem tight, but the door just won’t close, try adjusting the hinges by placing cardboard or paper between the hinge and the jamb to adjust the distance ratio and balance the door placement.