Remove the two screws, one on either side of the handle, and remove the knob. The Issue – A door latch stuck due to a jamming latch will have no real variation between how the latch moves when it is pressed in, or when the handle is turned (both when the door is open and when it is shut). Other than the spindle, perhaps there is something wrong with the spindle hole. You can tighten a simple interior mortise lockset like the one shown at left as follows: 1) Loosen the setscrew on the knob’s shank. The better you can diagnose the issue, the easier it is to replace the broken part of the lock. You can rest assured that the work will be done right and that they will understand the problem as wholly as possible. With a door latch stuck closed and cannot be shimmed because of latch guards or because the components are frozen, you will need to simply take the lock off the door. Then once the polish has fully coated the lock, be sure to remove the excess polish so that it does not cause the door latch to stick. Take a 2 liter coke bottle and cut out a strip about 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. Insert the tip of a screwdriver and pry off the trim piece. 2. A cylinder turns when the setscrew(s) meant to hold it in place become loose or broken. 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. The door latch is not stuck when directly manipulated. By shutting your door, you can mark the point on the door frame that latch is coming in contact with. Now, take that piece of plastic and try to insert it into the door from the outside directly where the latch is. To fix the door knob figure out where the connections have gone awry: Take the handles/knobs off of the door. Use a tool (a flathead screwdriver will work) to twist within the gap the thru spindle inserts into. You should see a tiny slot or hole. Call for free estimates from local pros now:1-866-342-3263amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "widget05-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "auto"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = "2619525011,1055398,2972638011,228013"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "fed726c60c88d738e7784c819bb73fbc"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {"type":"search","value":"door knob"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; Don Vandervort writes or edits every article at HomeTips. All Rights Reserved. You can now use your observations to make an informed possible diagnosis on the reason the door latch is stuck. Using pliers, try to grip and pull the key straight out. Unsubscribe anytime! That should restore the operation of the knob. If this doesn’t work, you’ll probably have to remove the strike plate, fill the screw holes with glue and wood matchsticks, reposition it properly, and screw it back in. Step 3 - Align Strike Plate If you need a pro to fix problems with a high-quality door knob or lockset, removing the hardware and taking it to a locksmith is usually far less expensive than having the locksmith come to you. In case the rub line is under the hole you need to extend the base of the latch plate hole. The Fix – The easiest way to fix a broken lock that has a compromised component is by changing locks. Turning the knob or handle retracts the latch, disjointing it from the door frame. The door latch is not extended before rotating the knob. More force is needed to turn the knob and unstick the latch. If you have a door latch stuck open or a door latch stuck closed, you can now get them back into working order. After you’ve unscrewed or loosened the latch, tug on the door knob until it pops out of place or disengages from the base, also known as the rose. Usually you have to push the door in, and either pull up or press down on the doorknob in order to get the door latch to catch in the strike plate. There are also several little pieces in the lock that may have broken, which can mirror the effects of some of the other possible diagnoses. The first step is to troubleshoot the issue and get a sense of what the symptoms are with the door latch stuck in its position. These are not the only possible reasons a door latch is stuck, but they are the most likely to be the issues you are facing. If the latch does not catch, close the door slowly to watch how the latch bolt meets the strike plate. However, if your time is extremely valuable, or you do not have the background to understand the potentially complex and subtle problems and solutions, DIY may not be the right fit for you. 3) If this does not help, remove the knob and check the spindle; if the spindle is worn, it must be replaced. Lubricating the Lock A little grease may do the trick if your deadbolt is sticking. In either case, this type of issue is bound to recur with annual or semi-annual frequency. This is because the issue is not with the door, and not even with the control the knob has over the stuck latch. Door Knob or Door Handle Sticking? The most common issue with sticking door handles is a problem with the tubular latch. Hold the door open and examine the latch barrel’s movement as you turn the doorknob both ways. With a door latch stuck, your privacy is diminished and your daily routine is unnecessarily complicated. Replace the faceplate. Don founded HomeTips in 1996. There could also be something that has broken in the lock. Use a sharp chisel to enlarge the strike plate mortise. You can buy door knobs online at Amazon. Carefully align the hinge plate over the cardboard. If the problem is wood expansion, also known as seasonal affective disorder, you can look into redoing the finish of your door to keep moisture related effects from influencing your door shape. I knew I wasn’t going to be lucky; otherwise I would have dealt with this a long time ago. Spray thread lubricant into the keyhole if the deadbolt is difficult to turn when the door is open. They should be in line with the center of the cylinder. From there you can either widen the hole both of the wood and metal, or you can unscrew the strike and re-secure it in the proper position. Why can I no longer turn the knob of my self-locking door from the inside? It is also possible the door has shrunk and the latch no longer reaches the strike plate. There can be a door latch stuck open or a door latch stuck closed, but the reasons for each can vary quite a bit. Check price on Amazon. A resource for consumers, locksmiths, and security professionals. Slide the latch in and out to see if it moves smoothly, and if not the door knob may be too tight. To fix door handles that are loose, you may be able to simply tighten the connections that have begun to wane. Category: How To's, Lock Types, Residential. For example: Fluid movement of the latch when the door is open. For serious lock problems, it is usually best to call a locksmith or to replace the lock entirely. When possible, it’s easiest to file the slot in the strike plate a little bit so that it will receive the latch. coke 1.5l bottle) and use that. If the latch does not reach the strike plate, shim out the plate, or add another strike plate on top of it (remove the screws and run them through both plates). This post may contain affiliate links. It has to do with a build-up of material within the components, which allow the latch to extend and retract as a result of hindered spring tensioning. If the latch still will not reach, shim out the door’s hinges. This can lead to scrapping that requires excess force to have the latch retract against the friction of metal sliding against metal. You can also solve misalignment by replacing the strike plate with an adjustable door strike, available at Amazon or home improvement centers. Methods of tightening them depend upon the type of lockset. by Don Vandervort, HomeTips © 1997 to 2020, Door Lock Doesn’t Latch ProperlyDoor Knob Is LooseDoor Lock Is Frozen or Works SlowlyEntire Lock Cylinder TurnsDeadbolt Is StuckKey Is Broken Off in Lock. The handle or knob must be jiggled to unstick the latch. Take note of the type of resistance. 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. Tighten the hinge screws and then try adjusting the strike plate by loosening its screws and shifting it slightly. Be sure the strike plate is secure and in reasonable alignment with the bolt. Don Vandervort has developed his expertise for more than 30 years, as Building Editor for Sunset Books, Senior Editor at Home Magazine, author of more than 30 home improvement books, and writer of countless magazine articles. Locate the hole underneath the doorknob shaft. You can file the edges of the strike plate a little, and even slightly round the edges of the deadbolt’s end. Lock de-icers contain alcohol and other lubricants that help to dissolve gummy, dirty deposits. Droopy door handles is a fairly common problem but is usually quite easily rectified. The prices of certain replacement components can vary, and this type of replacement also requires you to know what you need to replace. If this doesn’t work, you may decide to call a professional locksmith to help assist you. How to Remove a Door Knob Without Screws or a Latch . Lubricate the inside of the mechanism if the lock still does not function. How To Fix Car Door Latch. This will loosen deposits on the metal parts that are preventing the key from turning. Push this latch in, and pull the handle off the door. Rust removal is very common in older homes where you may see many mortise locks. Expert advice on how to repair common problems with door knob locks and deadbolts, such as stuck or frozen door locks, latches that don’t latch, and keys broken off in door locks. Then tighten the screw until you feel it … Fill the old screw holes with epoxy wood putty and wait for it to harden. Turn the knob to retract the latch, close the door, then release the knob so the latch just barely touches the strike plate. Instead of moving the strike plate, simply slightly enlarge the door latch opening in the strike plate as shown above. The easiest sign that there is something broken in the lock is when the door latch is stuck only when you attempt to manipulate the handle (both when the door is open and closed), but you can press on the latch and it will slide in and out the way it is intended to. If the lipstick mark is too high, tighten the hinges at the bottom of the door with a screwdriver. Note the differences or similarities in resistance. You can try this step before taking the handle off. As a last resort, remove the door’s hinges and shim them to adjust the door’s position. Check to see that the door striker (the spring-loaded bolt that latches the door) pushes in and springs back easily. A heat gun or a blow dryer to heat the door latch area. The reason the strike plate has become misaligned might have something to do with moisture expanding the wood of your door, or perhaps even an issue with the foundation of your home not being secure. Only every month or two. This is because service industries are mainly charging to cover their labor costs. If this is a recent problem your latch assembly has either broken or is sticking. HomeTips articles may contain links to Amazon.com and other partner programs that provide helpful products and services. When locked, the doorknob prevents the latch from retracting. This is likely to come along with a door latch stuck in as it cannot extend into the hole it is meant for. What is happening on a physical level is that when you are trying to retract or extend the latch into the bored hole of the strike plate, the metal latch is not falling into the hole perfectly. From there, try some lubricant (silicone spray and graphite powder are my preferred lubricants for locks, WD-40 will quickly dry and attract dirt). If your door latch/lock was designed with a nightlock latch this is how it is supposed to work. With the door latch stuck as a result of rust, the internal components jam as the excess material fills the gaps required for things to move past one another. Give your door a try–it should now latch successfully and keep the … With the information you have gathered from dealing with the door latch stuck or unstuck in the different scenarios, you should have better insight into what may be going wrong with the lock. With a door latch stuck, the ways you can potentially fix the issue does take time and some familiarity with lock mechanics. The last resort is to disassemble the lock to see if something has jammed or is broken—you may be able to set it straight or replace the part without buying a whole new lock. A deicer spray on the latch using a pipe. Below are some of the issues you may be experiencing along with the possible fixes that you can seek to do yourself or with the help of a professional. You need to fix your stuck door latch as quickly as possible, but also in a way that will make sure to prevent the problem from reoccurring. 1. An improperly functioning latch may be the result of a poorly fitting door. The cause could be one of several problems. There is no difference in how the handle must be manipulated to move the stuck door latch. There could be 2 reasons it's not opening: The latch mechanism itself has worn out or More likely, the rod that connects both knobs through the door also passes through the latch mechanism. When you have it extended, give it a pull and see if it will come out further. Aerosol lock de-icer thaws and lubricates a frozen lock. Rekeying vs. Often, a malfunctioning latch assembly or lock mechanism causes the problem. Lock de-icers are available on Amazon. You can reach a locksmith through our affiliate partner, HomeAdvisor. There should be a small latch near the base of the knob or handle, probably on the exterior side of the door. These 2 kinds of doorknob incorporate a different method to keep the knob snug against the door, so different steps need to be f… With the door open, use a Phillips screwdriver to take out the two connecting screws that are located by the doorknob on the inside of the lock. For more than a 1/8-inch misalignment, remove the strike plate and extend the mortise higher or lower as necessary. You can unscrew the door knob and remove both sides, then unscrew the latch and pull it out of the door. When you choose to hire a professional locksmith, you are taking out all of the guesswork and hassles from the process of fixing the stuck door latch. Check price on Amazon. Of course, before applying any polish, you should take the time to dry the lock components. Lets assume nothing is loose or broken. This gunk and grime can impede the movement of springs as well. Step 1 If the issue is your foundation, then you may want to look into if you need repair, some form of rescuing the foundation, or even just to remove the tree whose roots are pushing up from under the house. 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. (Scars on the strike plate will show where it is misaligned.). Once the door is open, try to actuate the door latch with the handle. There are several different ways a door latch can be stuck. Join us to get great money-saving tips, cool ideas, and valuable advice from home improvement expert Don Vandervort! Replace the case.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'hometips_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_6',625,'0','0'])); The chances are good that the bolt is having a hard time finding the throat in the strike plate. Now that you have a better idea of what is wrong with your stuck door latch, and what it will take to fix it, you can make the decision of who should make the necessary repairs. 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. Letting the components sit fully submerged in a vinegar of about 5% acidity will do the job of separating the gunk from your metal. You can also ask them questions and use them as a resource to learn more about your locks. With the door latch stuck you are not getting the most out of your door, so take the time and solve the issue. Door knobs may become loose over time. Remove the two screws that hold the lock faceplate on the edge of the door. If you understand the troubleshooting and servicing requirements that will fix your stuck door latch, then going the “do it yourself route” can be a great approach. Whether you choose to do the work yourself or hire a professional, you now know what it takes to do the work. 1. Though your security comes more from your deadbolt than from your latch bolt, you will get no security from a stuck door latch. If the knob is old, the screw may be stripped or stuck. Surface-mounted rim lock: Unscrew and remove the cover, called a “case.” Tighten the cylinder setscrews. Use needle-nose pliers to extract a broken key. Exterior locks can freeze, interior locks get dirty, and small internal parts eventually wear out or break. Featured Resource: Find Local Pre-Screened Locksmiths, NEXT SEE:• How to Repair Keyed Door Locks• How to Replace a Doorknob• Doorknobs Buying Guide• How to Improve Your Front Door Security. How you polish the lock will determine how quickly the lock will rust again. If you have a key that won’t work in the lock, please see How to Repair Keyed Door Locks.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'hometips_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',198,'0','0'])); Replacing an old cylindrical door knob with a new one is an easy job when you know how. As an Amazon Associate, HomeTips earns from qualifying purchases which allows us to continue creating helpful DIY content. Look for any parts that have come loose (it will be obvious, they will fall out). If the mark is too low, raise the latch by tightening the hinges at the top of the door. *If a “credit card” type of plastic card is too thick to slide in, you could try cutting out a rectangle shape piece out of a plastic bottle (e.g. Slide the doorknob off the spindle, pull out the lock mechanism, and remove the latchbolt from its hole in the edge of the door. 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. There are generally 2 types of doorknobs that most people will encounter in their homes. In fact, if you’re lucky – it can take about 60-seconds. The door handle is not always the source of your trouble. More force is needed to turn the knob and unstick the latch. There are handles that have hidden screws holding the lockset in place, and there are handles with screws that are exposed and easy to locate. How To Fix Door Latch That Is Stuck In And Won’t Latch. Essentially rust creates the extreme potential for re-rusting on those same areas. The Fix – In instances with a door latch stuck because it is jammed by rust and other materials, it is always best to disassemble the lock and do a bit of cleaning. Methods of tightening them depend upon the type of lockset. (Be aware that there could also be an issue with rust accumulation within a lock cylinder). If your house is an older one, it may be that the problem is a sticky latch, which is one of the easiest latch problems to fix. Mortise lockset: Remove the faceplate (if there is one) at the door’s edge and locate the one or two cylinder setscrews. Leave the striker bolt in place. Of course, if it’s on an exterior door, you’ll want to do this when the weather is nice and when it’s safe to leave the door unlocked. holes for the screws. This is because the same strong metal and well-made internal components that make a locks high-security, also make it stand up better against general wear and tear. locks that you can pick up cheap at Home Depot. This creates unnecessary friction as the metal bits of the lock attempt to slide past one another or get out of the way of other moving parts. The knob or handle will not turn to retract the stuck door latch. Shaking the door and card inside could break loose some elements that keep the door/latch stuck. Latch adjustments to repositioning the door does not open completely, you should the... Within a lock, I locked Myself out of your trouble process, it is also the. 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Has broken in the frozen latch area tips, cool ideas, turn! Causes the problem as wholly as possible may also need to scrub out certain and... And most obvious: lubricate it when it is misaligned. ) than from your latch bolt, you also... Look for how to fix door knob latch parts that are preventing the key from turning or frequency., place your cardboard piece on top of the latch by tightening the hinges the... Friction of metal sliding against metal at repairs for locksets and knobs the cardboard ). Place and drill new 1/16-in within a lock cylinder ) stuck you not... Screwdriver or hex wrench some of the door, so take the time and solve the,... To make any necessary repairs or replacements work yourself or hire a professional locksmith down to can do! Also requires you to know what you need one watch how the latch using a..... ) will always be cheaper than hiring someone to do the work for.! 2 inches wide and 4 inches long bolt may be able to simply the... Sending any information to the latch and pull the handle off decide.. To unstick the stuck door latch with the tailpiece of the door ’ s end spring-loaded bolt that latches door!