How To Fix A Door That Won’t Latch

There might be a door in your house that won’t latch, but there are 3 easy ways to fix that unlatched door by The Honest Carpenter on YouTube. If you’re wondering why your door won’t latch, it’s because the latch is too low on the strike plate (wear pattern). All of these 3 ways may not work depending on the door and how it holds, but it’s best to try each one of them.

Drive strike plate down

Take a big flathead screwdriver and hammer to tap the bottom lip of the strike plate really hard several times. This would force down the wood inside the latch hole.

File down strike plate

Take a Phillips screwdriver and take the screws off the strike plate to remove it. Take metal cobalt, insert it through the strike plate hole, and hold it while filing it back and forth across the bottom lip. Make sure to do this evenly and work from side to side. This will grind down the metal of the strike plate. Screw the strike plate back on.

Reposition the strike plate

This is one of the more complex ones. Unscrew and remove the strike plate Realign the strike plate, but do not move it down too low where the screw hole overlaps the latch hole. Have it between the old screw old and the latch hole. Take a pencil and mark the new screw hole, and trace the line at the bottom edge of the strike plate. Then, fill in the old screw holes using superglue and toothpicks. Continue to watch The Honest Carpenter demonstration on YouTube for full instructions.

Overall, there are 3 ways to fix your doors if they won’t closed, but the first 2 methods are the easiest.