joako
Premium
join:2000-09-07
Gainesville, FL
| Door Lock Adjustment
The door between my home and garage has been annoying the piss out of me. I need to pull it towards the frame to lock or unlock so that if I am trying to go thought the door with things in my hands I need to put them down because I need both hands to unlock the deadbolt with.
I tried to loosen the strike plate but there is no play in it at all. Is my only option to remove the strike plate and chisel out another spot for it... can someone else think of a simpler way to adjust the lock?
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09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0 |
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madylarian
The curmudgeonly
Premium
join:2002-01-03
Parkville, MD | Just a thought, but did you check the hinges?
mady
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Honi soit qui mal y pense |
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joako
Premium
join:2000-09-07
Gainesville, FL
| said by madylarian  :Just a thought, but did you check the hinges? mady No. I honestly have no clue on how to do that. They seem fine....
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09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0 |
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Kringle
Dr.D
Premium
join:2004-02-27
Pierrefonds, QC | But are the screws that hold the hinges to the door frame and the door solidly screwed in? |
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ninjatutle
You can keep the "change"
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA | reply to joako
On one of my doors, I just pulled the hinge up a little and it solved the problem. |
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HRM
God Bless America
Premium,MVM
join:2002-02-03
Darien, CT
clubs:   | reply to joako
Often (maybe not on exterior door) you can just remove the trim that stops the door from closing, close the door, then put in the trim again. I do this for warped doors since is is usually the simplest thing and once done, the warp isn't noticed. |
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jack b
Big House
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-08
Up the River
clubs:
 ·Optimum Online
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to joako
You need to figure out if the bolt is mis-aligned vertically or horizontally, then adjust the striker accordingly. You might get away with a placing a thin shim behind either the upper or lower door hinge depending on the direction it's binding.
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robbin
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX | reply to joako
IF the lock bolt is hanging a little in the strike plate I use a Dremel tool to grind the strike a little. |
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Telly Boot
Premium
join:2002-05-15
Vancouver, BC
 ·TELUS
| reply to joako
If the screws in the hinge side ( door or frame) have loosened and won't hold any more, you can repair the holes using 5 minute epoxy and toothpicks, or wooden matchsticks ( er, minus the heads). You can also tap the toothpicks and epoxy in a bit if necessary, when it is still at an early stage. Wait till it sets ( usually a bit more than 5 minutes...) cut the toothpicks flush and rehang the door. The wooden sticks set in the epoxy allow the screws to bite. You may need some wedges to set the door up. The only negative is that if it's done right you will never, ever get those screws out again...
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Dawn,n,The time when men of reason go to bed. (Ambrose Bierce.) |
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flamedog
join:2001-08-03
Jackson, WY
edit:
October 6th, @03:03AM
| reply to joako
The dremel tool is a good call. I've also used files and/or sandpaper to ease the edge of the strike plate slightly. Another thing to be sure of...is the wood behind the strike plate for the deadbolt drilled out sufficiently? Sometimes installers do a crappy job of drilling out a big enough and/or deep enough hole. If the deadbolt is not able to completely extend, it is not too hard to circumvent the dead bolt. Most dead bolts do not truly lock until the dead bolt is fully extended. Your dead bolt may be hanging up on the wood behind the strke plate rather than on the strike plate itself. This would be an easy fix to cut or drill out the wood. |
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popper
join:2006-05-30
Baton Rouge, | reply to joako
Is the gap between the door and jamb even down the edge of the door? |
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CarterStClai
X-Out The W
join:2002-04-17
Sugar Land, TX | reply to ninjatutle
Was a little P2P weighing it down? |
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hdman
Flt Rider
Premium
join:2003-11-25
Appleton, WI | reply to joako
Check the hinges at the door jam. My guess is that one of them is loose and is causing a misalignment of the door to the strike plate. Tighten up all of the hinge screws on all three hinges.
HDMan |
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koma3504
Advocate
Premium
join:2004-06-22
North Richland Hills, TX
| reply to Telly Boot
A FYI: try a golf tee next time instead of toothpicks just drive it in with wood glue and gut it flush.
To the OP if you have never watered your foundation.
you could try putting a soaker hose on the side of the house that the door is sticking on and let it run with the water turned 1/4 on for a week or so somtimes that will settle the foundation back down and the door will work as good as new. |
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sbcretired
join:2006-01-07
Scottville, MI | reply to joako
Yep, check the alignment of the door bolt/latch thing. Doors have a way of getting out of alignment, and even walls settle/foundations settle.
Determine the problem, find the cause, go from there. |
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