Exterior Door Latch Sticks

Yes it s that sticking door of yours.

Exterior door latch sticks.

You should first test the door latch to ensure the latch is sticking inside the door and not due to a misaligned strike plate. 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. In other cases it may be the wood door edge itself scuffing on the door frame. In some instances you have a door that sticks along the strike area the metal part of the door frame where it meets the outermost edge of the door.

Step 1 close shave photo by craig raine. In a situation like this sometimes the door itself is to blame. Door lock doesn t latch properly. Once you have the door handle off you can now try to open the latch manually with either a large flathead screwdriver or pair of needle nose pliers.

When a door latch doesn t click into position it usually means the latch and the strike plate are out of alignment. Watch joe as he shows you how to unstick a sticking door latch. Inspect the strike plate on the edge of the door frame. A sticking door latch might require some lubrication or it might be jamming against the strike plate on the door jamb.

Turn the knob to open the door and release the knob slowly. You can see where the cylinder entered the dead latch mechanism and pulled the latch back. Each time you open it there is a little grab before it releases. Follow along as tom fixes a swelled door in his own home with just a few simple tools.

Sticking door latches. Tighten the hinge screws and then try adjusting. Over time joints in a wood door relax causing the construction to sag and stick against the jamb. On the kwikset locks this looks like two little teeth that the cylinder pushes back.

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.