Front door

Question

Hi my front locks won't lock. They don't match up with the sni

b. They are fairly new. Should I try to move them? Top lock and bottom  lock don't match from the side of the snib. You can see where they both rubbing.The door is level with the top of the door frame but not with the bottom. So it's square. The house is 70 yrs old so definitely movement.

You can see where the lick is hitting the wood.

Any help would be great.  Thanks.

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @sue62,

Good luck and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions.

We are here to help.

Jacob

sue62 · Answer

Thanks Jacob I'm going to give this ago as I can't get in touch with the installer.

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @sue62,

If they are fairly new and you've had someone install them for you, the first thing I would do is contact them to come and rectify the issue. While it is a relatively easy fix, I would expect that a door installer has done their job well enough that the locks function long term.

Generally speaking, you can fix this issue by simply moving the striker plate a little bit. Assuming that the latch is only missing the hole by a very small amount, the fix is simply unscrewing the striker plate, chiselling out a small amount of room to move it over or up and down, then reinstalling it.

If having the installer return is not an option, it is not the hardest job to do yourself. You'll just need a hammer, a chisel and a drill. Start by making note of which direction the striker plate has to move and by how far, then putting a mark parallel to the outside of the striker plate, the direction and distance that it needs to move. Once marked, unscrew the striker plate and use your hammer and chisel to remove that timber. If the clearance hole in the centre of the striker plate is going to come into play due to the distance moved, then you can use the hammer and chisel to remove some material.

Once the material has been removed, you can use a couple of toothpicks and some woodglue to fill the old screw holes, then use your drill and drill bit to put some new pilot holes in the door before screwing the striker plate back in in its new location. Once in place, test to see that everything lines up.

If the issue of the lock lining up is affecting the doors in other ways, then it would be worth having a look to see what has caused the movement. If the hinges have dropped, there may be a loose jamb or loose hinge screws that may need addressing. If you think this is worth exploring then I could certainly assist further.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob