5 Reasons Your Door Won’t Close And How To Fix It

5 Reasons Your Door Won’t Close And How To Fix It

1. Doorway Tolerances

If your door isn’t closing properly, the first thing to do is check the opening along the top, bottom, and sides. Solid core and hollow core doors tend to have wood that sometimes expands to the extent that the gaps close and the door begins to drag on the floor.

1. Doors with hollow cores are less likely to be affected by this phenomenon because of the low amounts of wood. However, lifting the house’s foundation can also cause changes in doorway tolerance.
2. If either of these scenarios occurs, you will have to readjust the door. Scan the edges thoroughly and pinpoint the tightest tolerances. For convenience, put markings where the door needs to be trimmed.
3. All of this does not occur overnight. Whichever solution you opt for, it needs to be done as the condition of the door worsens over time. To ensure the security purposes of the door are not compromised, you should look for the source of this problem and not just the symptoms.

2. Debris

It won’t sound surprising that all kinds of junk can get stuck in the catch of the strike plate. The door material itself can get loose and block the catch hole. Please open the door and inspect it to check for any loose fragments.

1. In some workplaces, strike plates are intentionally blocked with debris. Burglars utilize this clever trick to get into offices and buildings after normal working hours.
2. Another thing you should check is that there isn’t anything leaning against the door or coming in the way between the door and jam. It’s common for bits and pieces of fabric from clothes to get stuck between the door and jam and prevent it from closing properly.
3. If the door you’re trying to fix is a sliding one, you should also check for debris on the tracks. Unwanted materials can prevent them from closing properly. Sometimes, even when the door closes entirely, it can get drawn back and end up opening again.

3. Hinge Alignment

Checking alignment is fairly easy. All you need to do is push and pull it in different directions. If it wobbles, one of the hinges is most likely loose. Tighten the hinge screws using a screwdriver and see if this method works.

1. Tightening the screws in the holes has an issue. It causes the holes to widen and hinges to sag even further. This is a perfect opportunity for you to update your security. Replace the current screws with 3-inch ones.
2. Even if the door does not wobble upon moving, you can adjust the hinges to solve the problem of the door not closing. Small adjustments can be made using cardboard, printer paper, and flat sheets.
3. Take the hinge out. Fold the sheets to the width you need and put them between the jam and hinge. Put the hinge back in its place. If you want to move the door up, pack the bottom hinge, and vice versa.

4. Strike Plate Alignment

The alignment of the strike plate can often cause a door not to close properly. Changing hinge alignments or doorway tolerances can cause this issue. However, you can eliminate this issue by specifically paying attention to your strike plates.

1. Some locks require their unique strike plates (or, in some cases, holes of varying depths). In this scenario, the issue is not with your door closing; Rather, the lock is not fully engaging. This distinction needs to be made carefully because both scenarios have different solutions.
2. While replacing interior knobs, you should make sure not to over-adjust or replace the strike plates. The door can become more fragile and less secure if you do so. After all, whether it be a door that doesn’t stay closed or a door that doesn’t provide any security, you do not want any risks.
3. Observe how the latch aligns with the strike plate when you close the door. A spring-loaded latch is not for security, but doors should be kept closed when needed, nonetheless.

5. Stuck Door Latch

The latch extending properly is imperative for the door to function normally. If you want to get it out, a Stuck Door Latch might need to be fussed around or pulled at.

1. Using a lubricant is quite effective in such situations. Cycle the door a few times, i.e., extend and retract the latch repeatedly to ensure the lubricant goes into all corners. Repeat this step until the cycles become smooth.
2. In some cases, the door latch might be broken completely or be sticking now and then. The solutions for each of these situations are different.
3. Changing locks is one of the simplest solutions to a door latch not closing properly.

Reasons Your Door Won’t Close

Recommendation

Whenever you have any problem related to commercial and residential door locks, such as needing parts or entire locks replaced, you can contact Elite Locksmiths without hesitation. The professionals at this organization will provide you with the best services possible.