Jammed door latches impede on the privacy that usable locks provide those inside residential and commercial properties – as well as majorly interfering with the level of security. Here’s a guide from the lock and door repair experts at Top Locksmith on the various causes of jammed door latches so that you can better know how to prevent them, or handle them when they occur.
Strike Plate Misalignment
The metal latch isn’t falling into the hole of the strike plate, causing friction and possible stopping. This could be due to the level of air moisture expanding your door’s wood, or even a shifting foundation. This issue can be temporarily fixed by moving the strike plate to a position where the door latch falls into the hole more easily. A longer term fix is to redo your door’s finish to keep moisture from affecting it.
Latch Jamming
This issue is likely due to a build up of crud inside the lock. Rust can cause excess friction that gets in the way of the door latches’ moving parts. You can fix this by disassembling the door lock and clean them in a vinegar with about five percent acidity. We recommend using car wax to reseal the small indentations in the door’s metal that can leave it vulnerable to future rusting or jamming.
Internal Parts Issues
It may be likely that some of the lock’s delicate machinery is broken. This can be determined if the door latch gets stuck only when you move the door handle – implying that something isn’t wrong with the latch bolt itself, but rather the mechanisms that it is connected to. This can range from the lock’s through spindle, the spindle hole, or the lock itself. This issue is best addressed through a lock repair service from a professional locksmith who can skillfully diagnose what component of the lock is malfunctioning, and replace it with replacement parts. Otherwise changing the lock can eliminate the need for repairs, providing you with a brand new lock that works smoothly.