Interior Door Closing Issue

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dreww2

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Hi,

I have an interior door that closes but where the latch doesn't align with the strike plate. I noticed whoever installed the strike plate originally moved it downward at least once. I also noticed there is an uneven gap at the top of the door, between the door and the frame.

Some photos attached to help clarify.

I've tried tightening up some of the hinges to no avail.

I could move the strike plate down a bit further, but that doesn't seem like the proper solution.

Any help appreciated, thanks.

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The house has settled a little, the quick fix is lowering the strike plate. The proper fix would be to remove the frame and lift the hinge side ot cut a little off the bottom of the striker side.
 
You may be able to pull the door frame in at the top by replacing the hinge screws on the top hinge with longer screws that go into the framing. This might pull the door frame over enough to raise the door enough to hit the strike plate. With newer split jamb prehung doors I've driven the finish nails through the casing and adjusting the door frame up or down to line things up and make the top of the jamb level. Your frames don't look to be of that vintage so that probably won't work.

I have a bathroom door that the strike plate and the latch didn't line up, the builder did the same thing the previous owner did to your door. That stopped working on this particular door and due to the ceramic tile in the bath I couldn't adjust the door to fix the problem. I wound up fabricating my own larger strike plate to not have the gap above the strike plate.

If your door is opening and closing freely and isn't binding or swinging shut on its own and you can't adjust the door by replacing the hinge screws I would probably move the plate down and then use water putty to fill the gap between the top of the strike plate and the jamb. If the door is binding I might go for a more invasive fix. If it is swinging shut on its own, I'd just take a hinge pin out and smack it with a hammer to put slight bend in it to put some resistance on the hinge to stopping it from swinging shut.
 
Sparky617 said:
You may be able to pull the door frame in at the top by replacing the hinge screws on the top hinge with longer screws that go into the framing. This might pull the door frame over enough to raise the door enough to hit the strike plate. With newer split jamb prehung doors I've driven the finish nails through the casing and adjusting the door frame up or down to line things up and make the top of the jamb level. Your frames don't look to be of that vintage so that probably won't work.

I have a bathroom door that the strike plate and the latch didn't line up, the builder did the same thing the previous owner did to your door. That stopped working on this particular door and due to the ceramic tile in the bath I couldn't adjust the door to fix the problem. I wound up fabricating my own larger strike plate to not have the gap above the strike plate.

If your door is opening and closing freely and isn't binding or swinging shut on its own and you can't adjust the door by replacing the hinge screws I would probably move the plate down and then use water putty to fill the gap between the top of the strike plate and the jamb. If the door is binding I might go for a more invasive fix. If it is swinging shut on its own, I'd just take a hinge pin out and smack it with a hammer to put slight bend in it to put some resistance on the hinge to stopping it from swinging shut.
Click to expand...

The gap on both sides are looking good, left side goes up or right side goes down.
 
The bigger question is what has moved or is moving can we check with a level and see what is out of level or plumb. Is the area below this open for inspection.
 
The gap on both sides are looking good, left side goes up or right side goes down.
Click to expand...

To my eye it looks a bit wider at the top than at the bottom, maybe not enough to fix it though. But I would check both sides for plumb and across the top for level. With a split jamb I've adjusted them quite easily as mentioned earlier, that doesn't look like a split jamb, looks much older than a house where you'd find a split jamb.
 
Sparky617 said:
To my eye it looks a bit wider at the top than at the bottom, maybe not enough to fix it though. But I would check both sides for plumb and across the top for level. With a split jamb I've adjusted them quite easily as mentioned earlier, that doesn't look like a split jamb, looks much older than a house where you'd find a split jamb.
Click to expand...

I had a house that did that every year because 2 sections of foundation were not attaced to each other and everything would move with the weather.
 
dreww2 said:
Hi,

I have an interior door that closes but where the latch doesn't align with the strike plate. I noticed whoever installed the strike plate originally moved it downward at least once. I also noticed there is an uneven gap at the top of the door, between the door and the frame.

Some photos attached to help clarify.

I've tried tightening up some of the hinges to no avail.

I could move the strike plate down a bit further, but that doesn't seem like the proper solution.

Any help appreciated, thanks.
Click to expand...

The disparity in the door fitting in the opening would suggest that there has been some movement, however that does not appear to be reflected in the fit of the casing miters, and while totally disassembling and resetting the jamb and casing and repainting will correct the aesthetics.

Here is another couple;Either leave the strike as is, scribe and cut the door, raise the hinges and recut the jamb or door, OR, lower the strike, fill the jamb, scribe and cut the door, add a 1/2" piece of door stop to the jamb above the door and too the existing door stop.

Your house, your time, your money.
 
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