Door Latch catches ...

[David]

Hi.

I've just got home from work today, and my door lock seems to be catching for no apparant reason!?

What happens, is that the latch that would normally open when you pull the handle down is sticking inside the actual door, so that when it is pushed to, it cannot latch onto the door frame and shut to. I can push at the top of the latch to make the latch come back out, but cannot find any way of making it so that it doesn't do this. I've tightened all the screws I can see (all on the outside of the door, as cannot seem to get to any inside of the door), but it is still doing it.

Anyone any ideas on what I can do to fix this?

Cheers,

David

[pb]

[Dumbo]

WD40 could help, better yet graphite.

If a little lubrication doesn't fix it you may have to remove the lock and find out why the latch is sticking. Would help if you say brand and model of the lock or pick a look alike from Google Images

[George E. Cawthon]

Yep, start with lube--graphite or molybdenum disulfide. If that doesn't work then look at the mechanism. Start with the screws that hold the plates (screws should be on the in-house side of the door). Loosen them and move the plates a bit to see if that helps. If not, open the door, lock the door, and remove the screws and the plates so you can actually see the latch mechanism. Could be something just doesn't get lube or could be that it is broken. Good Luck

[Ashton Crusher]

Besides lubing it, consider the possibility that its just worn out and needs to be replaced. I've worn out several outside door latch mechanisms (cheap kwiksets that came with the house). They are cheap and easy to replace.