front door won't lock - pulls right open
#1
10-19-06, 07:59 AM
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Bettendorf, IA
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front door won't lock - pulls right open
bought a house in june of 2006 (bank repo) and the repairs and fixes have been endless.
we immediately put new locks on both doors (no deadbolts yet) ourselves. the house was built in 1950 and has old wooden doors.
i lock my house every night (of course), but one night a few months ago, i noticed that even though the door was locked, and pushed closed, you could pull it right back open! it's not as easy to do from the outside, but you can actually push the door open from the outside, too, when it's locked.
aside from getting a new door, what can i do to repair this lock? i don't believe it's the doorknob or lock itself, but rather where the bolt sits in the strike plate.
what are my options here? please help. i am a total noob at this stuff.
we immediately put new locks on both doors (no deadbolts yet) ourselves. the house was built in 1950 and has old wooden doors.
i lock my house every night (of course), but one night a few months ago, i noticed that even though the door was locked, and pushed closed, you could pull it right back open! it's not as easy to do from the outside, but you can actually push the door open from the outside, too, when it's locked.
aside from getting a new door, what can i do to repair this lock? i don't believe it's the doorknob or lock itself, but rather where the bolt sits in the strike plate.
what are my options here? please help. i am a total noob at this stuff.
#2
10-19-06, 11:50 AM
Member
Door
Try replacing one of the screws in the top hinge which screws into the jamb with a 3 inch screw. If the door has settled on the latch side, this should raise the latch side enough for the latch to function properly. Tighten the other screws, but do not over tighten.
#3
10-19-06, 01:22 PM
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Bettendorf, IA
Posts: 24
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Originally Posted by Wirepuller38
Try replacing one of the screws in the top hinge which screws into the jamb with a 3 inch screw. If the door has settled on the latch side, this should raise the latch side enough for the latch to function properly. Tighten the other screws, but do not over tighten.
