Interior door to small??????

Purchased a home about 6 years old in south TN area. I recently noticed that all the interior doors up stairs do not shut good. When the air kicks on the doors will viberate against the jam due to a change in air flow (I thik this may be a latch/handle problem)?. Also noticed a small gap (latch side), light is actually visable if it is dark on the inside.....To me (the untrained) it seems as tho the doors are to small for the frame...Any Ideas?

Thanks

Dalton

 

Dalton: welcome to the forums! Great bunch of people here. And Tennessee has no north or south. It is too skinny. Only east and west. Just ask Wirepuller or Marksr. Anyway, what you may be encountering is the shrinking of the wood in the frame. I don't think there is a problem with the size, since they were fitted in a factory setting. You may alleviate most of your problem of the rattling and closing by moving your striker plate slightly back. This will force the striker to click in the hole more solidly and keep it from rattling. Once this gap is closed, it may take care of the air gap problem, too. Remove the screws and striker plate. Using a razor knife cut the striker cutout area a little further back, maybe 1/8". Set the plate in the opening to see how it fits. Predrill only one hole, slightly to the rear of the hole and install one of the screws. Tighten it up a bit and see how the door closes. If it is fine, install the remaining screw. You will find out why you do this when you mess up the first screw. Let us know how it goes. Oh, yeah, Tennessee is really 3 states, but youi know that, right?

 

An option to moving the striker plate is to add a couple of stick on felt bumpers in an inconspicuous spot on the jamb. Place them where the door will compress them when closed.

I have solid wood doors that move seasonally with changes in temperature and humidity. That was the best compromise that I could come up with.

 

You may not have to move the strikeplate all. Had a similar problem in my new place. Prev owner had self adhesive w-strip on a bunch of the doors...yechhh!

If you look at the tab inside the striker plate, you should see a small hole in it. Many times the tab is bent over flat to the hole in the jamb. You can take a small screwdriver, insert it in the hole, and carefully bend the tab out. This, in effect, moves the strike plate closer to the jamb, and should help with some of the movement. Of course, it does depend on where the strikeplate was located in the first place, but it worked on 4 of 5 doors I had issues with.

 

I like the stick on bumper idea even if you do move the striker or bend the tab. The doors will close a little more quietly.