I need a little help here. From 10 minutes after my house was built 8 years
ago, the doors have been going in and out of plumb.

The thing that really drives me bonkers is that there seem to be no strike
plates in any of the places I've looked that are made with tall openings to
accommodate such rogue doors. All I've found were much larger strike plates
for /exterior/ doors, and they are just too large. I'm willing to
router/chisel a new recess in the door jamb to fit a larger plate, of
course. That might be a different post.

The sledgehammer reference is what I was looking for the first time I
attempted this. Was going to destroy something to feel better. Went to
BJ's looking for a bucket of drugs.

Ok, questions, since I [more than] clearly don't know what I'm doing.

1. Does anyone know of bigger opening strike plates. Say, 1/2" taller than
normal to accommodate renegade pain in the ass door movements?

2. If I do physically move the plate, do I {shudder} redrill, fill the holes
with glue & matchsticks and hope that it is enough to hold the new screw
1/8" down?

3. Should I loan my sledgehammer to a friend far away, as a safety
precaution?

Thanks so much in advance,

Thomas, going nuts.

--
If I can ever figure out how, I hope that someday I'll
succeed in my lifetime goal of creating a signature
that ends with the word "blarphoogy".

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 18:24:34 GMT, Thomas G. Marshall . com wrote:

1. Does anyone know of bigger opening strike plates. Say, 1/2" taller than
normal to accommodate renegade pain in the ass door movements?

Do you have access to a friend with a milling machine? Case of beer
ought to do it. If you're in Wisconsin, drop me an email.

Why not just widen the strike plate opening. A dremel and a few seconds
should do it.

You could also make sure the hinge jamb is securely fastened to the
framing. That should limit most of the movement you're experiencing.
You'll have no problems with the matchstick/glue approach. Tom

FriscoSoxFan said something like:
Why not just widen the strike plate opening. A dremel and a few seconds
should do it.

Thought of that. Have a dremel; small chuckle: it works up to about 1/2 of
its 30,000 rpm spec (clogged with dust from an attempt to cut through a
corian/like sink counter).

Problem is that there is almost no plate left before the screw. I'll give
it a "whirl" though. (sorry, sorry).

--
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

tom said something like:
You could also make sure the hinge jamb is securely fastened to the
framing. That should limit most of the movement you're experiencing.
You'll have no problems with the matchstick/glue approach. Tom

Well, judging by the fact that the doors go in and out of working, it must
be a house setling issue. I'll double check the hinges: I have found
already one set of hinges where the powerdrill must've had its clutch set
too strongly, since the screw holes are stripped out. Thanks for that idea.

So the matchstick/glue method is a good one? I think I remember doing it
once maybe 20 years ago, and I remember that one of the issues was that it
helped if I sculpted out the bottom of the hole wider than the entry of it
so that the matchsticks had no where to slip when the screw went in. Does
that sound like I did it right, or botched it.

In any case, wouldn't drilling a hole that overlaps another hole by 1/2 be
very tough to do? Should I stick a router bit in my drill and go "sideways"
?

--
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

A few minutes with a file would do it.

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 18:24:34 GMT, Thomas G. Marshall
. com wrote:

1. Does anyone know of bigger opening strike plates. Say, 1/2" taller
than
normal to accommodate renegade pain in the ass door movements?

Do you have access to a friend with a milling machine? Case of beer
ought to do it. If you're in Wisconsin, drop me an email.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 19:19:43 GMT, CW wrote:
A few minutes with a file would do it.

Well, sure, but it'd look like crap.

It look just as good as done with a milling machine.
"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 19:19:43 GMT, CW wrote:
A few minutes with a file would do it.

Well, sure, but it'd look like crap.

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 19:19:43 GMT, CW wrote:
A few minutes with a file would do it.

Well, sure, but it'd look like crap.

Only if you're inept with a file.

Dave



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
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Mr. Marshall wrote: tom said something like:



You could also make sure the hinge jamb is securely fastened to the
framing. That should limit most of the movement you're experiencing.
You'll have no problems with the matchstick/glue approach. Tom


Well, judging by the fact that the doors go in and out of working, it
must
be a house setling issue. I'll double check the hinges: I have found
already one set of hinges where the powerdrill must've had its clutch
set
too strongly, since the screw holes are stripped out. Thanks for that
idea.

Not just the hinges, but the_ jamb_ to which the hinges are
attached. Make sure it's solid.

So the matchstick/glue method is a good one? I think I remember doing
it
once maybe 20 years ago, and I remember that one of the issues was that
it
helped if I sculpted out the bottom of the hole wider than the entry of
it
so that the matchsticks had no where to slip when the screw went in.
Does
that sound like I did it right, or botched it.
That'll work. You don't
even really need glue.

In any case, wouldn't drilling a hole that overlaps another hole by 1/2
be
very tough to do? Should I stick a router bit in my drill and go
"sideways"
?
Just jamming a twig into the old hole can work
fine. Tom

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:43:54 -0800, Teamcasa wrote:

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 19:19:43 GMT, CW wrote:
A few minutes with a file would do it.

Well, sure, but it'd look like crap.

Only if you're inept with a file.

(shrug) suit yourself. I'd rather do it, you know, right.

In other words, your filing sucks. And you work with wood?

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:43:54 -0800, Teamcasa wrote:

I'd rather do it, you know, right.

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:43:54 -0800, Teamcasa wrote:

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 19:19:43 GMT, CW wrote:
A few minutes with a file would do it.

Well, sure, but it'd look like crap.

Only if you're inept with a file.

(shrug) suit yourself. I'd rather do it, you know, right.

Me too, however others have given the good advice to fix the door, frame and
others tips. I was focusing on the file comment. Some of us can actually
work a file just fine. ~

Dave



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Tom Look for a place that sells commercial hardware in your area
You would be suprised at the various plates and hinges and odd hardware that
is available that you will not ever find at the Big boxes

Good Luck,
George
"Thomas G. Marshall" . com
wrote in message news:C5hqf.4823$Ap1.1843@trndny06...

I need a little help here. From 10 minutes after my house was built 8
years ago, the doors have been going in and out of plumb.

The thing that really drives me bonkers is that there seem to be no strike
plates in any of the places I've looked that are made with tall openings
to accommodate such rogue doors. All I've found were much larger strike
plates for /exterior/ doors, and they are just too large. I'm willing to
router/chisel a new recess in the door jamb to fit a larger plate, of
course. That might be a different post.

The sledgehammer reference is what I was looking for the first time I
attempted this. Was going to destroy something to feel better. Went to
BJ's looking for a bucket of drugs.

Ok, questions, since I [more than] clearly don't know what I'm doing.

1. Does anyone know of bigger opening strike plates. Say, 1/2" taller
than normal to accommodate renegade pain in the ass door movements?

2. If I do physically move the plate, do I {shudder} redrill, fill the
holes with glue & matchsticks and hope that it is enough to hold the new
screw 1/8" down?

3. Should I loan my sledgehammer to a friend far away, as a safety
precaution?

Thanks so much in advance,

Thomas, going nuts.

--
If I can ever figure out how, I hope that someday I'll
succeed in my lifetime goal of creating a signature
that ends with the word "blarphoogy".

The first thing that you should do is find out what is really moving in your
house and why it is moving, then develop a strategy to fix the cause rather
than the effect. Your doors aren't your problem. Adjusting door strikes
without fixing the real cause will only temporarily solve your door latch
problems. If you don't fix what's causing everything to go out of plumb, in
a short time you will be adjusting the door latches all over again.

Let me guess; your house has no basement, it's on piers over a crawl space,
and when it rains water collects under your house. Am I right so far? If not
send another note and tell us what you think is causing your house to go in
and out of plumb or settle. Significant humidity changes are usually the
cause.

If I'm right, then you need to make changes in the shape of your land around
your house so surface water runs away from your foundation, at least 15 feet
away, when it rains. Fix the gutters and downspouts too. All of the rain
water has to go away from the house, not under it. After you get all that
fixed and the ground under the house is reasonably dry again (you may need
to wait a few months for it to dry) the next thing that you need to do is to
cover the dirt in the crawl space with plastic sheeting to stop surface
evaporation. Also, you need to ventilate the crawl space to keep the air in
there as dry as possible. Then you need to get a big house jack and some
blocking and go under your house and re-level your floor beams by adding
shims between the piers and the beams (you may want to hire someone for this
part - it ain't fun and takes some house mover skills). After your house is
dry underneath and level again you will probably discover that you don't
need to adjust the door latch strike plates and the doors will open and
close like they did when your house was new, because humidity changes in and
under your house won't be as great anymore.

I've cured several houses with "moving door latch syndrome" this way.
--
Charley



"Thomas G. Marshall" . com
wrote in message news:C5hqf.4823$Ap1.1843@trndny06...

I need a little help here. From 10 minutes after my house was built 8
years
ago, the doors have been going in and out of plumb.

The thing that really drives me bonkers is that there seem to be no strike
plates in any of the places I've looked that are made with tall openings
to
accommodate such rogue doors. All I've found were much larger strike
plates
for /exterior/ doors, and they are just too large. I'm willing to
router/chisel a new recess in the door jamb to fit a larger plate, of
course. That might be a different post.

The sledgehammer reference is what I was looking for the first time I
attempted this. Was going to destroy something to feel better. Went to
BJ's looking for a bucket of drugs.

Ok, questions, since I [more than] clearly don't know what I'm doing.

1. Does anyone know of bigger opening strike plates. Say, 1/2" taller
than
normal to accommodate renegade pain in the ass door movements?

2. If I do physically move the plate, do I {shudder} redrill, fill the
holes
with glue & matchsticks and hope that it is enough to hold the new screw
1/8" down?

3. Should I loan my sledgehammer to a friend far away, as a safety
precaution?

Thanks so much in advance,

Thomas, going nuts.

--
If I can ever figure out how, I hope that someday I'll
succeed in my lifetime goal of creating a signature
that ends with the word "blarphoogy".

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 03:56:02 GMT, "Charley" wrote:

The first thing that you should do is find out what is really moving in your
house and why it is moving, then develop a strategy to fix the cause rather
than the effect. Your doors aren't your problem. Adjusting door strikes
without fixing the real cause will only temporarily solve your door latch
problems. If you don't fix what's causing everything to go out of plumb, in
a short time you will be adjusting the door latches all over again.

Let me guess; your house has no basement, it's on piers over a crawl space,
and when it rains water collects under your house. Am I right so far? If not
send another note and tell us what you think is causing your house to go in
and out of plumb or settle. Significant humidity changes are usually the
cause.

If the OP has a house built on a floating slab, then the house is supposed
to move with changes in soil moisture (assuming that the house isn't
sitting in puddles caused by drainage issues). Many homes built in areas
with clay soil will move by design.





+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

"Thomas G. Marshall"
. com wrote:


I need a little help here. From 10 minutes after my house was built 8
years ago, the doors have been going in and out of plumb.

The thing that really drives me bonkers is that there seem to be no
strike plates in any of the places I've looked that are made with tall
openings to accommodate such rogue doors. All I've found were much
larger strike plates for /exterior/ doors, and they are just too
large. I'm willing to router/chisel a new recess in the door jamb to
fit a larger plate, of course. That might be a different post.

The sledgehammer reference is what I was looking for the first time I
attempted this. Was going to destroy something to feel better. Went
to BJ's looking for a bucket of drugs.

Ok, questions, since I [more than] clearly don't know what I'm doing.

1. Does anyone know of bigger opening strike plates. Say, 1/2" taller
than normal to accommodate renegade pain in the ass door movements?

2. If I do physically move the plate, do I {shudder} redrill, fill the
holes with glue & matchsticks and hope that it is enough to hold the
new screw 1/8" down?

3. Should I loan my sledgehammer to a friend far away, as a safety
precaution?

Thanks so much in advance,

Thomas, going nuts.


Could you elongate the screw holes in the strike plate - not the jamb -
like you would do for a table top?

I have the same problem. If there isn't too much error, I use a Dremel
with the little cutoff blades and finish up the corners with a file. If
the plate has to be moved, drill out the old screw holes & Glue in
hardwood dowels trimmed flush. Then remount the plate in the correct
location. Matchsticks & glue make a mess out of everything.
Bugs

My problem was a wet basement. Only cost $7,000+ to fix it. Still had
to adjust the #@* strike plates.
Bugs

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 01:40:19 GMT, CW wrote:
In other words, your filing sucks. And you work with wood?

No, you arrogant top-poster, I have access to a milling machine and
prefer to do in one minute that which would take me three to do less
well with a file.

Why the attitude? Hack away with a dremel if you want.

Charley said something like:
The first thing that you should do is find out what is really moving
in your house and why it is moving, then develop a strategy to fix
the cause rather than the effect. Your doors aren't your problem.
Adjusting door strikes without fixing the real cause will only
temporarily solve your door latch problems. If you don't fix what's
causing everything to go out of plumb, in a short time you will be
adjusting the door latches all over again.

Let me guess; your house has no basement, it's on piers over a crawl
space, and when it rains water collects under your house. Am I right
so far? If not send another note and tell us what you think is
causing your house to go in and out of plumb or settle. Significant
humidity changes are usually the cause.

No, my house is basically a 2400sqft colonial, 2 story, with a full cement
basement.

It does leak a small amount in one corner. Judging from the front door
though, that is the corner that is staying "up".

I think.




If I'm right, then you need to make changes in the shape of your land
around your house so surface water runs away from your foundation, at
least 15 feet away, when it rains. Fix the gutters and downspouts
too. All of the rain water has to go away from the house, not under
it. After you get all that fixed and the ground under the house is
reasonably dry again (you may need to wait a few months for it to
dry) the next thing that you need to do is to cover the dirt in the
crawl space with plastic sheeting to stop surface evaporation. Also,
you need to ventilate the crawl space to keep the air in there as dry
as possible. Then you need to get a big house jack and some blocking
and go under your house and re-level your floor beams by adding shims
between the piers and the beams (you may want to hire someone for
this part - it ain't fun and takes some house mover skills). After
your house is dry underneath and level again you will probably
discover that you don't need to adjust the door latch strike plates
and the doors will open and close like they did when your house was
new, because humidity changes in and under your house won't be as
great anymore.

I've cured several houses with "moving door latch syndrome" this way.

"Thomas G. Marshall"
. com wrote in
message news:C5hqf.4823$Ap1.1843@trndny06...

I need a little help here. From 10 minutes after my house was built
8 years ago, the doors have been going in and out of plumb.

The thing that really drives me bonkers is that there seem to be no
strike plates in any of the places I've looked that are made with
tall openings to accommodate such rogue doors. All I've found were
much larger strike plates for /exterior/ doors, and they are just
too large. I'm willing to router/chisel a new recess in the door
jamb to fit a larger plate, of course. That might be a different
post.

The sledgehammer reference is what I was looking for the first time I
attempted this. Was going to destroy something to feel better.
Went to BJ's looking for a bucket of drugs.

Ok, questions, since I [more than] clearly don't know what I'm doing.

1. Does anyone know of bigger opening strike plates. Say, 1/2"
taller than normal to accommodate renegade pain in the ass door
movements?

2. If I do physically move the plate, do I {shudder} redrill, fill
the holes with glue & matchsticks and hope that it is enough to hold
the new screw 1/8" down?

3. Should I loan my sledgehammer to a friend far away, as a safety
precaution?

Thanks so much in advance,

Thomas, going nuts.

--
If I can ever figure out how, I hope that someday I'll
succeed in my lifetime goal of creating a signature
that ends with the word "blarphoogy".

Lobby Dosser said something like:
"Thomas G. Marshall"
. com wrote:


I need a little help here. From 10 minutes after my house was built
8 years ago, the doors have been going in and out of plumb.

The thing that really drives me bonkers is that there seem to be no
strike plates in any of the places I've looked that are made with
tall openings to accommodate such rogue doors. All I've found were
much larger strike plates for /exterior/ doors, and they are just too
large. I'm willing to router/chisel a new recess in the door jamb to
fit a larger plate, of course. That might be a different post.

The sledgehammer reference is what I was looking for the first time I
attempted this. Was going to destroy something to feel better. Went
to BJ's looking for a bucket of drugs.

Ok, questions, since I [more than] clearly don't know what I'm doing.

1. Does anyone know of bigger opening strike plates. Say, 1/2"
taller than normal to accommodate renegade pain in the ass door
movements?

2. If I do physically move the plate, do I {shudder} redrill, fill
the holes with glue & matchsticks and hope that it is enough to hold
the new screw 1/8" down?

3. Should I loan my sledgehammer to a friend far away, as a safety
precaution?

Thanks so much in advance,

Thomas, going nuts.


Could you elongate the screw holes in the strike plate - not the jamb
- like you would do for a table top?

You're jogging my memory. I tried that a longggg time ago. I remember that
the screw holes had a counter-sink bevel to them that was hard to replicate,
requiring me to use a "flat" topped screw which looked awful.

FriscoSoxFan wrote:
Why not just widen the strike plate opening. A dremel and a few seconds
should do it.

I've done the same with a file. Didn't even take it out of the door,
just
used the tip of the file.

--

FF

Dave Hinz wrote:
On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 01:40:19 GMT, CW wrote:
In other words, your filing sucks. And you work with wood?

No, you arrogant top-poster, I have access to a milling machine and
prefer to do in one minute that which would take me three to do less
well with a file.


I'm sure you can. But it would look like crap--unless you know how
to use a milling machine. Those of us who know how to use files and
don't have milling machines would much rather use the file that send it
to you to be done on your milling machine.

Aside from which, I don't believe for a second that you could really
do it faster on your milling machine than most anyone else could
with a file, provided you take into account your set up time.

As to arrogance, you are the one who said filing would make it
look like crap, which is where the arrogance was injected into
this thread.

OTOH, I concur with your disdain for top-posting.

--

FF

CW sarcastically wrote:
In other words, your filing sucks. And you work with wood?

"Dave Hinz" snapped back
No, you arrogant top-poster, I have access to a milling machine and
prefer to do in one minute that which would take me three to do less
well with a file.

Why the attitude? Hack away with a dremel if you want.


Dave - I too have a mill. You and I both know it takes more than one minute
to set it up. In the time you set up mill up, I'll have applied a half a
dozen strokes done and the striker re-installed. That is, after the door
was properly hung.

Dave



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
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On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 08:49:43 -0800, Teamcasa wrote:

"Dave Hinz" snapped back
No, you arrogant top-poster, I have access to a milling machine and
prefer to do in one minute that which would take me three to do less
well with a file.

Dave - I too have a mill. You and I both know it takes more than one minute
to set it up. In the time you set up mill up, I'll have applied a half a
dozen strokes done and the striker re-installed. That is, after the door
was properly hung.

Fair enough. The vise is already on the table, the 1/8" cutter is in
the collet at the moment, so, well, whatever.

Dremel makes files? I didn't know that. A little sensitive about your lack
of ability eh? A little pratice will take care of that.

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 01:40:19 GMT, CW wrote:
In other words, your filing sucks. And you work with wood?

No, you arrogant top-poster, I have access to a milling machine and
prefer to do in one minute that which would take me three to do less
well with a file.

Why the attitude? Hack away with a dremel if you want.

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 22:34:36 GMT, CW wrote:
Dremel makes files? I didn't know that. A little sensitive about your lack
of ability eh? A little pratice will take care of that.

What part of "do it however the hell you want" aren't you getting about
this conversation, exactly? I'd choose to use the mill. You'd choose
to use the file. Someone else might use a nipper or something.

"Thomas G. Marshall"
. com wrote:

Could you elongate the screw holes in the strike plate - not the jamb
- like you would do for a table top?

You're jogging my memory. I tried that a longggg time ago. I
remember that the screw holes had a counter-sink bevel to them that
was hard to replicate, requiring me to use a "flat" topped screw which
looked awful.


Yeah, I figured the countersink would be the toughest part. Though, you
could do it pretty easily on a mill. )

Dave Hinz wrote:
On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 22:34:36 GMT, CW wrote:
Dremel makes files? I didn't know that. A little sensitive about your lack
of ability eh? A little pratice will take care of that.

What part of "do it however the hell you want" aren't you getting about
this conversation, exactly? I'd choose to use the mill. You'd choose
to use the file. Someone else might use a nipper or something.

As long as we're flaming, why not a cutting torch?

Anyhow, life would not be the same without ornery SOBs like
you to get snippy with.

Have Merry Christmass Mr Hinz and the same to all you others.

--

FF

I understand that that point of view was never put forth by you. What was
under discussion here was your proclamation that you had to buy expensive
machine tools to make up for your lack of skill at simple projects.

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...

What part of "do it however the hell you want" aren't you getting about
this conversation, exactly?

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 05:15:27 GMT, CW wrote:
I understand that that point of view was never put forth by you. What was
under discussion here was your proclamation that you had to buy expensive
machine tools to make up for your lack of skill at simple projects.

I didn't say _you_ had to buy anything. I said _I_ would use the mill,
which I'm sorry, gives better results than a file.

Because of your lack of skill with a file.

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
gives better results than a file.

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:23:59 GMT, CW wrote:
Because of your lack of skill with a file.

Yeah, sure, whatever, but my killfile works just fine.
plonk

On 12/23/2005 11:23 AM CW mumbled something about the following:
Because of your lack of skill with a file.

Not to mention his lack of skill with following a thread properly.

Bugs said something like:
I have the same problem. If there isn't too much error, I use a Dremel
with the little cutoff blades and finish up the corners with a file. If
the plate has to be moved, drill out the old screw holes & Glue in
hardwood dowels trimmed flush. Then remount the plate in the correct
location. Matchsticks & glue make a mess out of everything.
Bugs

Excellent idea. I'll do that the next time I actually move the strike
plate. Thanks!

What I did instead in this current situation:

1. Discovered that I /had/ managed to solve this once before in another
door. I had found a larger strike plate, one that was meant for exterior
doors, and had mounted it in place. As it turns out, it is not as
noticeable as I had thought it would be: This is proven by the fact that it
is in the downstairs bathroom, and is a place I walk by many times, and did
not notice. I had to go looking for it. And this thing wasn't even
recessed into the wood, but mounted flat on top.

2. Bought the identical SP from the local hardware store---I had previously
disregarded these because I had thought that they were too large. Chiseled
[carefully] a new hole, and new recess. And it works fine.

3. No, I'm not sending anyone here pictures, because you'll just yell at me.


Thanks everyone, all the advice is filed away mentally (and googley) for
future reference!

Thomas, a software engineer trying his best to deal with things tangible


--
Doesn't /anyone/ know where I can find a credit card company that emails me
the minute something is charged to my account?