I found that for our main bedroom door, the problem is that the door
that the latch resides in, is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the
strike &
doorjamb. (not sure if the door shrunk over time or what). About an
1/8" or so tip of the latch barely sits in the strike when the door
closes. The other problem is, the doorjamb seems to be pushing on the
door, so that when you close the door (and you have to kind of
REALLY push on it to close for the latch to enter the strike), since
the latch isn't all the way in the strike, the counter-force from the
doorjamb pushes the door and forces the latch out of the strike
causing the door to re-open as soon as you close it.


So.. what to do? I either have to find a doorknob assembly with a
longer latch that will rest deeper in the strike or i have to find a
way to make the strike sit out further from the doorjamb? Or take the
door off the hinges and rework it so it's closer to the strike/
doorjamb? (don't like/think i need to do this last option)


Thanks in advance...

On 7/29/2008 10:56 AM Paul spake thus:

I found that for our main bedroom door, the problem is that the door
that the latch resides in, is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the
strike & doorjamb. (not sure if the door shrunk over time or what).
About an 1/8" or so tip of the latch barely sits in the strike when
the door closes. The other problem is, the doorjamb seems to be
pushing on the door, so that when you close the door (and you have to
kind of REALLY push on it to close for the latch to enter the
strike), since the latch isn't all the way in the strike, the
counter-force from the doorjamb pushes the door and forces the latch
out of the strike causing the door to re-open as soon as you close
it.

Hmmm, don't understand the problem as you've described it: you say
there's a large gap 'twixt door and jamb, and yet the jamb pushes on the
door? Can't seem to visualize this. Is the door hitting something else,
like the top jamb, the doorstop, etc.?

So.. what to do? I either have to find a doorknob assembly with a
longer latch that will rest deeper in the strike or i have to find a
way to make the strike sit out further from the doorjamb? Or take the
door off the hinges and rework it so it's closer to the strike/
doorjamb? (don't like/think i need to do this last option)

Again, hard to say based on your description, but it may actually be
easiest (for the short term, at least) to shim the door away from its
hinges to bring it closer to the strike. This isn't too hard to do, and
can be done with pieces of cardboard, thin wood, etc. Just take the door
off its hinges (drive the pins out if possible), remove the door hinges,
shim and remount them, then reinstall door.


--
"Wikipedia ... it reminds me ... of dogs barking idiotically through
endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it.
It drags itself out of the dark abyss of pish, and crawls insanely up
the topmost pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and
doodle. It is balder and dash."

- With apologies to H. L. Mencken

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:56:08 -0700 (PDT), Paul
wrote:

I found that for our main bedroom door, the problem is that the door
that the latch resides in, is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the
strike &
doorjamb. (not sure if the door shrunk over time or what). About an
1/8" or so tip of the latch barely sits in the strike when the door
closes. The other problem is, the doorjamb seems to be pushing on the
door, so that when you close the door (and you have to kind of
REALLY push on it to close for the latch to enter the strike), since
the latch isn't all the way in the strike, the counter-force from the
doorjamb pushes the door and forces the latch out of the strike
causing the door to re-open as soon as you close it.


So.. what to do? I either have to find a doorknob assembly with a
longer latch that will rest deeper in the strike or i have to find a
way to make the strike sit out further from the doorjamb? Or take the
door off the hinges and rework it so it's closer to the strike/
doorjamb? (don't like/think i need to do this last option)


Thanks in advance...

Check the door jamb for square. level, and plumb.

Tools needed:

2 ft level (check jamb header for level)
6 ft level (check jamb legs for plumb)
2 ft carpenter's square (header square with jamb legs)

Is this door a heavy solid core door? They are heavy and can pull the
jamb.

The solution might be to reset the door jamb. YMMV.

Paul wrote:
....
So.. what to do? I either have to find a doorknob assembly with a
longer latch that will rest deeper in the strike or i have to find a
way to make the strike sit out further from the doorjamb? Or take the
door off the hinges and rework it so it's closer to the strike/
doorjamb? (don't like/think i need to do this last option)
....

The piece the door is pressing against is the "stop".

Adjust the catch away from the stop slightly so it doesn't require the
force to make it close. If you're lucky (and don't care about the
visual), that may be sufficient. May require filling the existing screw
holes (wooden kitchen matches are great for this purpose) in order to
drill a new pilot hole small-enough distance away from existing and also
might require a bit of carving on the latch recess hole to let the
strike/catch move.

Adjusting the hinges is probably all that would be needed to get an
additional eighth-inch or so that will be all that is enough, again if
the variable reveal around the door isn't that critical (and from the
tone of the post, I'm gathering it's the least of your concerns... ).

--

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:29:52 -0500, dpb wrote:

Paul wrote:
...
So.. what to do? I either have to find a doorknob assembly with a
longer latch that will rest deeper in the strike or i have to find a
way to make the strike sit out further from the doorjamb? Or take the
door off the hinges and rework it so it's closer to the strike/
doorjamb? (don't like/think i need to do this last option)
...

The piece the door is pressing against is the "stop".

Adjust the catch away from the stop slightly so it doesn't require the
force to make it close. If you're lucky (and don't care about the
visual), that may be sufficient. May require filling the existing screw
holes (wooden kitchen matches are great for this purpose) in order to
drill a new pilot hole small-enough distance away from existing and also
might require a bit of carving on the latch recess hole to let the
strike/catch move.

Adjusting the hinges is probably all that would be needed to get an
additional eighth-inch or so that will be all that is enough, again if
the variable reveal around the door isn't that critical (and from the
tone of the post, I'm gathering it's the least of your concerns... ).

Is the latch sticking, and not extending all the way out? :-))

Oren wrote:
....
Is the latch sticking, and not extending all the way out? :-))

Possible, perhaps, but seems unlikely given the description of as much
as half-inch of clearance on the strike side between door and jamb...

--

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:30:45 -0500, dpb wrote:

Oren wrote:
...
Is the latch sticking, and not extending all the way out? :-))

Possible, perhaps, but seems unlikely given the description of as much
as half-inch of clearance on the strike side between door and jamb...

I'll speculate; it's a jamb problem.

OP, where are YOU?

On Jul 29, 5:20*pm, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:30:45 -0500, dpb wrote:
Oren wrote:
...
Is the latch sticking, and not extending all the way out? *:-))

Possible, perhaps, but seems unlikely given the description of as much
as half-inch of clearance on the strike side between door and jamb...

I'll speculate; it's a jamb problem.

OP, where are YOU?

The latch is not sticking and it is extending all the way out.

Sorry I don't know my stop from my jamb ; )

There's about 1/4 inch or so between the edge of the door and the door
jamb.

When we close the bedroom door, you have to push it firmly so the
latch gets into the strike. So we're pushing it against the door stop
which isn't budging (and rightfully so). Since only about 1/8 inch or
so of the latch is in the strike (due to the space between door and
jamb), the doorstop forces the door open and the latch is easily
budged out of the strike.

The door is nice and snug against the jamb where the hinges are, no
space there between door and jamb.

It seems like the door needs to move closer to the strike. So I guess
like David said, I need to shim the hinges away from the jamb.

On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:06:08 -0700 (PDT), Paul
wrote:

On Jul 29, 5:20*pm, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:30:45 -0500, dpb wrote:
Oren wrote:
...
Is the latch sticking, and not extending all the way out? *:-))

Possible, perhaps, but seems unlikely given the description of as much
as half-inch of clearance on the strike side between door and jamb...

I'll speculate; it's a jamb problem.

OP, where are YOU?

The latch is not sticking and it is extending all the way out.

Sorry I don't know my stop from my jamb ; )

There's about 1/4 inch or so between the edge of the door and the door
jamb.

When we close the bedroom door, you have to push it firmly so the
latch gets into the strike. So we're pushing it against the door stop
which isn't budging (and rightfully so). Since only about 1/8 inch or
so of the latch is in the strike (due to the space between door and
jamb), the doorstop forces the door open and the latch is easily
budged out of the strike.

The door is nice and snug against the jamb where the hinges are, no
space there between door and jamb.

It seems like the door needs to move closer to the strike. So I guess
like David said, I need to shim the hinges away from the jamb.

That's a good call. Put a level on the latch side edge of the door and
check for plumb. Which hinge (s) need a shim? Dense cardboard makes
for a good shim.

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:06:08 -0700 (PDT), Paul
wrote:

On Jul 29, 5:20 pm, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:30:45 -0500, dpb wrote:
Oren wrote:
...
Is the latch sticking, and not extending all the way out? :-))

Possible, perhaps, but seems unlikely given the description of as much
as half-inch of clearance on the strike side between door and jamb...

I'll speculate; it's a jamb problem.

OP, where are YOU?

The latch is not sticking and it is extending all the way out.

Sorry I don't know my stop from my jamb ; )

There's about 1/4 inch or so between the edge of the door and the door
jamb.

When we close the bedroom door, you have to push it firmly so the
latch gets into the strike. So we're pushing it against the door stop
which isn't budging (and rightfully so). Since only about 1/8 inch or
so of the latch is in the strike (due to the space between door and
jamb), the doorstop forces the door open and the latch is easily
budged out of the strike.

The door is nice and snug against the jamb where the hinges are, no
space there between door and jamb.

It seems like the door needs to move closer to the strike. So I guess
like David said, I need to shim the hinges away from the jamb.

That's a good call. Put a level on the latch side edge of the door and
check for plumb. Which hinge (s) need a shim? Dense cardboard makes
for a good shim.

Try this first. take off the strike plate from the jamb and shut the door
how does it close now?
if you have a 1/4 inch gap on the latch side your door will still work . I
just noticed today that I have a door in my office that will shut but the
latch isn't centered on the strike so it takes just a slight push on the
door and it opens.
I need to chisel out 1/4 inch of wood below the strike and lower it and it
will work again. you may need to move the strike away from the stop. You
problem may just be that the latch isn't engaging with the strike plate