Misaligned bolt keeps his door from locking
This Is A Hammer
Q: I have been unable to fully lock my front door for a while now because the door bolt will no longer go all the way into the frame. I think the door is misaligned. How do I fix this? — Gerard J., San Diego
A: Definitely check the alignment of the door. You can do this by holding the end of a ruler or other straight item against the top of the frame to see if the crack between the top of the door and the frame is straight or has a slight angle. You also can check the sides and bottom this way. If the door is not hanging straight, work with a friend to remove the door from its hinges and place shims under the hinges.
A shim can be as simple as a thin piece of cardboard cut to the shape of the hinge.
When slid into place behind the hinge plate, it raises the profile of the hinge, which changes the angle at which the door is hung.
You may need to re-hang the door a few times to get the proper width and placement of the shims.
If the door is straight or shimming doesn’t resolve the latch issue, check the alignment of the bolt with its strike plate (the metal plate set in the door frame).
Make sure the plate is screwed tightly to the frame and not wiggling loosely.
The latchbolt itself can be raised or lowered slightly by shimming it in much the same way the door is shimmed. You can insert a thin piece of cardboard behind the bottom hinge to raise the latchbolt, or behind the top hinge to lower the latchbolt.