A sticking door latch might require some lubrication or it might be jamming against the strike plate on the door jamb.
Door latch sticking.
With your door lock stuck in unlocked the position your home can be made vulnerable.
Many people put up with the aggravation of a sticking door lock for years.
One of the problems that causes this is that the hinges are loose or the house has settled from the freezing and thawing of the ground.
Fixing a few stubborn locks might involve disassembling cleaning and then reassembling the lock.
If it s a matter of friction on the strike plate try to tighten both the plate and the lock on your door.
The solutions and severity of this issue will differ depending on what type of lock it is.
Door lock stuck in open position.
Inspect the strike plate on the edge of the door frame.
First clean the keyhole with a penetrating lubricant like wd 40.
The most pressing will be when your deadbolt door lock is stuck in the open position because your deadbolt provides the real security.
Sticking door latches.
Tom s rule of thumb for keeping a door from sticking in the jamb is that the reveal the space between the door and jamb should be 1 8 to 3 16 inch wide or about the thickness of a nickel.
Expert advice on how to repair common problems with door knob locks and deadbolts such as stuck or frozen door locks latches that don t latch and keys broken off in door locks.
Follow along as tom fixes a swelled door in his own home with just a few simple tools.
A latch bolt that sticks in the strike often leave tell tale marks or scrapes on the strike plate.
You can even see where the door has scraped against the frame.
This is because the issue is not with the door and not even with the control the knob has over the stuck latch.
Many door knob and lockset problems can be corrected before they become so serious that the lockset does not work at all.
Another problem with many door knobs latches and even hinges is that the door itself will get stuck and close or open hard.
You can fix this problem relocating the hinges or using longer screws.
You should first test the door latch to ensure the latch is sticking inside the door and not due to a misaligned strike plate.
Most times you ll find that the door sticks along the top because the door is sagging.
The issue a door latch stuck due to a jamming latch will have no real variation between how the latch moves when it is pressed in or when the handle is turned both when the door is open and when it is shut.
Equip a rotary tool with a carbide tip.
Often turning these four screws slightly clockwise is enough to eliminate the scuffing.
Step 1 close shave photo by craig raine.
