Why is it that most doors in your home close, latch and stay closed, but the door to your bedroom will not stay closed? The door swings shut but the lock doesn’t latch, and then it slowly swings open. Not great for privacy.
Most bedroom doors have a simple knob and spring-loaded latch that fits into a metal strike plate in the door frame or door jamb. Close the door and the latch springs into the opening of the strike plate. Bathroom doors have an additional privacy lock in the knob.
When a door doesn’t latch properly, it’s usually because the latch is not aligned with the opening in the strike plate. Close the door and use a flashlight to examine the latching mechanism and strike plate; you can often see the misalignment. Inspecting the pattern of wear on the strike plate may also reveal the alignment problem.
The fix? Make sure the door fits the frame properly. Tightening hinges or shimming under hinges can often solve the alignment problem. At times, it just takes a little filing to open the strike plate; or try removing and adjusting the location of the strike plate.
