Updated
Door Won't Latch Shut
The door closes but springs back open, or you have to lean on it before the latch clicks.
Find a carpenter
What's happening?
This is an alignment fault between three parts: the latch tongue in the edge of the leaf, the strike plate on the frame, and the door stop the leaf lands against. The tongue has only a few millimetres of travel, so a small shift anywhere puts it above, below or short of its hole. If you can see a fresh bright scrape on the strike plate, that mark tells you exactly which way the tongue is now hitting. Where the door springs back open, the tongue is catching the front face of the plate instead of dropping into it. Where you have to lean on it, the latch is reaching but the stop or a swollen seal is holding the leaf too far out.
What usually causes it?
- Leaf dropped or hinges loosened, so the tongue now meets the strike plate too low
- Strike plate mortice too shallow or partly filled with paint, stopping the tongue seating
- Door stop or planted bead fitted proud, holding the leaf short of the plate
- Latch mechanism worn or gummed with old lubricant so the tongue does not spring fully out
- Spindle or follower worn in a tubular latch, leaving the handle sloppy and the tongue slow to return
- Building movement shifting the frame relative to the leaf, common in an older house or after a wall was opened up
- Draught seal or intumescent strip swollen or over-thick, springing the door back off its stops
Is it dangerous?
Normally a nuisance rather than a hazard, with two exceptions. A fire door that will not latch cannot hold back smoke, and Approved Document B expects it to close fully onto its stops. A front or back door whose latch does not engage is a security problem, not a joinery one — a nightlatch or multipoint lock that only holds when leaned on is not locked. A bathroom or WC door that will not latch is worth fixing quickly if anyone in the house needs the privacy or the safety of it.
Can I fix it myself?
Yes, in most cases. Shut the door slowly and watch where the tongue meets the plate. If the scrape is above or below the hole, unscrew the strike plate, and either move it a few millimetres or file the hole to suit — deepening the mortice with a chisel if the plate needs to sit lower. If the tongue reaches but will not click, deepen the mortice behind the plate. A stiff latch often comes back to life with a dry lubricant. Where the leaf has dropped, correct the hinges first, because moving the plate to chase a dropped door just means moving it back later.
When should you call a carpenter?
Call a carpenter where the frame has moved out of square, where the strike plate would need to move so far that it breaks out of the existing mortice, or where the latch is part of a multipoint or fire-rated set. Also call if the same door keeps drifting out of adjustment, which usually means the lining or the leaf is the real problem rather than the plate.
What will the carpenter actually do?
- Watch the door close and read the witness marks on the strike plate rather than guessing at the adjustment
- Correct hinge play and leaf alignment before touching the latch, so the fix holds
- Reposition or recut the strike plate mortice and deepen the keep so the tongue seats fully
- Replace a worn tubular latch, spindle or follower and set the handle back correctly
- Adjust planted stops, beads and seal thickness so the leaf lands on the same plane as the plate
- Realign a multipoint or fire-rated set to the manufacturer's specification, keeping the rating intact
Frequently asked questions
We’re happy to answer all your questions.
Sources & References
Need a carpenter?
Compare local carpenters on Tradehand — coverage areas, accreditations and phone numbers, no middleman.