You’ve been putting up with your door that’s been acting up for ages. But it’s not until you really start to struggle that most people decide to actually fix the door.
The truth is, doors that won’t close are usually caused by one of four specific problems, and three of them you can fix yourself in under twenty minutes with tools you already own. The other might require professional door repair in NYC.
Let’s skip the generic advice and get straight to what’s actually wrong with your door and how to fix it permanently.
First, Figure Out What’s Actually Broken
Stop. Before you touch anything, you need to diagnose the actual problem. Trying random fixes wastes time and sometimes makes things worse.
Stand with the door open and look at where it meets the frame. Try closing it slowly and watch what happens. Does the latch hit the strike plate but won’t catch? Does the door itself hit the frame before the latch reaches the strike plate? Does it close but immediately swing back open?
Here’s your decision tree:
- The latch reaches the strike plate but won’t catch = Strike plate alignment problem or latch mechanism issue
- The door edge hits the frame before the latch gets there = Hinge sag or swollen door
- The door closes but won’t stay closed = Latch spring failure or strike plate too shallow
- The door swings open by itself after you close it = Hinge problem, causing the door to hang out of plumb
Now you know what category you’re in. Let’s fix it.
Problem #1: The Latch Won’t Catch the Strike Plate
Your latch is trying to slide into that rectangular hole in the strike plate, but it’s hitting metal instead. The alignment is off by maybe a quarter inch.
Get a tube of lipstick or Chapstick. Smear it on the latch tongue (the part that sticks out when the door closes). Close the door. Open it and look at the strike plate. You’ll see exactly where the latch is hitting; the lipstick leaves a mark.
If the mark is above or below the strike plate hole, your door has sagged on its hinges. If it’s hitting the side of the opening, the strike plate needs to move sideways or be filed wider.
Fix #1: File the Strike Plate
If the latch is closed but hitting the edge of the strike plate hole, grab a metal file and enlarge the opening. File toward the direction where you need more clearance. Check your progress every 30 seconds; you can’t undo filing.
This works when the misalignment is less than an eighth of an inch. Beyond that, you need to reposition the plate entirely.
Fix #2: Reposition the Strike Plate
Unscrew the strike plate and hold it where it actually needs to be. Mark the new screw holes with a pencil.
Here’s the problem: your new screw holes will be right next to the old ones, and screws won’t hold in that destroyed wood. You need to fill the old holes first. Get wood filler or epoxy putty from any hardware store. Pack it into the old screw holes. Let it dry completely. Once dry, drill your new pilot holes and screw the strike plate into its corrected position.
If the strike plate needs to move more than half an inch, you’ll also need to chisel out the mortise (the recessed area where the plate sits) to accommodate the new position.
Fix #3: Adjust the Door Height with Hinge Shims
If your latch is hitting too high on the strike plate, you need to raise the latch side of the door. If it’s hitting too low, you need to lower it. Cut a piece of thin cardboard to the exact size of your hinge plate. Unscrew the bottom hinge, place the cardboard shim behind it, and screw it back in. This raises the latch side of the door.
If the latch is hitting too low, shim the top hinge instead.
Also Read: Why Your Door Keeps Slamming and How to Fix It
Problem #2: The Door Edge Hits the Frame Before Latching
This means your door is literally too wide for the opening, either because it’s swollen from humidity or because it’s sagging into the frame space.
When You Need to Plane the Door
If the door rubs year-round, swelling isn’t your problem; the door is simply too large for the opening, probably because the building settled and the frame shifted.
Close the door and mark with a pencil exactly where it’s hitting the frame. You’ll see a shiny spot where the paint has rubbed off; that’s your target. Take the door off its hinges. Set it across sawhorses or balance it on its edge. Use a hand plane, belt sander, or even coarse sandpaper to remove material from the marked area.
After planning, immediately seal the bare wood with paint or polyurethane.
Problem #3: Loose Hinges
Tighten Every Single Screw
Get a screwdriver. Tighten every screw on every hinge, both the door side and the frame side.
If a screw spins without tightening, the hole is stripped. The wood fibers have compressed, and there’s nothing left for the screw threads to grip.
Fix Stripped Screw Holes
Remove the loose screw. Break wooden toothpicks or matchsticks to fit inside the stripped hole; you want to pack it completely full of wood. Trim any pieces sticking out flush with the surface. Screw back in. The screw will cut new threads through the fresh wood pieces and hold tight.
Replace Worn-Out Hinges
Sometimes hinges are just done. Take one of your old hinges to the hardware store and buy the exact same size and finish. Same dimensions mean you don’t have to drill new holes or touch up paint.
Problem #4: The Latch Mechanism Itself Is Broken
Clean and Lubricate First
Remove the latch and use an old toothbrush to scrub away any paint, dirt, or grime. If someone painted your door without removing the hardware, there’s probably paint gumming up the works.
Spray the mechanism with WD-40 or silicone lubricant. Work it back and forth with your fingers until it moves smoothly. Reinstall.
When the Spring Is Dead
If cleaning doesn’t help and the latch tongue doesn’t spring back out after you push it in, the spring inside has failed. You need a new latch assembly.
Fix It Right, Fix It Once
Most door problems look complicated from the outside, but follow simple cause-and-effect logic once you understand what’s happening. 90% of doors that won’t close have loose hinges, misaligned strike plates, or both. The remaining 10% need more involved fixes.
Door Guys NYC has fixed thousands of doors across all five boroughs. Whether you need a quick latch adjustment or complete frame realignment, we know exactly what’s wrong and how to fix it permanently.
Stop fighting with doors that won’t close. Call for door repair in NYC and we’ll solve it, usually same day, always done right!
