Aligning the Bolt and Strike Plate

When a door fails to latch properly, it usually means the door is out of alignment. Often, the latch bolt is not dropping smoothly into the center of the strike plate.

If the latch bolt is too low or too high, the problem usually can be corrected by shimming a hinge to realign the door. If the alignment is fine but the door still won't shut, the door may be warped.

Suspending the door between two sawhorses and weighing down the center may counteract the warp, but you should think about buying a replacement door.

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