Catching Problems with Doors and Knobs
Just like everything else in your home, the knobs on your doors are going to age over time. At first it may be simple things that let you know something is wrong. It could be a little wobble of the knobs, or maybe they catch once in a while. But, if you let these problems go long enough, they are going to get worse and could send you to the store to buy new knobs, and maybe even are forced to make repairs to the door. Here are some of the common problems doors experience, and what to do:
Wiggling Knobs
Time takes it toll on door knobs, just like everything else in your home. Think about the workout door knobs get, they are turned, twisted, pulled and pushed all day long. It's no wonder they are going to wear out over time. When you notice your door knobs are getting a little wobbly, it's usually a simple fix to tighten them up. Some knobs have screws that are in plain sight. Other knobs have screws hidden under a knob cap. Find the screw and slowly tighten it. You don't want to overdo it, or you may start hurting the knobs or the wood on your door. Just tighten it until it is snug, doesn't wobble and can comfortably turn. At some point, this fix will not work. It is possible the spindle has become loose and will have to be replaced. You can either replace just the spindle, if you have expensive knobs, or you may want to change out the whole unit.
Door Doesn't Stay Shut
You may be having an experience where each time you push your door knobs to close the door, the door isn't staying closed. It pops back at you. This likely means the latch inside the knobs is not catching. You need to study the door a little more closely to find out just what the problem is. Open and close the door a few times, get down at latch level and see what happens when the door bolt gets to the plate. It's possible that the bolt has come out of alignment with the hole in the strike plate. Or maybe your door has just shrunk over time, and is not quite reaching the plate, as it should be. If the bolt is just a little off from the strike plate hole, you may want to file the edge of the plate to let it fit into place. If your bolt is not making it to the strike plate, you can either stack two strike plates there, to take up the slack, or shim out the hinges on the door. If those options don’t work, you may have to replace the entire door.
Latch Catches
If you try to open and shut the door and the latch is sticking in one position, it may just need lubrication. Lubricate door latches with graphite (not oil).
Other problems with knobs and latches are often beyond simple repair. You should really call in a professional who may be able to fix the problem before it gets worse.
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