Front Door Lock Jammed Shut

The latch will not retract even when the knob is turned.

Front door lock jammed shut.

Soak your door lock in kerosene for 24 hours if it isn t attached to a door and has been rusted shut. The mechanics of the lock have broken leaving the top section of the door completely. Remove the handles including the thru spindle. Wet lubricant tends to gum up the locks.

If it is you will have to remove the doorknob assembly remove the hinges and wiggle the entire door out of its frame. If the latch assembly is working just fine but the door is still stuck try squirting a little bit of all purpose lubricant between the door and the frame. Take note of the type of resistance. Tighten the hinge screws and then try adjusting the strike plate by loosening its screws and shifting it slightly.

Take the handles knobs off of the door. You can slide the key into the lock lightly so that the lubricant can get inside the lock properly. Thread the screwdriver through the large spindle. Use the screwdriver to push the opposite side of the doorknob from the door and latch.

Use a tool a flathead screwdriver will work to twist within the gap the thru spindle inserts into. Repairs range from making minor latch adjustments to repositioning the door. See if this retracts the handle. You should start by spraying the lubricant simply on the door key.

Pull the spindle from the center of the latch if applicable. Troubleshooting a stuck door latch try to open the door while it is shut. To fix the door knob figure out where the connections have gone awry. The latch will not retract even when the knob is turned.

In this video i attempt to open a patio door that has got stuck locked. Check the alignment of the deadbolt against the strike on the jamb if the lock is difficult to turn when the door is closed or the door doesn t lock at all. Remove the cover or faceplate of your mortise lock or surface mounted rim lock to repair it. Door lock doesn t latch properly when a door latch doesn t click into position it usually means the latch and the strike plate are out of alignment.

First off you re going to have to take the door handle off. If the door lock gets jammed first you should use graphite based lubricant rather than using wet lubricant. Use a file to widen the hole on the strike or remove the strike with a screwdriver and reposition it on the jamb. Make sure that the lock is not frozen shut.