Hey everyone! We recently moved into our parents' newly renovated house, and we've noticed that the front door hits the strike plate before the latch engages. This means I have to slam the door to close it properly, which doesn't feel right. My sister thinks we should just file down the corner of the strike plate to fix it. I'm hesitant about that and wonder if we should just call the builders back instead. What do you think?
3 Answers
If you're okay with a little DIY, popping off the strike plate and taking off a bit of wood underneath might not be a bad approach. It only takes about five minutes. Just remember to be careful and test the door after, so you don’t overdo it!
It sounds like the best fix would be to have the builder come back in and adjust the strike plate or the door itself. If it was newly installed and isn’t functioning right, it might be worth addressing it rather than doing a quick fix yourself. You want it to work properly and securely after all!
Filing down the edge of the strike plate could work too! Just make sure you're only removing a little bit of material. You can even trace the latch outline on the strike plate to guide where to file. Hold the file at an angle to avoid taking off too much. And if it ends up being loose, don’t forget to check those door hinges too!
Good point about the hinges! Sometimes it’s just a simple adjustment that’s needed.