How to adjust a door handle and strike plate

You push the door shut, but it springs open again. Or the door handle droops and wobbles in your hand. Or the door rattles with every gust of wind, even when it is closed. These are small irritations, but you can often fix them in a morning. This weekend you work on your doors. Today you tighten the door handle, lubricate the latch and adjust the strike plate. In this blog you will read how to find the cause and what you can do yourself.

👷 Calling in a professional is never unnecessary. Is it a front or back door, burglar-resistant hardware or a fire door, or is the lock or the cylinder itself broken? Then leave the job to a professional or a locksmith. A door that does not close properly is a safety risk there.

How does a door handle with a lock work?

An interior door usually has a mortice lock in the edge of the door. A square spindle runs through the lock with a lever handle on each side. The handle is fixed to a rose or a backplate. When you push the handle down, it pulls the slanted latch bolt in. When you let go, a spring pushes the latch back out and the handle back up. In the frame is the strike plate: a metal plate with an opening that the latch drops into. If the latch and strike plate no longer line up exactly, the door will not latch.

Where is the problem?

⚠️ Does the door hang crooked, drag over the floor or stick in the frame? Then moving the strike plate will not help. Adjust the door itself first. How to tighten loose hinges and fix a sticking door is explained in our blog on fixing a sticking door.

What do you need?

• A screwdriver set for the screws of the rose, backplate and strike plate. Read more about the right size in our blog on screwdrivers, bit sets and screw extractors.
• A hex key set for the grub screw in the handle.
• silicone spray to lubricate the latch and a microfibre cloth to wipe away dirt and excess spray.
• A carpenter pencil to see where the latch hits the strike plate and to mark out.
• A 12 mm wood chisel and a claw hammer to enlarge the recess in the frame.
• A 200 mm flat metal file to make the opening in the strike plate a fraction bigger.
• A cordless drill driver to pre-drill new screw holes and 3.5 x 50 mm wood screws to fix the strike plate firmly.
• A rechargeable LED work lamp, because the gap between door and frame is often dark. Also read our blog on work lights.
• PPE: work gloves with nitrile coating, safety goggles and EVA foam knee pads, because the strike plate sits at knee height.

Step-by-step plan

Step 1: see where it goes wrong

Open and close the door slowly a few times. Watch whether the latch hits the strike plate, and where. Colour the tip of the latch with the carpenter pencil and close the door slowly until the latch touches the strike plate. The pencil mark on the strike plate shows exactly whether the latch is too high or too low. Also check that the gap between door and frame is equally wide all round. If it is much narrower at the top than at the bottom, the door has dropped and you start with the hinges.

Step 2: tighten the door handle

1. Check whether there is a small grub screw on the underside of the handle. Tighten it with the hex key set.
2. Tighten the screws of the rose or backplate with the screwdriver set. Many roses have a cover that you first click or twist off.
3. Do not overtighten: the handle must still turn easily and spring back by itself.
4. Does a screw spin in the wood? Then use slightly longer 3.5 x 50 mm wood screws in the same spot. Never drive screws into the lock case itself.

💡 Does the handle still droop after tightening? Take the handle off one side of the spindle and push the latch in with your finger. If it springs back well, the weak spring is in the rose and a new sprung rose is the solution. If the latch springs back poorly, the problem is in the lock and you have a professional take a look.

Step 3: clean and lubricate the latch

1. Wipe the latch and strike plate clean with the microfibre cloth.
2. Spray a little silicone spray onto the latch, not into the lock itself.
3. Work the handle a few times to spread the spray, and wipe off the excess. Too much lubricant attracts dust.
4. Do not spray anything into the cylinder of a keyed lock. If the key turns stiffly, have the cylinder checked by a professional or locksmith.

Step 4: adjust the strike plate

Choose the approach that fits what you saw in step 1:

1. The latch catches the edge by one or two millimetres. Unscrew the strike plate and file the edge of the opening on the side of the pencil mark a little with the 200 mm flat metal file. File in small steps, screw the plate back and test again.
2. The latch is more than a few millimetres out. Move the strike plate. Mark the new position with the carpenter pencil. Enlarge the recess in the frame with the 12 mm wood chisel and the claw hammer, always away from you and in thin layers. Pre-drill new screw holes with the cordless drill driver and fix the plate with 3.5 x 50 mm wood screws. If the new holes are too close to the old ones, first fill the old holes with a small wooden dowel and some wood glue.
3. The door rattles when closed. Move the strike plate one or two millimetres towards the door stop, so the latch sits tighter. On some strike plates you can also bend the tongue of the opening very slightly.

Neatly touch up the edges of the frame afterwards. How to finish wood properly is explained in our blog on painting a door.

Step 5: test

Close the door a few times, both gently and with a normal push. The latch must drop into the strike plate without force and the door must no longer rattle. Does the handle work smoothly and spring back well? Then the job is done.

Working safely

• Wear safety goggles when chiselling and filing. Splinters and metal filings can get into your eyes, and you also protect your eyes when spraying silicone spray.
• Wear work gloves with nitrile coating: the edges of a strike plate and metal filings are sharp. Read more about good work gloves in our buying guide for work gloves.
• Use EVA foam knee pads: you work at knee height for a long time.
• Always chisel away from your hand and body, and make sure the frame or door is firmly fixed before you start cutting.
• Use the spray in a ventilated room and keep it away from fire or heat.
• Is there an electric door opener, a door closer or an alarm contact in the frame? Leave it alone and call in a qualified installer. Work on electrics is not part of this job.

When should you call in a professional?

Calling in a professional is never unnecessary. Certainly do so in these situations:

• It is a front door, back door or another external door with burglar-resistant hardware.
• The lock, the cylinder or the spring in the lock is broken.
• It is a fire door. It must always close properly by itself.
• The door hangs crooked or the frame is distorted.
• You have followed the step-by-step plan, but the door still does not latch properly.

A professional quickly sees whether the lock, the door or the frame is to blame and makes sure your door closes safely again.

Frequently asked questions

Why has my door suddenly stopped latching?

Often the door has dropped a few millimetres because the hinge screws have worked loose, or the wood has moved because of a change in humidity. As a result, the latch no longer lines up with the strike plate. First check that the door hangs properly and then adjust the strike plate.

Can I repair a drooping door handle myself?

Often you can. If the handle is loose, tighten the screws and the grub screw. If the spring in the rose is worn, replace the rose. If the problem is in the lock itself, have a professional check or replace the lock.

Which lubricant should I use for the latch?

A thin layer of silicone spray on the latch is enough. Wipe off the excess, because grease and too much lubricant attract dust. Do not spray anything into the cylinder.

Should I move the strike plate or file it?

If the latch catches the edge by only one or two millimetres, filing is enough. If it is further out, move the strike plate. If it is more than half a centimetre, the door is probably hanging crooked and you adjust the door first.

My door rattles when it is closed. What can I do?

There is too much play between the latch and the strike plate. Move the strike plate one or two millimetres towards the door stop. If that does not help, also check the hinges.

Getting to work next weekend?

Next weekend we tackle the drains in the bathroom. Does your washbasin drain slowly or does the drain gurgle? On Saturday you will read how to unscrew and clean the siphon under the basin, without leaks and without chemical drain cleaner, and on Sunday how to clean the shower drain. A clean indoor job for a cold November weekend.

Get this ready:

• 12-litre bucket
• microfibre cloth
• 250 mm water pump pliers
• screwdriver set
• rechargeable LED work lamp
• universal cleaner
• descaling cleaner
• work gloves with nitrile coating
• safety goggles
• EVA foam knee pads

Read also: How to hang heavy items on a wall

Read also: How to fix squeaky door hinges and fit a door stop

Where can you find everything for this job?

At Saniso, the online store for DIYers and professionals, you will find tools, materials and personal protective equipment for your job.

• Browse our construction tools and our workwear and safety.
• Create a customer account and order easily.
• Working on a bigger project or want to hand over the job? Request a project quote.
• Book a showroom visit, at least 24 hours in advance.
• Not sure which material suits your job? Get in touch with us.

In doubt about the approach? Feel free to call in a professional.

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