{"id":3251,"date":"2022-12-04T22:51:40","date_gmt":"2022-12-04T22:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebli.com\/?p=3251"},"modified":"2023-01-12T14:35:18","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T14:35:18","slug":"door-latch-wont-retract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebli.com\/door-latch-wont-retract\/","title":{"rendered":"Door Latch Won’t Retract? Try These Fixes"},"content":{"rendered":"
Have you been having trouble with your door latch not retracting? Well, you are not alone as many people have had this issue as well. It can be genuinely irksome when a door latch will not work properly, as not only does a door provide privacy but also security.<\/p>\n
If you live with roommates, you will know the importance of a functioning door latch. Lucky for you, we have some information on why this could be occurring and better yet, fixes for the said reasons.<\/p>\n
Read along to find out why your door latch is not retracting and what you can do to fix the issue.<\/p>\n
There are many possible reasons why your door latch is sticking and not retracting; however, the most common and most likely reason is that the latch is being stopped by something.<\/p>\n
The something that is stopping your door latch from retracting is more than likely debris such as wood shavings, grime, and or dust\/dirt. When you think about how much a door latch is exposed to every year, it makes sense why there would be build-up on the door latch.<\/p>\n
Not only can there be build-up on the door latch but it could have also had wood shavings captured in the small spaces when the door along the latch was installed.<\/p>\n
It is not uncommon to have debris such as wood shards loose and fall into the gears of the door latch, especially if the door handle hole was drilled into the door when it was installed.<\/p>\n
Typically doors are prefabricated so that it makes for easier installation, this is even more common with houses that are constructed in mass.<\/p>\n
So, if you have a model home, it is more than likely that the doors were ordered in bulk, which also means that the doors could have come without door handle holes pre-drilled into them.<\/p>\n
In such a case, the door handle holes would most likely be drilled onsite, which presents even more of an opportunity for there to be wood shavings in the small components of the door latch.<\/p>\n
If you believe that the cause of your door latch not retracting is because of debris such as dirt\/dust, wood shavings, and or grime building up; you will want to thoroughly clean the door latch.<\/p>\n
For the best outcome, you will likely want to remove the door latch so that you can clean the latch inside and out, which will also require removing the whole door handle.<\/p>\n
While you could clean the door latch while it is still in the door, it may not have as much of an effect as it would to remove the latch and thoroughly clean it.<\/p>\n
To perform the task of removing the door latch and cleaning it efficiently, you will need a couple of items.<\/p>\n
How to Remove Door Latch, Bolt, and Handle<\/strong><\/p>\n Step 1. <\/strong>The first thing you want to do is remove the actual handle, which you can do by using your flathead screwdriver. Now, gently pull and turn the door handle and look for a small slit or button, once you find it press it with your flathead screwdriver. This should release the doorknob.<\/p>\n Step 2. <\/strong>Next, remove the trim ring by inserting your flathead screwdriver into the small slot on the side and twist, which should pop the trim ring right off.<\/p>\n Step 3. <\/strong>With the door latch now exposed, you can take your Phillips screwdriver and loosen the two screws that hold the latch assembly together, then gently pull it right out.<\/p>\n Step 4. <\/strong>Now, you can remove the two screws that hold the door bolt in place with your Phillips screwdriver.<\/p>\n Now that you have the door latch removed, you can clean it thoroughly, which we will guide you through. You will need an optional extra item to clean the door latch, the extra item being a can of WD-40, which you can also purchase on Amazon for only $6.78 (US) or you can pick a can up at your local hardware store or department store.<\/p>\n How to Clean Your Removed Door Latch<\/strong><\/p>\n Step 1. <\/strong>The first thing you will want to do is clean the door handle hole to make sure it is free of all debris and with it being exposed, you can do this quite easily. So, take your soft bristle brush and brush all of the areas you can reach.<\/p>\n Step 2. <\/strong>Now that you have brushed all of the exposed areas of the door handle hole, you can take the shop vac with a reducing fitting so that you may reach all of the tight spaces, go ahead and suction all of the exposed areas of the door handle hole.<\/p>\n Step 3. <\/strong>With the door handle hole cleaned out. Now, you can move to cleaning the door latch (door bolt), which you can do by taking your soft bristle brush and brushing the latch thoroughly being sure to get in all of the crevices.<\/p>\n Step 4. <\/strong>With the door latch cleaned of all debris. Now, you can place the door latch on a rag or a couple of paper towels and spray it down with the WD-40, be sure to flip the latch over and cover all of the small spaces.<\/p>\n That is it! With the door latch all clean and lubed with the WD-40, you should have no issues with the latch (bolt) sticking. Simply repeat the steps you followed to remove the door handle to put it back into place in your door.<\/p>\n It is very possible that your door latch is broken or faulty, in such a scenario, you will want to replace your door handle.<\/p>\n Within a door handle, there is typically a spring system that triggers the door latch (or door bolt), which is what pulls the latch back into the door when you turn the door handle and it is also what ensures that the door latches when you close it.<\/p>\n It is very possible that the spring system within the door handle has either broken or is faulty. If you believe this is the case, you will need to replace the door handle, luckily, you can easily do this yourself, with no professional help required.<\/p>\n2. Your Door Latch is Broken<\/h3>\n
Fix – Replace Your Door Handle (Door Latch)<\/h4>\n