How to Adjust a Door From Self-Opening

It becomes annoying when you close a door only to have it open or unlatched on its own. Oil the door’s latch to ensure that it moves freely. If that doesn't solve the problem, check if the latch is hitting the strike plate too high or too low by applying some lipstick or chalk to the latch and closing the door. After opening the door, inspect the strike plate to see where the latch hit from the mark left behind. Using a few carpenter’s tricks, make some adjustments that will keep your door from self-opening.

Chalk or lipstick
Small metal grinding tool
Screwdriver
Wood filler or toothpicks
Chisel

Instructions

- 1
  Grind the upper edge of the strike plate if the latch hits too high. This will remove some of the metal and allow the latch to catch without having to alter the placement of the plate and leave holes. Remove the metal to slightly above the chalk or lipstick latch mark.
- 2
  Tighten the hinge screws if the latch hits too low. Likely, the problem is a sagging door and by simply tightening the screws, you should be able to alleviate the problem. If the door continues to sag because of stripped screw holes, remove the hinges, fill the holes with wood filler or broken bits of toothpicks and replace the hinges for a tight fit.
- 3
  Chisel some wood from the strike plate hole if the latch hits the intended area. If the hole is not deep enough, the latch might not grip allowing it to easily slip out of place.

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