How to Repair & Disassemble Common House Door Locks
The house door locks are the primary defense to home security. Through use and wear, the door lock may need adjustments to ensure that the lock works properly. These adjustments are minor and can be done in an hour. You can repair a common house door lock by disassembling the lock and adjusting the strike plate. Once you make adjustments, you can rest assured that the door locks will work as they should. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Phillips-head screwdriver
- Penetrating oil
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Instructions
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Strike Plate
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1
Close the door just enough that you can still see the door bolt as it comes into contact with the strike plate. The strike plate is the metal piece on the door jamb. Over time this may become out of line with the door bolt.
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2
Loosen the two screws that secure the strike plate to the jamb with a Phillips-head screwdriver. Raise or lower the strike plate and tighten the retaining screws.
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3
Tighten all the door hinges with a Phillip-head screwdriver. A misalignment often happens when the upper hinge works loose, causing the door to dip down.
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4
Close the door and check the strike plate alignment. Adjust more if necessary.
Door Lock Knob Disassembly
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5
Remove the two screws that secure the outer doorknob and inner door knob together with a Phillips-head screwdriver. The screws are on the inside doorknob face plate.
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6
Pull the outer doorknob away from the inner door knob. Lubricate the cylinder on the outer doorknob with a few sprays of penetrating oil.
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7
Loosen the two screws on the outside edge of the door that secure the door bolt assembly. If you were replacing the doorknob, you would take this part completely out of the door. For repairing purposes, just loosen the two screws until the door bolt moves freely.
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8
Spray a few shots of penetrating oil onto the door bolt and push the door bolt back and forth. Tighten the screws to secure the bolt assembly to the door.
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Place the outer doorknob back into the door inserting the center cylinder through the hole for the door bolt. Place the inner doorknob in place and secure the door knobs with the two retaining screws.
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