Q: What’s an easy way to fix a door that won’t latch?
A: If a door no longer latches, then either the frame or the door has shifted causing the bolt to miss the hole in the strike plate. One trick is to coat the bolt with lipstick and then shut the door. The lipstick will mark the spot on the strike plate that is interfering with the bolt. The easiest fix is to remove the strike plate and file down the hole in the strike plate along the area that shows the lipstick. You may also have to chisel out some wood in the door jamb to match the expanded strike plate and allow room for the bolt to penetrate the hole.
