How To Replace A Door Jam For Lock

Open the door and stand with your back to the hinges.

How to replace a door jam for lock. Unless you are installing a prehung door you ll need to trace the outline of the hinges on the jamb and cut an indentation using a router or utility knife. Hopefully your not here because it happened to you. Screw the hinges onto the correct side of the jamb. If you exhaust the list of quick fixes and repairs to no avail you ll have to call a locksmith or replace a permanently jammed door lock.

In some cases door latch plate mortises might need to be cut or enlarged. If the doorknob is on the left you need a left handed door. Diagnosing the door lock jam. If your door got kicked in due to a break in the most important thing is feeling secure again.

Place the door in the jamb and fasten it to the hinges. Begin by removing the screws from the door knob on the interior side of your door. Coat your door key with powdered graphite or spray. Remove the two screws from the latch plate on the edge of the door and remove the latch from the opening.

You ll need to cut a mortise a small shallow recess in the wood of the door and doorjamb for the latchbolt and strike plate to rest. This allows you to pull the door knobs off the door from both sides. Hang the door in the jamb. Fortunately cutting out this mortise isn t nearly as difficult as it sounds.

Some blank doors have a specific swing direction. The strike side the side with the lockset of these doors has a beveled edge so the door can swing freely. If the knob is to the right select a right handed door. Knowing how to cut a mortise is essential for installing a deadbolt lock.