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My wife asked why I was replacing the whole door when just the latch was broken
I was about to pull the hinge pins on our back door because the deadbolt wouldn't catch. She walked by and said, 'You fix concrete cracks, not pour a new driveway. What's the real problem?' I checked the strike plate and the screws were just loose, stripped out from years of use. I filled the holes with toothpicks and wood glue, put in longer screws, and it's solid now. Anyone else ever go straight for the nuclear option before checking the simple fix?
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carr.willow6mo ago
Honestly, isn't the nuclear option sometimes the right one? I've fixed a few stripped plates like that and they just fail again in a year. If the door frame is old and beat up, putting in a whole new pre-hung unit is a permanent fix. It's more work upfront but then you're done for good.
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kellyperry6mo ago
Oh man, you're not wrong. I've been down that road of trying to fix a stripped screw hole with toothpicks and glue more times than I care to admit. It feels like victory for about six months until the door starts sagging again and you're just staring at the same stupid problem. At some point you have to admit you're just putting a band-aid on a broken leg.
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black.margaret5mo ago
How many toothpicks does it take before you realize you're just building a tiny wooden wall inside your door frame? I did the whole glue and matchstick thing three separate times on my back door, felt so clever each time. Then last winter the latch just stopped catching, and I was standing there in the cold, totally defeated. You're right, replacing the whole thing is the only way to actually sleep at night without wondering if you'll be able to get in your own house.
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