With most storm door handle problems, the best fix is a quick and inexpensive replacement. For a few simple problems, though, you might not have to go that far. A little troubleshooting can go a long way toward getting your storm door operating correctly again and can save you few bucks. Latch Has to be Lifted to Open Reverse the latch installation. Storm door handles typically open by pushing down. Check the installation instructions for a picture of the handle and compare to be sure it is right side up. Remove the handle by taking out the retaining screws, usually two located at the top and bottom of the inside handle. Turn the handle over and, if necessary, reverse the latch nose. Replace the handle and reinsert and tighten the retaining screws. Door Handle Won't Latch Check to be sure the closer is pulling the door. The hold-open washer sometimes binds, causing the door to remain partially open. Adjust the striker plate, which will have two screws mounted in adjustable slots.
Loosen the screws, reposition the striker and retighten the screws. Test and readjust to get a perfect close. You want the door closed tight, but you should not have to pull. Replace the handle if the striker and closer seem to be in working order. Purchase a similar model and follow the directions provided. Handle Comes Off or is Loose Tighten any loose screws.Take old screws with you to the hardware store for identification. Purchase stainless steel to avoid rust. Install new screws and make sure they are tight. If your handle is painted, you may want spray paint to touch up the screw heads to match. The Push Button Sticks Check to see if the button sticks when the door is open. If not, adjust your striker as above and retest. Loosen your retaining screws. If retaining screws are overly tight, they can put pressure on the handle and cause it to malfunction. Loosen them a half-turn and try again. Be sure not to loosen too much. Flip the button spring.
The button handle has a spring that is roughly cone-shaped. If the small end of the spring is toward the door, it may slip into the door hole and bind. Remove the handle and check to make sure the large end of the spring is toward the door. The storm door handle is obviously responsible for opening and closing the door. If the handle is broken, you'll need to replace... If the front doorknob of your house rattles and feels loose, or just doesn't turn correctly, and tightening the screws on the... Pella doors are primarily designed for installation on exterior residential openings. They are produced by the Pella Corporation, and are available in... A loose doorknob of any kind is a nuisance, and if left unfixed, it will eventually fall completely off the door. A storm door latch is a simple piece of metal that moves in and out when you depress a button or turn... A Pella storm door that is difficult to open or close may be the result of a faulty or misaligned door latch....
Larson Manufacturing is one of the largest manufacturers of storm doors in the U.S. It specializes in a heavy duty door that... A new Andersen storm door gives your home a facelift. After you mount the storm door into the door opening, install the... How to Install a Latch Set on a Storm Door How to Replace a Storm Door Handle How to Install the Andersen Storm Door Handle How to Fix a Storm Door Closer How to Change the Line in a Weed Eater Featherlite Trimmer How to Fix a Broken Hinge on a Storm DoorA DOOR that fails to stay closed or latch shut each time you close it is a nuisance. But it can also be a sizable energy-waster either in air-conditioned rooms in the summer or if it leads to an unheated room or area in the winter. One of the most frequent reasons for a door's not latching properly is loose hinge screws, which make the door sag out of alignment. When this occurs, the latchbolt no longer snaps into the strike plate opening when the door is fully closed.
At times, screws cannot be tightened because the wood has been chewed up and the original hole has grown too large. When this happens, remove the screw and fill the hole with slivers, or with as many wood toothpicks as you can force into it. Tap in each sliver or toothpick as far as it will go, then break it off flush with the surface. When the hole has been filled, replace the screw and tighten it firmly. The extra wood will permit the screw to grip firmly once again. If you find that even after you have tightened all the hinge screws the lock still does not engage when the door is fully closed, chances are that the strike plate opening is not in line with the projecting latchbolt. As a result, the spring-actuated bolt does not snap into the opening in the strike plate when the door is slammed shut. In a few cases this can happen because there is too wide a gap between the door and the strike plate - either because the strike plate has been recessed too deeply into the door jamb, or because the door has shrunk.
To determine which direction the strike plate has to be moved, close the door slowly with your eye level with, and close to, the lock. Watch carefully as the sloping face of the latchbolt meets the strike plate and see if it is too high or too low to engage the rectangular opening in the plate. If you have trouble seeing as the door closes, have someone shine a bright light at the lock edge from the other side to outline the latchbolt and the strike plate opening. There are two ways to correct any slight misalignment. One way is to remove the strike plate and move it up or down a fraction of an inch by drilling new screw holes. The trouble with this method is that you usually have to move it only slightly and it is difficult to keep the screws from slipping back into the old holes. The second way is to remove the strike plate and enlarge the opening slightly by filing the top or bottom - depending on whether the plate is too low or too high on the door jamb. Since strike plates are usually made of brass they file easily, and since only a small amount of metal usually has to be removed, this is often the preferred method.
If the door has shrunk, or if the strike plate is recessed too deeply to engage properly with the latchbolt when the door is closed, remove the strike plate and place one or more thicknesses of cardboard behind it, as shown in the illustration. This will shim it out from the jamb to bring it closer to the door's edge. Each piece of cardboard should be cut to the same size and shape as the strike plate, with an opening cut to match the one in the metal plate. Answering the Mail Q. I have painted the doors and woodwork in my room several times, each time using a water-base (latex) white paint. However, each time I paint the doors, the same thing happens: Shortly after the paint dries, it starts to peel off. Is there any way I can stop this from happening? -Y.H., Valley Stream, N.Y. A. There is obviously something that is keeping the new paint from bonding to the old. It could be a layer of wax, oil, furniture polish or something similar that somone has put on in the past. The surest way to eliminate this kind of problem permanently is to use a paint remover to strip all of the old finish off, then start from scratch with a primer applied to the raw wood.
If you don't want to go this far and are willing to gamble on a shortcut, then try the following: Sand or scrape off as much of the old paint as is loose, then wipe the entire surface of the door down with paint thinner. Then apply one coat of a shellac-based stain killer and primer such as BIN or Enamelac. When this dries, paint as usual. Q. I have a large glass and wood cabinet that is quite old. It was used for many years to hold dishes, so the wood shelves were lined with a contact type of paper. This is sticking tight, but I want to remove it. How can I get it off without damaging the wood? - N.V., Lyndhurst, N.J. A. Usually you can just peel it off after you get one corner or edge started. Peel slowly to keep it from tearing or shredding, and pull back at a sharp angle almost parallel to the surface so that you are almost doubling back on top of the original material as you peel it off. This will help keep it from tearing as you pull it off. If any sticky residue remains on the surface, you should be able to wipe it off with alcohol.