Expert: James - 2/6/2009

Question
I have Schlage latch that won't push in.  It is the kind that has the little piece that pushes in as well.  I think this might be called a "closer" lock or somehting?  Anyway, I have the latch assembly out of the door and can not push it in without a little help of turning the handle.  When I push the little part in, the larger part still won't push in.

You are probably going to tell me to get a new latch but, I am just so darn curious as to what is going on in there.

Answer
Hello Jim,

The small part is the deadlatch and is designed to prevent the larger part from being depressed when the small part is pushed in about half way.  The deadlatch rests on the face of the strike plate when the door is shut and prevents shimming of the door, as with a credit card.

If the big latch isn't going in when you manually push it with your finger then the latch is damaged and those are not repairable.  If you are unable to retract the latch when the latch mechanism is mounted in the door by turning the knob or lever then the alignment is off, the screws are too tight or the latch mechanism is damaged.

Spray some WD-40 or silicone lubricant into the mechanism to see if that helps.  Otherwise it's replacement time for the latch.

James
www.jmlock.com