Help with Stuck Door Latch

Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 08:25
Last edited 14/11/2020 - 09:29

This morning one of the bedroom doors couldn't be opened.

Managed to cut away the plate and drill out the two screws to take off handles both sides.

Seems problem is latch cannot retract.

I am thissssss close to going to bunnings and getting a reciprocating saw to chop the latch in half at the door knob hole and hoping I can pull out the latch.

Any ozbargain wisdom?

Pic https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/71860/84474/a77db82f-e…

Update
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/71860/84475/d5cb67a7-b…

Have removed the middle section but the latch is STILL STUCK FMLLLLLL

Home & Garden

Comments

  • whitelie on 14/11/2020 - 08:32

    So you can't manually turn the gap in the spindle (where the handle would go thru)? A big flat head usually fits in there reasonably well to be able to turn it

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 08:35

      Can turn but nothing happens

      • Slippery Fish on 14/11/2020 - 14:43

        Remove the wooden jamb and push something into it maybe? It's just an interior door you could get $30 of fun and kick it in lol

  • mapax on 14/11/2020 - 08:34
    +3

    This thread needs photos, preferably of the door latch in question.

    • Quantumcat on 14/11/2020 - 21:18

      Or MS Paint diagram

  • Elppa8 on 14/11/2020 - 08:35
    +1

    Pictures would help.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 08:37

    https://imgur.com/a/gsKlSR

    Pic as you can see - cant even jam something down the side to try and Jimmy it

  • skid on 14/11/2020 - 09:27

    Yep! Had this experience before with my phone and house and car keys stuck inside the second floor bedroom. Shove a piece of stiff plastic between the door frame and the latch, then push the door. After that, buy a new door handle from bunnings and fit it.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 09:28
      +2

      Tried it but no go :(
      Thought this lock was a cheap POS but God damn it is secure!

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 09:29

    Update
    https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/71860/84475/d5cb67a7-b…

    Have removed the middle section but the latch is STILL STUCK FMLLLLLL

  • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 09:33
    +1

    Sheet of firmish plastic (old xrays or a 2l milk bottle cut up) and feed it around the door and work your way down at an angle. Get to the striker and keep working your way down. It will push the striker back in and the door will open.

    If I can YouTube a video link, I will post it…

    Source: This locksmith told me… :P

    • mapax on 14/11/2020 - 09:34
      +6

      Pfft, locksmiths. I get all my lock advise from a lawyer…

      • Muzeeb on 14/11/2020 - 09:48
        +3

        Where do you get your spelling advice from?

        • mapax on 14/11/2020 - 10:34
          +1

          OzBargain.

    • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 10:09
      +2

      If I can YouTube a video link, I will post it…

      All the videos on this are either by "yo yo yo, it's ya boi" types, or out of focus or "hErP DeRp UsE A cReDiT cArD"

      I did manage to find a half decent video of it being done. Inside doors are super easy to try and slip.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 10:21

        Thanks i actually did try using a streets icecream container cut down to size -maybe that with my swearing and threatening to kick the door in, everything aligned :)

    • Zachary on 19/11/2020 - 05:07

      I heard credit/debit/gift cards would do the job……

      • pegaxs on 19/11/2020 - 09:13

        ID/dredit cars are too small, too thick and too rigid. Cut up plastic bottle work much better. They are thinner, more flexible and larger to hold onto and manipulate.

        • Zachary on 02/12/2020 - 22:48

          Interesting…..and this works on…any and all locked doors…right…?

          • pegaxs on 02/12/2020 - 23:10

            @Zachary: No. It won’t work on dead latched doors. It’s only for internal or non-dead latched.

            • Zachary on 11/12/2020 - 18:27

              @pegaxs: so its the cylindrical pin that stops it….

              • pegaxs on 11/12/2020 - 18:38

                @Zachary: Yes, that cylindrical pin on the latch in that picture is the part that dead locks it. You can’t slip deadlocks because of this mechanism. When the door is closed, the pin is pushed in and stops the latch from being slipped.

                • Zachary on 02/01/2021 - 16:07

                  @pegaxs: So if I was locked in a room with that pin in place and handle wouldn't turn, what do?

  • Muzeeb on 14/11/2020 - 09:49

    Just kick the #&@king door in.

    /thread

  • [Deactivated] on 14/11/2020 - 10:03
    +2

    Sir, have your tried swearing loudly with sporadic intermittent crying?

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 10:04

      I already swear a lot day to day but today I've already hit my daily quota

      • [Deactivated] on 14/11/2020 - 10:30
        +1

        That's a shame. I am sure if you could do a little more, it will work.

        Always almost works for me.

        (I noticed the swearing has worked. I'll send you an invoice shortly.)

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 10:06
    +3

    Alright everyone got it. I don't know how - if it was the loud and continuous swearing, or if I had jostled and bashed the door just right or i had managed to align the latch just right but it is open now.

    Thanks to everyone who came along on my sat morning adventure.

    • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 10:13

      If that was the case, it sounds like the door frame was jammed, not the latch.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 10:16

        No it was the latch. I could jostle the door back and forth a few degrees within the range of the latch but the metal bit was stuck in the door frame hole.

        Looking at it now the stupid little latch bit is moving around freely as it seems to have become unjammed. Maybe I could have sprayed some wd40 and see if that would have loosened it up.

        Either way the next step would have been to kick the door in, even if I didn't have the MS PAINT diagram as per post above lmao

        • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 10:19

          Well, good work. Easy fix.

          • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 10:22

            @pegaxs: I didn't know whether to laugh or cry tbh

            • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 10:25

              @Jimothy Wongingtons: Mangled it up a little bit though. Were you wearing your blue and white striped apron?

              the next step would have been to kick the door in

              You were ready to kick the door in? I literally posted how to open stuck interior doors and followed up with a video on how to do it… But I have to say, slipping a lock doesn't feel nearly as satisfying at teaching a door a lesson and kicking it down SWAT style :D

              • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 10:58

                @pegaxs: Like I said it didn't open it from the get go. It could be having the plastic there and jostling door added up to a solution (that prevented me kicking down door swat style)

  • trex on 14/11/2020 - 10:09

    Welcome back to freedom

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 10:19
      +3

      I don't know man - can i really come back to normal society? It's been too long on the other side.

      • trex on 14/11/2020 - 10:43
        +1

        Check with your parole officer on reintegration to society programs. So much has changed since.

  • pjetson on 14/11/2020 - 11:21

    Did you have access to both sides of the door? You could have popped the pins out of the hinges.

  • Ghost47 on 14/11/2020 - 12:31
    -1

    Cannot help for fear you are trying to break into someone’s house

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 12:33

      Jeez better leave all the evidence on ozbargain

      • Ghost47 on 14/11/2020 - 14:39

        I apologise but it is for the security of the nation.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 14/11/2020 - 14:39

    Reciprocating saw is one of my most used tools, if you ever need to use one. I have the Ryobi 18V One+. $139

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/11/2020 - 18:06

      I was tempted as I do love power tools but what else would i use it for…

  • OzHunterNSW on 15/11/2020 - 10:46

    Get in there and lubricate all parts. This should have been done upon installation. Just lubricate and make sure all components move freely.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 15/11/2020 - 10:57

      Thanks I’ll keep it in mind for the next one. When I pulled apart the old lock inside was still fairly well greased internally

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