Why won't my door latch anymore?
A door that won't latch is almost always a hardware alignment problem — hinges sagging, the strike plate shifted, or the door itself swollen with humidity — not a sign the door needs replacing.
Likely causes, ranked by probability
- Most likely — strike plate misalignment: The latch no longer lines up with the hole in the strike plate on the frame. Extremely common on older Mount Dora doors where the house has settled slightly over decades, or on any door after hinge screws loosen. A quick hardware adjustment, not a new door.
- Common in humid months — the door has swollen: Solid wood doors, especially older ones near downtown, absorb moisture in Florida's wet season and swell just enough to bind against the frame or strike plate. Often self-corrects in the dry season, or needs a light plane along the binding edge.
- Less common — sagging hinges: The door has dropped slightly in the frame from years of hinge wear, throwing off both the latch alignment and the visible reveal around the door. Usually fixable by re-setting or shimming the hinges rather than rehanging the whole door.
What you can safely check yourself
Close the door slowly and watch exactly where the latch meets the strike plate — above, below, or to one side tells you which direction the door has shifted, which is useful information even before a repair visit.
When this needs a licensed tradesperson instead
Door hardware and alignment repair is general handyman scope. It only becomes something else if the door frame itself is rotted or the opening is out of square from structural movement — at that point it's a carpentry or structural question, not a latch adjustment.