What Causes A Door Not To Latch?Ī misalignment between the latch and the strike plates is the most likely cause that will lead to a door not latching. This will allow the latch to fully extend in the strike plate. The strike plate is mounted into the door jamb, and usually, a small mortise is cut into the jamb, which allows the strike plate to be flush with the door jamb.Īdditionally, the door jamb should be chiseled out 1 inch (25mm) in depth, matching the hole’s size in the strike plate. What Does A Door Latch Go Into? Depth of the mortise and depth of the striking plate wholeĪ door latch goes into a latch plate (also known as a strike plate).