Re: (photo of trouble attached) Re: can not remove 1/2 of an exteriordoor lock...

I have a door with the lock broken in locked position. It appears I will hvae to remove the door off the hinges to get this broken lock out. However, this door has one of those spring loaded hinges (they close the door automatically, more or less). Can such door be removed from hinges while the door is in closed position?

thanks.

George

You don't have to take the door off the hinges.

BTW - This is not a binary group. Posting of pictures is frowned upon. (Insert flame here.) ;)

Take a large flat screwdriver and a pair of large channel locks and tear the part of the latch unit that you can see, out of the door. Then reach in between the door and the frame with a very thing flat screwdriver and work the latch back into the door. You can probably get a replacement latch at Home Depot. If you can't find one there, a locksmith will definitely stock them. You may have to settle for one of the cheesier adjustable ones, but to be honest, I've never seen one of them fail the way the better non adjustable ones do.

Bobby

When I was 11 and my uncle was 42, he took our front door off so he could drill a hole in it and install a peephole. It was a two inch hole for a pointable eyeball like peephole. I was 11. I thought he knew what he was doing. Now I'm older than he was then and I see no need to have taken off the door. Power drills were probably a little heavier then, but iirc he used a brace and bit.

I don't think you need to take off the door either.

Meirman

you must never have had the door latch broken so that it could not be moved to 'unlatch' it, have you????

--Shiva--

My door only has 1 spring hinge the one in the middle I unscrew the middle hinge at let it snap shut.

then I can pull the top and bottem hinge pins

I once had a Schlage AL53PD Lever Lock detach from the latch. It was installed by one of the contractor's laborers and he had not enganged the latch correctly. The door was locked, steel door and frame and it was a devil of a time getting it open. I hope I never have another one.

Bob

a cut off saw, slice the ENTIRE barrel part of the hinges off and its STILL a problem.. --Shiva--

Why? Didn't you bill for your time and materials?

Actually, yes I did, but since I had put a high security cylinder in it a few weeks before, the contractor didn't want to own up to it. You know, the old "You touched it last, you screwed it up!" line. The owner didn't want to pay for it (shouldn't have to). I got stuck in the middle as is often the case when working with commercial new construction. I spent more time documenting it than I did fixing it. The owner contracted with me, so I let the owner and contractor battle it out but it's no fun being stuck in the middle.

Bob