When a door latch won t catch it s because the latch doesn t align with the hole in the strike plate.
Attic door won t close.
As a result the door may scrape the door frame when closing or may no longer properly meet the latch side strike plate.
How to fix a door that won t stay closed lipstick test.
In order to get the door to close we have to bend the arm back in as much as we can and hook the spring back over the bracket at the top.
The folding is made possible by hinges between the sections and the whole contraption is secured with nuts and bolts.
Over time screws used to hold a hinge in place start to work their way free causing the door to sag.
The arm on that side looks like it s bent out.
Check the springs or struts of your ladder and make sure they are working correctly.
Look as it closes to see if anything is rubbing or binding.
The top third is fixed to the top side of the trapdoor while the two lower sections fold up to let the door close.
After it is closed and still has the gap carefully grab one or both springs and see if you can pull on them to close that extra inch.
Tighten the hinges first.
There should be a spring on each side of the steps.
You have to go up into the attic and while someone closes the steps and pushes up from underneath take one spring out of.
Enlarge the strike.
If you find that the latch contacts the strike plate too high or too low make sure all the.
Loose jambs and gaps the jambs are the pieces of wood that frame the opening in the ceiling.
Pull down attic stairs have coil springs at each side of the unit.
The springs connect to power arms at the upper end of the stairs and keep the door closed and even with the ceiling.
The hinge side of the door is often the source of closure issues.