How to Replace a Storm Door Latch

A storm door latch has the purpose of keeping a storm door in place. If this function is not fully performed by the latch the storm door loses it’s effectiveness and the cold that you are trying to keep out from your premises gets in, rendering your heating system ineffective to an extent. To prevent that, it is very important to replace a storm door latch as soon as possible. You can do the job yourself. A step-by-step guide with a list of tools and materials needed follows.

Step 1 – Remove Screws

The first step is to remove the screws that connect the inner storm door latch and the outer latch. First, apply some WD-40 to the screws. This is important since the damaged latch may come with rusty screws due to exposure to harsh weather. Once you’re done thoroughly lubricating the screws that connect the latch’s parts, use a Phillips head screwdriver to take the screws out. This will take less effort and time.

Step 2 – Install New Storm Door Exterior Latch

From your new storm door replacement set, take the exterior latch and mount it to the screw holes that are already there in the storm door. The trick is to align the exterior latch such that its square spindle and two screw shafts are in alignment with the screw holes of the interior latch.

Step 3 – Install New Storm Door Interior Latch

When you have fixed the alignment of the exterior latch with the screw holes of the interior latch, insert the exterior’s retaining screws into the interior latches holes. Tighten the screws using the Philips screwdriver.

Step 4 – Test the Door

You must check the door to see if it will be able to function with the existing strike plate that worked with the old storm door latch. If not, proceed to step 5.

Step 5 – Remove Existing Strike Plate

Remove the two retaining screws from the existing strike plates using your Philips screwdriver. Once the screws are off, the plate can easily be removed.

Step 6 – Check New Strike Plate Screws

Using the new strike plate by placing it over the place where the old one was, check and see if the alignment of the retaining screw holes corresponds with the screw holes of the new strike plate. If not, use the drill and bit to make new holes that align with the new strike plate.

Step 7 – Install New Strike Plate

Now all you have to do is place the new strike plate into the appropriate position over the newly drilled holes and tighten the retaining screws. It should be a snug fit. The best way to go about this is to have someone push against the storm door before you start tightening the strike plate mechanism into place. By pushing the door and finding out where the best tight storm door fit is, you can then tighten the strike plate retaining screws securely.