When a door latch won’t catch, it’s because the latch doesn’t align with the hole in the strike plate. Sometimes you can clearly see the misalignment. If not, do the “lipstick test.” Smear lipstick on ...

A person tries to open the jammed back door to their home. - Lajst/Getty Images If your door latch rubs against the strike plate, or worse, is stuck inside it, it's easy to jump to conclusions. A lot ...