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 ...

Q: I have a home from the 1970s, and it’s starting to show its age. I can fix most small problems, but I’m having trouble with a couple of doors. One door is split on the side where the latch holds ...