Gap under door and fitting a lock.

[Traveller]

Hi All.

Have three separate questions.

There is too large of a gap under my internal door (about 2cm) and I don't want to take the door off and lower it because it will then leave a gap at the top. I am thinking of fitting a draught excluder, but before I do, I was wondering if there actually is something similar to a draught excluder that may be available just for the purpose of covering up the gap.

Second, a door won't click shut because the plate with the hole which the bolt goes into is not correctly fitted (sorry for getting too technical!). The problem is that if I move the plate slightly, the new position for the screws would be too close to the old holes so it would only make the holes bigger and would not allow a screw to stay secure. Am I correct in assuming that I need to fill the holes with something? If so, what would be the best filler for this purpose (they're only tiny holes, as you can imagine).

Third, a surface bolt or lock is removed from a door. This leaves a gouged out area on the frame where the old 'whatever is it that you call the thing that is attached to the frame' was located previously. The new lock has a smaller part, so how do I fill the gouged out area and fit the smaller part on top of it (because I want it to go in the same area)?

I'm really sorry if this is hard to understand; I do not know what these bits are called.

Thanks.

 

[JohnD]

There is too large of a gap under my internal door (about 2cm) and I don't want to take the door off and lower it because it will then leave a gap at the top. I am thinking of fitting a draught excluder, but before I do, I was wondering if there actually is something similar to a draught excluder that may be available just for the purpose of covering up the gap.

Yes, a piece of wood about 18x760x45mm

Second, a door won't click shut because the plate with the hole which the bolt goes into is not correctly fitted ...

file the edges of the hole. You can use a dremel if you have one.

Third, a surface bolt or lock is removed from a door. This leaves a gouged out area on the frame where the old 'whatever is it that you call the thing that is attached to the frame' was located previously. The new lock has a smaller part, so how do I fill the gouged out area and fit the smaller part on top of it (because I want it to go in the same area)?

I think you mean a staple or keep. Maybe this was a pressed-steel case rimlock, or perhaps a nightlatch like a yale. I would be inclined to fit the new part and screw it securely to the frame, pencil round it and use wood filler (not polyfilla which will fall out). You can fill round the new keep, but wrap it in clingfilm so the filler doesn't stick to it. fixing the keep to filler will not be secure.

 

[Traveller]

Thanks JohnD; really appreciate your taking the time.

The piece of wood that you mentioned for the first question; wouldn't I have to remove the door to attach it underneath the door?

'file the edges of the hole'

You know I never thought of that, thanks! Just for information, what if the plate is one which has a little flap that bends into the hole on the INSIDE of the hole. Do I cut the flap off and then file it?

For the last question, I understand your instructions, but I am a little unclear about the 'pencil round it' bit. Why do I need to pencil round it?

Thanks.