How do you Fix a broken lock on a house door?

Also don't forget the all important - 3"screw in the top hinge trick. I've actually made a decent amount of money and fame just taking a 3" woodscrew and sucking up the top hinge so the door doesn't get stuck and it won't rub the strike (or jamb) anymore. Most people think I am simply amazing and call me McGiver (sp?)

There are 3 or 4 screws in each door hinge. remove the short screws closest to the center of the wall (the outer two are just lined up with the edge of the 1/2 drywall, so it won't do any good to screw the 3" screws in there - they can't bite into drywall...) put the 3" screw in the holes and drive it into the stud. You need to use a lot of pressure when you are driving the screw home, because you are trying to move the whole jamb, hinge and door sideways approx 1/8". Note: usually there is a 1/4" space between the door jamb and the stud (rough opening), if the door was installed with the hinge side directly against a stud or there are shims directy behind the top hinge - you are screwed, the installer of the door needs to be shot at (with the nail gun at a range of approx 50'-100' while wearing safety glasses of course - him not you..). He's a framer anyway and can't do finish carpentry work - he is not capable of doing a proper job of it and should stick with what he knows...your only option at that point would be to hire a finish/interior trim carpener to creativley solve the issue. Wow! I'm out of breath on that one...(I've got a lot of framing buddies by the way, I don't hate them nor envy them. In fact I'm a framer and can run circles around them framing because I'm a finish carpenter, Ha!)

Chris

P.S all this was to avoid planing and repainting the edge of your door - I'm trying to save you money and money make the...whatever

Late...

it and turn the handle but it's still stuck? If you can then it's probably hung up on the strike plate. Insert a flat bladed screwdriver between the door and the frame just above the latch in the door. This should spread the frame just enough to get the door open. If this works, just set the strike plate a little deeper into the frame.

If you can't unlock the handle, remove the knobs and you can open it with a flat bladed screwdriver where the handle goes through the barrel of the lock.