The door bolt would not meet the striker plate.
I extended the bolt to see where it hit; it was way off the mark.
I had to chisel the door jamb. Works okay now. But now the latch plate has no wood to screw into. It must be filled in with something. Like wood dough
Or what?? Works fine without the latch plate, but the wife does not like it.

Plastic wood or Durock would work. If you are handy, you could mortise in a wood patch and redrill at the strike.

Okay thanks

Suggest a two part epoxy like Loctite to fill screw holes.

Thanks. It is a big hole I have to fill. Chiseled out the wrong location for the bolt.
Okay now. Just have to fill in the gap above.

Still suggest epoxy, wood filler has a way of falling out.


Properly locating a door striker can be a tedious task. Here is my way.

Place a block of scrap material on the inside edge of door. Using a wood ruler with an extension, measure distance between the block and the back side of the bolt. Add from 1/32 to 1/16 to that measurement. Using the ruler with the extension eliminates misreading the measurement and pencil marks. Most accurate way of taking small measurements.

Transfer that measurement to door frame, measuring from door stop. Measure and mark above and below the striker hole.
Draw a line connecting marks.
Aline striker with that line.
Mark screw holes.

Install striker.

If door latches but is too loose, (it should be, you allowed that extra 1/32 to 1/16) remove striker and bend tab of striker toward the door stop.

Great advice