Pool Screen Door Won't Close or Latch

A screen door that won't close or latch is a hardware and geometry problem before it is a mesh problem — rescreening a door that is out of square just gets a fresh panel torn again. Check, roughly in order of how often each one is the actual cause:

• The frame has racked out of square. A door out of square binds at one corner and drags along the track or the strike side. This is the single most common cause and the reason a door should be re-squared before it is rescreened, not after.
• Rollers or track are worn. A sliding cage door that jumps the track, drags, or needs a shoulder to close is usually rollers, occasionally a bent track, sometimes both.
• The bottom rail has bent or warped. This throws the whole door's geometry off even when the frame above it is fine.
• The latch or strike has moved. If the door closes but won't catch, check whether the strike plate is still aligned with the latch before assuming the door itself is the problem.

If you have a pool, the self-closing and self-latching hardware on that door is a safety item, not a convenience item — see screen door repair and rollers for the fuller hardware breakdown.