DIY Door Locks
A door lock installation doesn't have to take you more than thirty minutes. If you have a pencil, a drill (preferably one with a saw attachment) and a lock, you can be finished with some simple diy door locks before the end of a commercial break. Here are some easy to follow instructions for your next door lock installation project.
Deadbolt door lock installation
- Mark the holes for your deadbolt lock on the door with a pencil and cut them out using a hole saw. Deadbolts are usually installed approximately 6" above or below the door hardware.
- You may need to drill on both sides of the door to get the entire depth sawed out. Doing it this way will also give you a cleaner cut on both sides. Drill as far in as you can on one side (without breaking through). Then use a small bit to drill a hole into the center of this hole straight through the other side. Switch to the other side to complete the hole. The smaller hole will ensure that your larger hole is symmetrical on both sides.
- Mark and cut out the hole for the deadbolt to travel through on the edge of the door as well.
- Now place the bolt and plate into the hole and trace around the plate with a pencil. Remove the lock and chisel out the plate shape you traced (gradually to avoid splintering). You can score the outline of the plate using a sharp blade to get a cleaner cut. Hold up the plate to ensure that it is flush with the doorjamb before screwing it into place.
- Insert the deadbolt and screw the plate into place.
- Place some paint the end of the deadbolt, close the door and release the lock. This will make a mark where you need to make the hole for the deadbolt to travel through on the doorjamb. Alternatively, you can trace the hole when tracing the strike plate. Chisel out and cut the hole for these as well. A spade bit will be helpful to make the bolt recess the correct diameter.
- Finally, fit the lock (the latch bolt) into place through the hole on the edge of the door. Position the outside key section into its appropriate hole, and do the same for the inside section. Line up the pins on either side of the door with one another and screw into place. When installing the keyhole plate(s), make sure you put the screw holes on the inside of the door. Obviously the arm that turns the lock (if you've purchased this type of deadbolt) should go on the inside as well.
TIPS:
Use screws that are 3" or longer to ensure that the screws are being secured into the wall as well, an additional safety precaution.
Avoid splintering by holding a piece of wood (as a counter pressure) against the wood you are drilling into.
For best security on an entry door, make sure you buy a dead bolt that has a key on both sides, not the kind that has a key on one side and a latch on the other. The latter version does not offer the security that is intrinsic to these types of door locks. With a latch dead bolt, a burglar simply has to break the glass or other easy entranceway shortcut and turn the latch to gain entrance to your home. (For this same reason, never leave the key in the dead bolt.)
Screw holes always go on the inside of your door (otherwise a burglar can just unscrew the knob/lock and walk right in).