Make Your Home a Little Safer By Installing a Dead Bolt Lock
With the right tools and a little patience you can install a dead bolt in your solid wooden door without too much difficulty. If your door has a window in it, choose a double cylinder dead bolt, one with a key on both the inside and outside, otherwise, a single cylinder dead bolt will be fine.
Step 1: Use the template that came with the dead bolt to mark the areas to be drilled. Dead bolts are typically installed six inches above the existing door knob.
Step 2: Drill eighth inch pilot holes on the front, back and side of the door where the lock and latch are to be installed. Use a two and one eight inch hole saw to drill a hole through the back of the door for the lock mechanism. It is best to drill the hole from both the front and back of the door to keep the wood from splitting.
Step 3: Shut the door and press a nail from the inside of the hole you just cut, through the pilot hole on the side of the door and into the door jamb. This mark will help you center the strike plate on the door jamb when you are ready to install it.
Step 4: Open the door and use a 1” paddle bit to drill a hole through the side of the door and into the center of the two and one eight inch hole you just cut. Use the pilot hole to center the bit when drilling.
Step 5: Use the same paddle bit to drill a 1” deep hole into the door jamb. Use the nail hole you made earlier to center the bit when drilling.
Step 6: Insert the latch mechanism into the hole on the side of the door and use a pencil to mark the outline of the latch face plate. Remove the latch and chisel away about one eighth inch of wood beneath the latch plate. Reinsert the latch with the correct side up, as indicated by the manufacturer. Make sure the bolt portion of the latch is retracted and use a hammer to set the face plate into the chiseled area on the side of the door. Make sure the face plate is flush with the door and the latch is level, then tighten the mounting screws.
Step 7: Install the exterior portion of the lock making sure the blade of the lock passes through the latch mechanism. Align the interior portion of the lock with the exterior portion making sure blade is correctly positioned into the drive plate on the interior portion. Slowly tighten the mounting screws, alternating from side to side to assure the lock is aligned evenly.
Step 8: Test the locking mechanism to make sure it works properly. Adjust if necessary according to the manufactures directions.
Step 9: Install the strike plate on the door jamb; marking its outline and then chiseling out about one eight inch of wood beneath the plate. Make sure the strike plate is flush with the door jamb before installing the mounting screws.
Dead bolts come in a variety of finishes to match your existing door knob.
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