How to Install a Deadbolt Lock? Something You Should Know!
Automated security systems are good to have, but installing a deadbolt lock is the simplest and most affordable way to increase the protection of your house. You’re far better off having both a lockset and a deadbolt since even a high-quality lockset won’t deter a professional burglar. It’s wise to not skimp here because you really do get what you pay for. Because installing a lock is so simple, you can complete the task yourself in a few hours, which will save you money. To learn how to complete the task, continue reading.
What You Will Need
Even while most DIYers can complete the task of installing a deadbolt lock, if you’re not careful, you run the danger of damaging the door. Measuring and drilling holes to suit the deadbolt lock are required to add a deadbolt to a door. Incorrect measurement could result in a hole being drilled in the wrong place, destroying the door. Before you begin drilling, take careful measurements and confirm that the hole saw you’re using is the right size.
Benefits of a Deadbolt Lock
The majority of outside doors have deadbolt locks for a purpose. The ordinary criminal can simply pick any spring bolt door lock, regardless of quality. On the other hand, deadbolts use a locking mechanism that cannot be forced back into the door. Because a deadbolt reaches a full inch into the door jamb as opposed to the half inch of a spring lock, it is also more difficult to pry open a door with a deadbolt latch. Homes with deadbolt locks on all external doors qualify for savings from several homeowners insurance providers. Your home should be less likely to have a break-in if you have a deadbolt, even if your insurance provider doesn’t give you a break.
Types of Deadbolts
There are three kinds of deadbolt locks you can set up on your home’s exterior doors:
- Single: The easiest kind of deadbolt lock has a single cylinder that is operated from the outdoor of the residence the use of a key. From the inside, the door can be locked and unlocked with a thumb turn.
- Double: A double-cylinder deadbolt requires a key to lock or liberate it from both side. This kind of deadbolt is perfect for locks that are in shut proximity to a window, as is the case with a the front door that’s flanked with the aid of sidelights. That said, solely deploy a double cylinder deadbolt lock when necessary. Because this type of deadbolt requires a key to release it from the inside, it can be unsafe in the match of a fireplace or different emergency when residents want to exit the domestic quickly.
- Vertical: This fashion of deadbolt is much less frequent than the single- or double-cylinder deadbolt, however it operates in a comparable manner. In a vertical deadbolt, the mechanism is set up on the indoors floor of the door, and the locking bolts function vertically rather of horizontally. Vertical deadbolts are higher capable to face up to prying forces than widespread deadbolts, however due to the fact they mount on the floor of the door, they are bulkier.
Parts of a Deadbolt Lock
The lock physique is the steel casing that holds all of the locking factors together.
- The bolt is the piece of metallic that extends from the lock physique into the strike plate in the door jamb, stopping it from being opened.
- The thumb flip is the small oval or crescent-shaped knob on the indoors facet of a single cylinder deadbolt that locks or unlocks the door.
- The cylinder is the locking mechanism of a deadbolt. When the right key is inserted, it aligns a sequence of pins, permitting the cylinder to rotate. In a single cylinder deadbolt, a key is required to release the door from the outside; from the inside, the lock operates with a thumb turn. A double-cylinder deadbolt requires a key to lock or unencumber the door from both side.
How to Install a Deadbolt
- Place a paper template on the edge of the door and mark the center holes on the face and edge.
- Use a hole saw to drill a hole in the face; drill from both sides to avoid splintering.
- Use a spade bit to drill an edge hole.
- Deadbolt into edge hole, then trace its contour.
- mortise for the deadbolt by chiseling.
- deadbolt to door edge with screws.
- Deadbolt mechanism with keyed cylinder outside and lever inside that is screwed to door.
- Use a felt-tip pen to mark the deadbolt’s terminus.
- Close the door and strike the doorjamb with the bolt.
- Mark the deadbolt hole on the doorjamb with a strike plate.
- Use a spade bit to drill a deadbolt hole in the jamb.
- Mark the strike plate’s mortise outline with a utility knife.
- Chisel the mortise in the strike plate.
- Set strike plate in jamb mortise and secure with long screws.
- Close door and test deadbolt.
What Is the Price to Install a Deadbolt?
Depending on the grade, deadbolt lock costs typically range from $25 to $300. Depending on whether you install the deadbolt yourself or hire a pro, the cost might range from $75 to $400.