Do you and your family need some added security and want to know how to install a deadbolt lock on a door? Installing a heavy-duty, secure deadbolt is one of the least expensive and easiest ways to increase your home’s security.
Steps to an Easy Home Security System
A strong deadbolt system will stop a burglar dead in his tracks. One of the easiest, cheapest, and quickest ways to upgrade your overall home security is to fit the door with a deadbolt. With some basic tools you can easily complete this project in an hour or less, according to Family Handyman.
Items You’ll Need to Install a Deadbolt Lock
- Electric drill along with spade bits and a hole saw
- Tape measure
- Screwdrivers
- Square
- Chisel
- Pencil
A template will come with your deadbolt in order to help you make your measurements as accurate as possible. Make sure you use the appropriate drill bit size that the instructions call for. The majority of standard deadbolts usually need a 2 1/8 in. hole saw for the bodies of the locks along with a 1 in. spade bit to install the sliding bolt assembly.
How to Install a Deadbolt Lock on a Door
- First, measure and mark a spot at least six inches over the center of your current door handle.
- Put the square along the edge of your door and then draw a straight perpendicular line right through the marked spot and a couple of inches more. Keep drawing the line around the edge of the door and across the backside of the door and eventually finishing in the exact same spot as the line on the other side.
- Carefully wrap the template that came with your deadbolt lockset around the door’s edge, ensuring that the center line is perfectly in line with the mark on the door.
- Use an awl or a nail to mark the middle of the holes regarding the lock bodies on both the back and front of the door as well as the bolt assembly on the door’s edge.
- Using a hole saw, drill the hole to house the lock bodies. Continue to drill halfway through the door on one side and then finish your cut by drilling through on the other side. In doing so, you’ll get a nice, clean finish. Be sure to make your drill holes as perfectly perpendicular as possible to the face of your door.
- Use one of your spade bits to drill a hole that will intersect through the edge of the door and into the hole that will house the lock bodies. Once more, it’s crucial that the hole is perfectly perpendicular as possible to the door’s edge.
- Place the bolt assembly in the hole you just made and trace all around the outside of the faceplate using a pencil.
- Remove the bolt assembly and then chisel out a notch deep enough so the faceplate will be flush with the edge of the door. Start by cutting all around the outside of the faceplate and slowly peel away the notch.
- After the faceplate is flush, then drill 1/8 in. pilot holes to accommodate the screws and fasten the bolt assembly securely to your door.
- Fit in the exterior lock body in the door and fasten the interior lock body with the screws. Note: Screws always go in the interior lock body so they can’t be unscrewed from the outside of the door.
Fastening the Strike Plate
- Measure how far it is from the outer edge of the faceplate of the bolt assembly to the backside of the door.
- Shut the door and then move the centerline you marked on your door onto your door jamb. Next, use your square to carefully continue the line along the door jamb’s face to the door stop.
- Mark the measurement you took from the faceplate of the bolt assembly out near the door jamb edge and along the center line, using your door stop as your starting point. This spot is where you should find the middle of the outer edge regarding the strike plate.
- Trace all along the outline of your strike plate right onto your door jam. Now you can drill a one inch hole straight into your door jam. Make the hole approximately one inch deep.
- Next, chisel out a notch just deep enough so the strike plate will sit perfectly flush with the door jam’s face.
- Using more screws, fasten the strike plate and test your new deadbolt lock set to see how it works.
While there are a number of things you can do to enhance the security of your home, unless you have a solid deadbolt lock on your door, your home isn’t fully protected. Now that you know how to install a deadbolt lock on a door, you can install them on every entryway door in your home for even more peace of mind.
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