Replacing a Door Lock

Most homeowners find the process of replacing a door lock quite easy. Read through this guide to get insight into the best methods of doing this.

Getting started with replacing a lock

Most lock products are very cheap, making it more reasonable to replace a damaged lock than repairing it, as that will be even more expensive. Later, we’ll look at various ways of replacing an existing deadbolt.

Tips on what to do before replacing your door lock

Purchase replacement locks, most advisably, residential grade 2 locks which are very strong and have anti-bump and pick measures.

Have a locksmith rekey the locks to match the keys for your house and be usable with them. This can only be possible if you buy a lock of a similar brand to your keys or the same keyway, either Schlage or Kwikset.

Measure the length of your door before you remove the existing door locks because some doors are thicker than the standard 1 3/8 to 1 ¾ inch. In the case of a thicker door width, you will need to buy a kit for the same, depending on the brand you are using.

Take note of the distance between the edge of the door and the lock. You will have to buy an elongated latch and bolt if your lock if the center of your lock, and the side is 5” inches apart. While you can purchase these on Amazon, the most recommended alternative is to have your local locksmith East Vancouver or other city carry them him as these will fit in perfectly.

Removing existing door locks

Door locks either have Philips-head screws or drive-in latch (tight and will need to be removed using a hammer and screwdriver).

If yours has a Philips-head screw, then you will have to use a screwdriver to remove them. Remove the interior screws, which will be visible after removing the doorknob screws. Seeing the screws in double cylinder deadbolts could be difficult because they Snap-on cover concealing the internal screws. Pop up the cover and remove the screws then the deadbolt from the door.

After removing all the screws, only the latch will be left after the sides have slid off, then you can remove the latch by hand.

It would be best if you then took note of the latch settings, whether it is 2 ¾ or 2 3/8, because the new one will need to be similar to the original one.

Installing Drive-in Latch

You will need to push the latch inside and place a flat wood against it, then tap it with a hammer for a snugly fit. Check if the center of the hole is aligned to that of the latch. If not, you will have to remove the lock again and readjust it. You can then insert the deadbolt into the hole.

You will then ensure the thread on the exterior side of your lock aligns with the inside for the screws and visual-lining-up the holes and the receiving rods. After this, the two lock sides should slide in together, and then you can tighten up the screws.

If you live in Delta, you can call our locksmith Delta company for quick service.