How To Install Door Lock Latch

Whether you're planning a major renovation or looking for a quick face-elevator, changing the locksets on the doors in your home can brand a substantial—but subtle—statement about you. Locksets come in a wide assortment of styles and finishes, but they all work the same and they're fairly simple to install yourself.

If you're buying several keyed locks, and don't want a pocketful of dissimilar keys, have a locksmith re-key all locks of the same brand to use the same key. If you're mixing brands, check with the locksmith—some tin can be keyed akin, some tin can't.

Here, This Sometime Business firm principal carpenter Norm Abram shows how to install a lockset. If you're replacing a lockset or installing a new one in a pre-drilled door, the installation shouldn't accept more than than 15 or 20 minutes. If y'all demand to drill the holes, give yourself an hour or 2.

Step 1

Installing a Lockset

ANATOMY

The two important variables when installing a lockset are the meridian of the knob above the finish floor and the backset—the altitude from the center of the knob to the near edge of the door. Virtually knobs are positioned a comfortable 36 or 38 inches above the floor; check the height of other knobs in the house and continue information technology consistent.

Backset typically measures two 3/8 inches for interior doors and 2 three/4 inches for outside doors. The point at which the knob height and the backset measurements intersect represents the center of the confront bore, the circular hole that houses the lockset. A 2nd hole, the edge diameter, contains the latch assembly Most locksets come with a cardboard template to assistance align the two bores. Check the template for the lock's bore diameters and choose drill bits accordingly.

Step 2

Prep the Door

Open the door halfway and tap two shims (one from each side) between the floor and the door bottom to hold information technology steady.

Mensurate upwards from the finish floor 36 inches (or the peak of other knobs in the house) and mark the door'southward edge.

With a square, extend this mark across the door'south border and three inches onto one face.

Step three

Mark the Face

Wrap the paper-thin template supplied with the lockset around the door'southward edge. Align its centerline with the line drawn in Stride two.

Dial a nail (or awl) through the center of the template's face diameter. This marks the heart of the face bore on the door.

Do the same to the template's edge diameter to mark the center of the edge bore on the door. Remove the template.

Stride 4

Drill the Confront Diameter

Place the hole saw's pilot bit on the confront-bore mark and drill a pilot hole. Cease when the saw's teeth touch the door's surface.

Cheque that all saw teeth touch on the surface uniformly, then drill the bore. Remove the pigsty saw periodically to articulate sawdust from the cutting. Stop when the tip of the pilot chip breaks through.

On the reverse side of the door, align the hole saw with the pilot hole made previously, and finish drilling the face bore.

Footstep v

Drill the Edge Diameter

Position the tip of a vii/eight-inch spade bit on the border-bore mark made in Step 3.

Drill into the edge of the door at medium speed until the tip of the flake emerges in the face up bore.

Reduce pressure on the drill to avoid trigger-happy out excess wood, and cease drilling the border bore.

Step 6

Scribe the Latch Plate

Insert the latch assembly into the edge bore. Be sure that the latch's bevel faces toward the doorjamb.

Outline the rectangular latch plate onto the door border with a utility pocketknife, and then remove the assembly.

Step 7

Cut the Latch

Using a chisel, cut along the outline as deep as the plate is thick. Then chisel to the same depth every i/viii inch betwixt the top and bottom of the plate outline.

Plow the chisel bevel-side downward and remove the waste, working from the middle out. The plate should be flush with the door edge when inserted into the finished mortise.

Stride 8

Install the Latch Assembly

Reinsert the latch assembly and marking the latch plate'due south screw holes inside the mortise. Remove the assembly.

Drill pilot holes for the plate'south 2 screws with a 3/32-inch bit, and then reinsert the assembly and screw information technology in place.

Slide the outside knob with the spindle through the confront bore and latch assembly. And so fit the within knob over the spindle.

Hand-thread the mounting screws. Tighten them firmly with a screwdriver.

Pace 9

Layout the Strike Plate Mortise

Shut the door until the latch touches the edge of the doorjamb. Marking the jamb at the latch's midpoint.

With a square, extend this marker across the jamb to the doorstop. Marking the midpoint of this line.

Pace 10

Drill the Strike-Plate Mortise

Use a 7/8-inch spade chip to drill two partially overlapping 5/eight-inch-deep holes, centered above and below the midpoint (inset). Square upwardly the sides of the mortise with a chisel, if necessary.

Pace xi

Install the Strike Plate

Hold the strike plate over the mortise and score its outline with a utility pocketknife.

Using the technique described in Steps 6 and 7, chisel out a mortise as deep equally the strike plate is thick.

Drill pilot holes for the strike plate's ii screws with a iii/32-inch flake, so screw the plate in place.

Tip: If the mortise is too deep, cut a cardboard shim to bring the face of the plate flush with the border of the door.

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Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/home-safety/21016489/how-to-install-a-lockset

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