Change or rekey · Ballantrae
Deadbolt Installation in Ballantrae
The bolt on the front door is keyed on both sides.
In plain words
Most of the value in a deadbolt is on the frame side, which is why a good installation spends as much time on the jamb as on the door. The bolt is only as strong as the pocket it throws into and the screws that hold the strike. Short screws in a standard strike bite only into the thin jamb board; a reinforced strike fastened with 75 mm screws passes through that board into the stud behind, so a blow against the door meets the house rather than a strip of pine. The pocket is cut deep enough for a full throw and aligned so the bolt slides home freely.
How the visit goesThe bolt on the front door is keyed on both sides. Getting out at night means finding the key in the dark, and with a toddler in the house you have decided the inside should turn by hand. You want it done properly, not just swapped.
Deadbolt Installation
How the visit goes
Where the bolt should sit on the door
On a door with no deadbolt yet, its height is not fixed by the manufacturer but by the door in front of you. The usual spot is 140 to 150 mm above the centre of the knob, which places the bolt near the strongest part of the lock stile and keeps both locks within one comfortable reach. The locksmith checks that this height misses any glass, decorative panel, hinge line or the wood block inside an insulated door, and that the frame behind that spot is solid rather than a gap between shims. If a storm door or screen door shares the opening, the bolt's thumb-turn and cylinder have to clear it as well.
Setting a strike that reaches the framing
A reinforced strike or strike box is centred over the pocket, squared to the edge of the jamb, and its outline is scored and chiselled to a depth that leaves the plate flush. Pilot holes are drilled, and the two holes nearest the door stop take 75 mm screws that pass through the jamb and the shim space into the stud behind, with shorter screws in the remaining holes. The long screws are driven by hand for the last turns so the heads seat without crushing the jamb. Where the jamb is thin or has been split by an earlier attempt, a full-length jamb reinforcer is fitted under the strike instead.
Looking after it through the seasons
A deadbolt asks for very little, and most of it happens twice a year. In spring and again in autumn, throw the bolt with the door closed and notice whether it still slides in freely; wood doors swell in humid summers and shrink in dry winter air, and the first sign is a bolt that needs the door pulled before it will lock. If so, a small strike adjustment puts it right. Give the bolt and keyway a puff of whatever lubricant the lock's own maker specifies, often dry PTFE or graphite, since some cylinders are serviced with oil instead. Wipe salt off the outside trim after a slushy week so the finish stays bright.
Deadbolt Installation
In the van
Sharp chisel and mallet
Strike box
75 mm (3 in) strike screws
Single-cylinder deadbolt
Dry PTFE lubricant
Deadbolt Installation
What affects the quote
Strike and frame reinforcement
A reinforced strike with long screws is standard; a full-length jamb reinforcer, a strike box or repairs to a split jamb after a forced entry are extra items quoted on their own.
Keying alike or a fresh key
Pinning the new cylinder to your existing key, or setting several doors to a new key, is bench work quoted per cylinder, plus the number of keys you ask to have cut.
Hardware supplied by you or by the locksmith
If you have already bought the lock, the quote covers labour and any adaptation of the door to that kit. Hardware supplied from the van is listed separately with its grade and finish.
What to have ready
- Do you own the home, rent it, or manage it for someone else?
- Which doors do you want a deadbolt on, and does each one already have a bolt or only a knob?
- Would you like a keyed deadbolt, a keypad, or a smart lock you can control from a phone?
Deadbolt Installation: questions
QuestionsWhat should I have ready before the locksmith arrives?
Know which doors you want bolted, what they are made of, and whether each already has a deadbolt or only a knob. A photo of the door face and edge helps. Have any existing keys to hand, decide whether you want everything on one key, and mention glass near the lock, a storm door in the same opening, or a rental agreement. If you have already bought hardware, keep the box and template together.
The door has to be pulled before the old bolt will lock. Will a new one fix that?
The new bolt will only lock as smoothly as the door and frame let it, so the locksmith deals with the cause as part of the installation. A door that has sagged on loose hinges gets longer hinge screws or a shim, thick weatherstrip is trimmed, and the strike is set from the bolt's actual position with the door closed. The pocket is bored deep enough for a full throw. Afterwards the bolt should slide with fingertip effort.
What is the difference between a deadbolt and the lock in my door knob?
The knob or lever holds the door shut with a spring latch: a bevelled tongue that snaps into the frame and can be pushed back by anything slid into the gap. A deadbolt is a solid rectangular bar driven by the key or thumb-turn alone, and when fully thrown it locks in place so it cannot be pressed back from the edge. The knob keeps the door closed; the deadbolt keeps it locked.
Related services
- Lock Replacement & UpgradeThe century home's original mortise lock takes a key the size of a spoon, sticks in humid weather and has worn its strike to a groove.
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceThe knob flops loose on its spindle and never springs back to level.
- Smart Lock InstallationYou have just taken possession of the house and the previous owners handed over a keypad deadbolt with a code nobody wrote down and an app account you cannot get into.