How To Change Door Lock?- Let's Find Out!

Doors are such an essential part of your house. They protect you from all sorts of burglars and thieves. However, if your locks are not working, you are in a lot of trouble. If your door lock is causing issues for you, then maybe it's time to head down to the local hardware store and check out a new lock for your door frame.

Along with the new lock, you will also need new door knobs. To ensure safety, you must ensure that a new lock on the front door is installed correctly. So, when you change your house lock, change the door knob. A securely locked door is crucial in terms of home security.

Changing locks can seem like a huge hassle. To most people, it is a hassle to take apart the locks and then put in a new lock. However, it is a pretty easy job in the right direction as it requires no technical skills. But you have to maintain a ton of steps to be safe; otherwise, your door lock won't be as secure as it needs to be to provide safety to you and your family.

So, if you are curious about how to change the door lock, let's find out all about it!

Things To Be Aware Of Before Changing Locks

Door locks are not that durable, so after a few years, they will stop working. When this happens, it is better to go out and purchase a new lock than fix the old one. Wasting your time and money on the old lock is not a good idea as chances are it will result in failure and put your house at risk.

Here are a few things you need to be aware of and do before you change a door lock:

Purchase Locks That Are Residential Grade 2 At The Very Least

While purchasing a new lock for your house, be sure to buy residential grade 2 type locks as they are much more durable, sturdy, and long-lasting than your regular ones. They also provide you with a lot more security.

Re-keying The Locks To Match Your Existing House Keys

When you buy the new lock, be sure to take the lock to your locksmith and ask him to help rekey the lock so that the old house keys match the new lock. However, for this trick to work, you need to buy a lock from the brand as your existing lock. You will also require an expert locksmith; otherwise, chances are your new lock will be ruined before you even install it on your door.

Measure How Wide Your Door Is Before Purchasing New Locks

A crucial step before purchasing a new lock is measuring the width of the door. If your door is too wide, wasting money on a new lock won't do you any good. Most doors are 1 3/8 to 1 3/4 inches thick; however, if your door is thicker, it won't help if you purchase regular locks.

For thicker doors, you need to purchase a different kit called a Thick door kit. This kit comes with longer screws for your door and lock. So, getting this kit can be helpful.

Measure The Distance Between 'The Edge Of The Door To The Lock'

The distance between the edge of the door to the lock can't be too much. If it is longer than 5 inches, you will have to purchase a new door latch and a new bolt.

Removing The Door Locks

Removing the door lock is easy. All you have to do is remove the screws from the latch plate to remove the door lock. The screws are short head screws, so taking them out won't be a problem.

After taking out the latch plate, you must take out the interior screw and the door knob screws. The doorknob screws will be on each side of the door. The screws of the double cylinder deadbolts won't be visible as most lock brands have the cylinder deadbolt covered with a snap. This snap-on covers even the internal screws.

You must remove the snap-on cover and the deadbolt lock from the door. The screws on this are very long, so they are hard to miss. Try to loosen the screws; once they are loose, they will fall off on their own.

Installing The Door Lock

Removing the old lock was the easy part. However, installing the new door lock is the hard part. Here are the steps for installing the door lock:

Inserting The Locks Latch

Three types of latches are available for your door. If you are getting a new lock and the latch of the new lock matches the old one, then you have nothing to worry about. However, if they are not the same, you will have to know which type of latch the new lock requires.

The Square corner latch is going to go inside a round corner hole. The old rounded corners need to be chiseled out if they want to get installed into the new square corner latch.

All this latch needs is a round corner chiseled into the previously square corner of the latch. It will ensure that the new latch fits; however, some gaps will be present at the rounded corners. These gaps are not dangerous; however, if you still don't want them there, you can use some putty and cover them up without a hassle.

Placing a Square or rounded latch plate into the spot that is used to hold a drive-in latch is the hardest yet, as it requires the spot to be chiseled out completely, or else it won't fit at all.

Properly Installing The Latch

Remember, they need to fit perfectly if you use the drive-in latch. To ensure it fits correctly use a hammer and push it inside. After ensuring that the latch is in place, all you need to do is screw it in.

Inserting The New Deadbolt / New Doorknob

Inserting the new doorknob is a bit tough. The exterior door side lock comes with two rods and threads. The interior door side will need to be precisely lined up for the screws. After placing it on the interior door side, visually line up the holes of the doorknob while properly receiving the rods.

A middle piece is present amongst other pieces as well. This middle piece is known as the spindle for doorknobs, but for deadbolts, it's referred to as the tailpiece. The lock will slide in if the screw holes are properly lined up.

By following these steps, you can easily change your door's locks. Try to ensure you get the from the same brand as the previous one. That way, you can use the same key.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few frequently asked questions regarding changing locks

Is It Harder To Change Smart Locks?

Answer: It is a bit more difficult to change smart locks, and they can't be changed without locksmiths.

Our Brand New Locks Expensive?

Answer: Brand new locks are not expensive.

Is Taking The Entire Lock Off Necessary?

Answer: Taking the entire lock off is crucial; otherwise, inserting a new lock is impossible.

Is It Possible To Just Replace The Lock Cylinder?

Answer: It is possible to replace a lock cylinder.

Reach Us!

If you are looking for a locksmith company to help you with a lock change, then look no further because Armor Locks Co is here to help you with all your lock-related issues. Whenever you are facing a problem with your locks, call us at 832-481-5030, or you can easily reach us via email. info@armorlocksco.com is the official email address.

Conclusion

Figuring out how to change the door lock is difficult; however, it can be incredibly easy with just a few pointers. Following the steps given in this article will make it very easy for you to change the locks and keep your house safe from burglars. Being cautious with your door lock is always a good idea and knowing how to change the lock saves you from a lot of trouble.