Buzz
After you’ve installed a new door, it's time to add a lockset.
Certain doors are predrilled to fit standard-sized locksets, while others require you to drill the holes yourself, using a template from the lock manufacturer. Regardless of the door, you must also cut mortises, or recesses, in the door edge for the lockset and in the frame for the strike plate where the lock's bolt will engage.
Required Materials
Here are the essential tools you'll need to install a lockset:
- Lockset
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Power drill with hole-saw attachment
- Combination square
- Sandpaper
- Chisel
- Screwdriver
Follow these steps to install a lockset:
Step 1: Wrap the paper or cardboard template included with the new lockset around the edge of the door as per the manufacturer's instructions. Secure it with tape if needed. This template helps you mark two critical holes: one for the lock cylinder and the other for the bolt in the door's edge. Mark the center points for these holes on the door.
Step 2: Using a power drill with a hole-saw attachment, drill the hole for the lock cylinder as specified by the manufacturer. Be careful not to damage the door's veneer on the opposite side. Stop when you see the drill point emerge, then finish drilling from the other side.
Step 3: Drill a hole of the correct size for the bolt into the door’s edge until you reach the lock cylinder hole. Use the combination square to ensure the drill bit stays perpendicular to the door. Afterward, smooth the edges of the holes with sandpaper.
Step 4: Insert the bolt into the hole, and position the bolt plate over it. Outline the shape of the bolt plate on the door's edge. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to remove the bolt and create a mortise in the door’s edge, ensuring the plate sits flush with the surface.
Step 5: Use a chisel to carve the mortise. Once done, insert the bolt and plate into the mortise, then drill pilot holes for the mounting screws. Install the screws to hold the bolt securely in place.
Step 6: Place the exterior lock cylinder into position, ensuring the connecting bar or stems fit into the bolt assembly. Attach the interior lock cylinder, then tighten it with the screws.
Step 7: Mark the correct location for the strike plate on the door jamb, then drill the appropriately sized hole. Use the strike plate as a template to mark the jamb for mortising, then cut the mortise. Install the strike plate with screws, ensuring it is flush with the jamb.
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