How to Replace a Deadbolt Lock in a Door Frame
- 1). Remove the two screws on either side of the lock barrel in the face of the inside of the door. Use a screwdriver to avoid stripping the screws, especially if you intend to reuse the lock later. Remove the inside half of the lock barrel from the lock bolt. Remove the outside half from the lock bolt and fit them together, then twist the screws back into their holes in the removed lock to avoid losing them.
- 2). Remove the two screws holding the lock bolt to the edge of the door. Work the bolt out of its hole and set it with the two halves of the deadbolt barrel.
- 3). Remove the 3/4-inch screws from the deadbolt strike plate in the knob-side door jamb. The door jamb is the vertical frame piece on the outside of the door. Replace the two short screws with 3-inch long treated deck screws. Drive the screws through the strike plate, through the jamb and into the door jamb. Attaching this plate to the stud will dramatically increase the security of your lock, which, without tying into the frame is really only as strong as the thin piece of jamb directly behind the lock bolt hole.
- 4). Insert the new lock bolt into the hole bored in the edge of the door. Attach it with the two provided screws by driving them through the holes in the bolt plate into the door's edge. Use a screwdriver to prevent over-tightening.
- 5). Insert the inside half of the lock into the lock hole in the face of the door, lining up the screw holes with the holes in the lock bolt. Insert the outside half and line it up. Insert the two screws, one on either side of the inside half of the deadbolt barrel. Tighten the screws with a screwdriver. Test the lock by locking and unlocking the bolt several times to check for proper operation. Loosen the screws slightly if the lock binds.
- 6). Close the door and test the lock for proper installation; make adjustments as needed. If the bolt is hitting the bottom of the strike plate in the jamb, replace one of the screws in the top hinge with a 3-inch treated deck screw driven back into the jamb, which will gently lift the door. If the bolt is hitting the top of the hole in the strike plate, replace one screw in the bottom hinge to pull the door in at the bottom and gently lower the bolt.
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