There are many reasons to change your home’s locks. You may have recently purchased the home or had a renter in your home that has since moved out. Your home may have recently been broken into, or you may simply want to upgrade the locks. Whatever your reasons, you have two options when it comes to changing the locks. You can DIY it, or you can hire a locksmith.
DIY Lock Changing
Homeowners choose to change their own locks due to cost concerns. However, it’s not as simple as pulling the old lock out and sliding a new lock in its place.
1. Make sure someone will be home to watch your house
To install and remove your old locks, you’ll want to make sure someone else is inside your home before you start the project. This is because you’ll need to thoroughly measure the holes in your door, which means removing at least one lock. If you don’t have anyone to watch your house, you’ll need to reinstall your old lock before you can go to the hardware store to purchase your new locks.
2. Remove the old lock
The first step is removing the old lock. This involves unscrewing the screws on each side of the door and pulling the handles out. Next, remove the latch plate and latch by unscrewing the two screws at the edge of the door. Set the old lock aside.
3. Measure
Next, get out your tape measure and measure the diameter of all the holes. Most holes in modern doors measure 2 1/8 inches. You’ll need to write the diameter on a piece of paper or make a note in your phone. Then, measure the depth of the door. The minimum depth lock you can purchase is 1 3/8 inches. If your door is thinner than that, you’ll need to add a door reinforcer or add a custom plate. Lastly, check the setback by measuring from the edge of the door to the center of the hole where the handle would be located. A typical setback measures either 2 3/8 or 2 3/4 inches.
4. Purchase your new locks
Once you have your measurements, you can go to the hardware store and purchase new locks. Make sure the measurements match as closely to the measurements you took as possible. You’ll also want to look at the key. If you want all of your locks to operate with the same key, you’ll need to make sure all the locks you purchase have the same keycode.
5. Enlarge the holes
In some instances, your new lock may require larger holes than are currently predrilled into your door. If this is the case, you’ll need to enlarge the holes. You can do this by purchasing a hole saw kit, and if you think you’re going to need to enlarge the holes, you should purchase the drill and kit when you purchase your new locks.
6. Install the new locks
Start installing your locks by sliding the latch and latch plate into place. Make sure the tapered edge is facing the direction in which you close the door. If the latch place isn’t flush in the door, you may need to enlarge the recess in which it sits. Then, install the handles. Make sure all the screws are tight. Lastly, make sure the handles turn, the door latches securely when you close it and the door locks and unlocks easily.
Hiring A Locksmith
As you read through the directions you change your own locks on your house, you might have noticed that you could encounter several problems. The biggest problem is having to enlarge or drill new holes. If you don’t have a drill and a hole saw kit, this will increase your expenses. It also opens up the possibility of making the holes too large or damaging your door.
The second issue has to do with your latch plate. In order for your door to open and close easily, the latch plate must be flush in its groove. If it’s not flush, you will need to make adjustments until it is flush.
The third issue has to do with the keys. When you purchase locks at a hardware store, you’re purchasing locks that are mass-produced. This means that other people may inadvertently have a key to your door because they purchased the same lock.
If you want to avoid these problems, it’s always best to hire a professional locksmith – you can get an idea of the services offered by visiting automotive locksmith near me.
A professional locksmith can make sure the new locks inserted into your doors fit correctly and operate as intended.
They can also rekey locks as Car Locksmith, which is helpful if you want to ensure that you have a
unique key when compared to the mass-produced locks and that all locks operate using the same key.