Lock Installation

Installing a lock is not the same as swapping one. A replacement drops into a hole that already exists. An installation means putting hardware on a door that never had it, which involves getting the position, the backset and the alignment right so the door works properly afterwards.

What we install

• New deadbolts, including on doors that only have a knob lock.
• Second locks on doors that need more than one point of security.
• Hardware on doors never drilled for it, including some interior and garage entry doors.
• Keypad and smart locks.
• Mailbox locks.
• Strike plate reinforcement on doors where the frame is the weak point.

The part most people skip

A deadbolt is only as good as the frame it throws into. Plenty of doors have a solid lock screwed into a strike plate held by two short screws in soft trim. That is the point that gives way, not the lock.

When we fit a deadbolt we look at what it is throwing into. Whether reinforcement is worth doing depends on the door and the frame, and we will tell you if yours is a case where it makes more difference than upgrading the lock itself.

Alignment

Doors move. A lock installed on a door that has settled, or into a frame that has shifted, will bind, stick, or fail to latch without a shove. Getting that right is part of the installation rather than an extra.

If your door already needs lifting or leaning on to lock, mention it when you call. That is worth sorting at the same time.

If you are buying the hardware

Two measurements matter and both are easy to get wrong. Backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the hole, and it is not the same on every door. Door thickness varies too, and some locks only fit a range.

If you want the new lock to work with keys you already have, the keyway has to match, which mostly means staying with the same brand. Send us a photo of the door edge and your current lock and we will tell you what will fit.

Common questions