How to Install a Deadbolt Lock

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The easiest and cheapest way to improve your home’s security is to install a deadbolt. With the right tools, even a novice DIYer can get the job done with relative ease. Here’s how.

Automated security systems are nice to have, but the easiest and least expensive way to improve the security of home is to install a deadbolt lock. Even a high-quality lockset isn’t enough to keep out an experienced burglar; you’re a lot better off with both a lockset and a deadbolt. Since you really do get what you pay for, it’s best not to scrimp here. You’ll save on installation because it’s so easy to install a deadbolt, you can do the job yourself within a couple of hours. Read on for steps to getting the job done.

Before You Begin 

Although installing a deadbolt lock is a job most DIYers can handle, there is risk of damage to the door if you’re not careful. Adding a deadbolt to a door involves measuring and drilling holes to fit the deadbolt lock. If you measure incorrectly, you could end up drilling a hole in the wrong spot, ruining the door in the process. Measure carefully and be sure you’re using the proper size hole saw before you start drilling.

The Advantages of a Deadbolt Lock

There’s a reason most exterior doors have a deadbolt lock. Even the highest quality spring bolt door lock can be easily defeated by the average burglar. Deadbolts, on the other hand, use a locking device that is impossible to force back into the door. Prying open a door with a deadbolt latch is also harder because a deadbolt extends a full inch into the door jamb as opposed to the half inch of a spring lock. Some homeowners insurance companies provide discounts for homes with deadbolt locks on all exterior doors. Even if your insurance company doesn’t give you a break, the fact that you have a deadbolt should decrease the likelihood that your home will experience a break-in, thus reducing the odds that you’ll have to file an insurance claim that could increase your premium.

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Types of Deadbolts

There are three types of deadbolt locks you can install on your home’s exterior doors:

• Single: The simplest type of deadbolt lock has a single cylinder that is operated from the outside of the house using a key. From the inside, the door can be locked and unlocked with a thumb turn.
• Double: A double-cylinder deadbolt requires a key to lock or unlock it from either side. This type of deadbolt is ideal for locks that are in close proximity to a window, as is the case with a front door that’s flanked by sidelights. That said, only install a double cylinder deadbolt lock when necessary. Because this type of deadbolt requires a key to unlock it from the inside, it can be dangerous in the event of a fire or other emergency when residents need to exit the home quickly.
• Vertical: This style of deadbolt is less common than the single- or double-cylinder deadbolt, but it operates in a similar manner. In a vertical deadbolt, the mechanism is mounted on the interior surface of the door, and the locking bolts operate vertically instead of horizontally. Vertical deadbolts are better able to resist prying forces than standard deadbolts, but because they mount on the surface of the door, they are bulkier.

Parts of a Deadbolt Lock

• The lock body is the metal casing that holds all of the locking components together.
• The bolt is the piece of metal that extends from the lock body into the strike plate in the door jamb, preventing it from being opened.
• The thumb turn is the small oval or crescent-shaped knob on the interior side of a single cylinder deadbolt that locks or unlocks the door.
• The cylinder is the locking mechanism of a deadbolt. When the correct key is inserted, it aligns a series of pins, allowing the cylinder to rotate. In a single cylinder deadbolt, a key is required to unlock the door from the outside; from the inside, the lock operates with a thumb turn. A double-cylinder deadbolt requires a key to lock or unlock the door from either side.