How to Drill Holes for a Deadbolt Lock in a Door
Changing or installing a new deadbolt lock may take only a few minutes of your time, provided that the mounting holes in the door are already drilled. Many exterior entry doors come from the factory pre-drilled to save you the hassle, but some doors may not come ready for deadbolt installation. Drilling a door for a deadbolt may add an extra few minutes to the deadbolt installation time, but it's not as hard as it sounds. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Ruler
- Deadbolt latch
- Door lock installation jig
- 1/8-inch drill bit
- Power drill
- Phillips head screwdriver
- 2 1/8-inch hole saw
- 1-inch hole saw
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Instructions
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1
Draw a horizontal pencil line on the inside surface of the door 6 to 12 inches above the doorknob. This will be the center line of the hole you will be drilling for the deadbolt.
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2
Measure the amount of offset of your deadbolt latch from the faceplate to the center of the hole at the opposite end of the latch.
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3
Slide the tabs on a door lock installation jig to the setting that matches the offset on the deadbolt that you will be installing. Slide the jig over the edge of the door and line up the marks on the jig with the horizontal line on the door. Make a pencil mark on the edge of the door through the two mounting holes on the jig. Remove the jig for now.
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4
Drill a 1/4-inch deep pilot hole on each pencil mark on the edge of the door with a 1/8-inch drill bit installed in a power drill. Slide the jig back over the door in the proper alignment as previously. Drive the two screws that came with the jig through the mounting holes and tighten them with a Phillips head screwdriver.
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5
Install a 2 1/8-inch hole saw into a power drill. Use the jig as a guide and drill halfway through the face of the door. Move the saw to the opposite side of the door and use the jig to drill through the other half of the door.
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Remove the 2 1/8-inch hole saw from the drill. Install a 1-inch hole saw into the drill. Drill through the edge of the door, using the smaller hole in the jig as a guide. Continue drilling through to the larger hole you drilled previously.
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7
Remove the screws from the jig. Slide the jig off of the door.
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Tips & Warnings
Note that offset is the distance from the outside edge of the door to the center of the deadbolt lock cylinder. Typical deadbolt offset measurements are either 2 3/8 inch or 2 3/4 inch. Many deadbolt latches are adjustable to either measurement before installation. If you are not sure of the offset of your deadbolt latch, check with the manufacturer or the package the lock came in.
