How do I Grind a Deadbolt?
If a deadbolt is sticking or misaligned with the hole through the door's strike plate the deadbolt won't lock the door properly. If the problem is structural the entire door jam may need to be replaced, but if it's only a few millimeters off then a little bit of grinding can fix most problems. Grinding the strike plate excessively can reduce the locking strength of the deadbolt. Use common sense when determining the effectiveness of grinding a deadbolt. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Paraffin wax
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Earplugs
- Circular grinding bit
- Rotary grinding tool
Instructions
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Open the door and extend the deadbolt until it protrudes completely. Cover the end face of the deadbolt with a thin layer of paraffin wax. Retract the deadbolt back into the door. Close the door.
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Extend the deadbolt until it contacts the strike plate of the door. The strike plate is the piece of metal screwed to the door jam through which the deadbolt locks. Retract the deadbolt and open the door.
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Inspect the strike plate for wax residue. Insert the grinding bit into the rotary grinder and tighten it down with the grinder's chuck. A chuck is the tool used to tighten the shafts of grinding or drill bits into a rotary tool.
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Put on safety glasses, gloves and insert ear plugs. Insert the grinding bit into the hole of the strike plate and grind away all of the plate where there are signs of paraffin wax. Grind in an up and down, side to side or in and out motion. The motion used will depend on which side of the strike plate's hole needs grinding. Close the door and reinsert the deadbolt. If the deadbolt slides into the locked position smoothly, without signs of sticking, the job is done. If needed, continue applying wax and grind away anything blocking the deadbolt from closing properly.
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References
- Photo Credit door and handle image by Tormod Rossavik from Fotolia.com
