Change or rekey · Oakville
Deadbolt Installation
You moved in three weeks ago.
In plain words
Replacing an existing deadbolt is usually a matter of matching rather than cutting. The locksmith measures the cross bore, the edge bore and the backset, checks the door thickness, and picks a bolt that drops into the holes you already have. Where the old lock was a builder-grade unit, the replacement can step up to a heavier grade with a hardened bolt, a free-turning collar around the cylinder and a low-profile face that gives a wrench nothing to grip. The old strike is checked against the new bolt's instructions, and where it calls for it, a reinforced strike and long screws go in while the door is already apart.
How the visit goesSomeone tried the door last winter. The frame took it, but the strike plate is bent, one screw hole is stripped, and the bolt sits in the pocket at a slight angle. It still locks, and it still bothers you every night.
Deadbolt Installation
How the visit goes
The frame behind the strike
A bolt is only as good as what it throws into, so the jamb gets a hard look before anything is ordered. The locksmith checks whether the jamb is wood or steel, whether it is backed by solid framing at lock height or by a gap of shims and air, and whether earlier screws have torn out or been stripped. A jamb that flexes under a palm tells its own story. Where a strike has been fitted before, the old pocket is examined for depth and position, since a shallow or offset pocket is the usual reason an existing deadbolt feels stiff. This check decides between a plain strike, a reinforced strike with long screws, or a full-length jamb reinforcer.
Testing open, then closed, then keyed alike
The finished lock is proved in three stages. With the door open, the thumb-turn and then the key are cycled several times to confirm the bolt throws fully and returns freely. With the door closed, the same tests show whether the bolt clears the strike opening and seats in the pocket; any drag is marked with chalk and the strike is dressed or shifted until the bolt moves with fingertip effort. If the cylinder is being keyed to the household key, it is repinned on the bench and tested from outside with the door closed, and every key that should work is tried before the tools go back in the van.
The rest of the door, tidied
A deadbolt installation usually leaves the whole entry better than it found it. Hinge screws that were loose have been replaced with longer ones that bite into the framing, so the door hangs square. Weatherstrip that pinched the door has been trimmed and the latch below the new bolt has been checked against its own strike. The bore edges are clean, any shavings and steel filings have been vacuumed from the sill and the core, and the finish around the new hardware is unmarked. Open and close the door a few times over the next week and let the locksmith know if anything changes as the door settles.
Deadbolt Installation
In the van
Rekeying pins and key blanks
75 mm (3 in) strike screws
Reinforced strike plate
Strike box
25 mm auger bit
Deadbolt Installation
What affects the quote
Door material
Solid wood, steel-clad and fibreglass doors are each cut differently. Metal skins call for slower cutting and cleanup of filings, so the material is one of the first things a quote takes into account.
Travel to the property
Distance and access are part of any call-out: a house on a suburban street and a rural property down a long road involve different driving time, and the quote says so.
Glass near the lock
A captive thumb-turn, laminated glass, security film or a relocated bolt height each carry their own cost, and the choice you make about glass shapes that part of the quote.
What to have ready
- Have you already bought the hardware, and if so which model and does the template come with it?
- Is the door between the garage and the house one of the doors you want bolted?
- Is the door solid wood, steel-clad or fibreglass, and roughly how thick is it?
Deadbolt Installation: questions
QuestionsI rent. Can I have a deadbolt installed on my unit door?
You can, with a conversation first. Tenancy rules in this province expect a tenant to have the landlord's consent before changing locks and expect the landlord to hold a key, so ask in writing and share the plan. Many landlords welcome a proper bolt. The locksmith can key the new cylinder to the building's existing key where the keyway allows, and leave a note of the model and keys cut for the building manager.
Can the new deadbolt use the same key as my other doors?
Usually, yes. If the new lock shares a keyway with your existing cylinders, the locksmith repins it on the bench so your current key operates it, and nothing changes on anyone's ring. If the keyways differ, the other doors can be brought onto the new key instead. Say which key you want to keep before the hardware is chosen, because keyway is part of picking the lock.
Does a deadbolt work with a storm door or screen door?
It does, with one check: the thumb-turn and the outside cylinder have to clear the storm door when it closes. Most storm doors leave enough depth, but a low-profile deadbolt trim is chosen where the gap is tight. The storm door's own latch is separate and does not replace a bolt on the main door, since a screen frame gives little resistance on its own.
Related services
- Lock Replacement & UpgradeThe lever on the side door droops toward the floor and rattles in your hand.
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceSomeone painted the door years ago without removing the hardware.
- Smart Lock InstallationArthritis has made the small house key hard to grip and turn, especially with gloves on in January.