How to cut a hole for the lock in the door

Inserting the lock into the door

It is better to entrust the installation of the front door and anti-theft lock to the professionals, because they know all the peculiarities of this process. But the installation of the regular lock in the apartment to the inner door can also be done by yourself. During these actions it is necessary to take into account a lot of factors. This will avoid jamming the lock, sloppy placement, rattling and deformation of the jamb. In the following we will touch upon all the important aspects and tips that will answer the question how to insert the lock into the interior door.

Protective mechanisms for the doors between the living rooms are often represented by a simple design. Such devices consist of a cylinder or disk filling. They may also be of the tamper-evident variety. In most cases, mortise flat and round door locks are used. Let’s look at these variants in detail.

Flat

flat lock

They have a rectangular case with tongues separated from the latch. In most cases, such mechanisms fall into the category of superior secrecy. Included is a push handle. These are the most expensive and complicated in their mortise. They are able to provide quality security from unauthorized entry.

Round

These types have a cylindrical body, combined tongue and latch. The handle can be presented of any kind, in its spindle is embedded in the latch and the cylinder face. This option is considered the most optimal for placement in the doors between the rooms of the house, apartment. Ideally suited for all kinds of doors.

The tools needed for plunging

It is a good idea to have a few extra tools if you need them during the work. It can be files, a set of drills, a tap to cut the thread.

To assemble a door lock (lock), you will need to prepare all the necessary materials and components. These include:

  • Two handles. Any shape may be preferred (round, g-shaped, and other types).
  • Fixing elements (screws for joining the cylinder mechanisms).
  • Cylinder mechanism supplemented with a spring.
  • Walers.
  • Two sockets to conceal the cylinder mechanism.
  • Measuring instrument (e.g. tape measure).
  • Pen, felt-tip pen or pencil for making marks.
  • Drill.
  • Desk knife.
  • Painting tape.
  • Chisel (size 0.1 and 0.2 centimeters).
  • Drills (2.3 cm feather drill, 0.2 cm regular drill).
  • Crown (dimensions depend on the thickness of the door leaf). Most often 5 or 5.4 centimeters.
  • Hammer.

This is the list of tools you must have in order to make good work of mortise locking. If you do not have certain components, you will need to buy or rent them for a while.

To work comfortably and not to be constantly distracted from holding the door, it is better to fix the door leaf.

Inserting the lock into the inner door with your own hands

To install the lock with handle and latch on the interior door is not so difficult. You can do it yourself without needing a routing cutter. A simple chisel will be enough. Although it will be more convenient and faster with a cutter.

To begin with we need to make a marking for the location of the lock. The standard location is in the middle of the door. If you have a standard interior door, its height is 2 meters. Consequently, the door handle will be at a height of one meter.

We measure the distance with a tape measure and mark it with a pencil. We put the lock to the door so that the hole for the handle coincides with this marking. Align the lock exactly in the middle of the door thickness and screw it with screws.

Take a sharp office knife and cut through the paper covering of the door, tracing the blade around the contour of the lock.

Remove the lock and carefully pry up the coating with a knife. Remove the paper.

Now we have to make an indentation in the door by the thickness of the latch plate. We can do it with a chisel but it would be better to use a milling machine. We estimate the depth of the mill by putting it to the lock.

And at minimum router speed cut the cavity.

Check if the lock fits well under the recess. The plank should be flush with the surface of the door.

Now we have to make a hollow for the lock. To do this, put the lock to the door sideways and make marks at the top and bottom of the lock.

We take a drill bit a couple of millimeters wider than the thickness of the lock (16-20 mm) and drill through the hole for the lock.

Finish the hole to perfection with the chisel.

Now we have to make holes for the door handle and the latch if you have one. To do this we put the lock on the door and through the hole for the handle we make a mark on the door. Drill a through hole. It is better to do this on both sides of the door separately. This way we can make the hole more precisely.

We put a square through the hole and screw the door handle from both sides.

Installing the striker under the lock

The procedure of insertion of the striker under the door lock tongue is similar to the mounting of the lock.

Close the door tightly and use a thin pencil to trace the tongue of the lock. My door color is similar to the color of a pencil, so I had to put a piece of masking tape to see the mark.

Now place the striker a little to the right of the mark and screw it on. Make a slight offset of the bar away from the door rubber seal, so that the door will then close easily, without effort. About 1-2 mm is enough.

In the same way as with the lock, outline the strip with a knife and remove the paper cover.

We mill a landing place for the slat, mark and drill a central hole for the lock tongue and finally screw the slat to the door frame.

Our work is finished. For a better understanding of the process of the lock installation, see the video below.

Inserting door locks: instructions for installation with their own hands

From now on let’s start to work out in detail how to insert the lock manually.

  • First of all we have to decide decide decide about the door and exactly where it will be in the mounted state. You should have clear understanding on which side the hinges will be mounted and which side the lock will be. For better illustration the door leaf is better placed against the wall near the opening.
  • Marking the place of insertion. Here everything is simple enough. from the bottom edge of the leaf we measure 800-900mm with a tape measure. This will be the place where the handle will be installed. But it is still a long way to go, and first we have to deal with the lock itself. Now we mark the center of the door end. We put two marks and draw a straight line for the trimmer. This line will mark the axis of the door lock. That’s what we will tie ourselves to in the future. Now we take the lock and measure the length of its mortise part, we divide the got size in half and put the result of this calculation from the center (marking on the level of the handle), in both sides, along the drawn central axis line. In this space we will make a hole for the lock

How to insert the lock into the inner door photo

Doorknob installation with your own hands

This is how you make mortise locks in the interior doors. I am not afraid to remind you that you need to be very careful when installing the handles, because you should understand that one wrong move or incorrect marking can damage the door leaf. Constantly monitor your actions and everything will be fine!

How to cut the holes for the handle

Like any assembly process the installation of lock begins with marking. But before we do it, let’s protect the door leaf from accidental damage. And for this purpose with masking tape we put the end and the plane of the door at the supposed place of the lock. The distance is approximately from 90 to 110 cm from the floor. Putting on the masking tape will not only protect our door from damage, but it is also much more convenient to mark the door on it.

First of all we mark the height of the door handle and the lock. Usually the height of handle is 1 meter above the floor. We measure this distance with a tape measure and mark the surface of the door with a pencil.

This type of lock has a template for exact marking the holes’ location. Cylinder mechanism of the lock may have different diameter from one manufacturer to another, that’s why you should buy a wood drill bit after you buy the lock. If you didn’t have the template in your lock set, you can print it out from this article as a picture and use it when installing the lock.

Carefully fold the template along the line of the door ledge and apply it to the door leaf. Depending on the thickness of the door leaf with a sharp object (self-drilling screw or the tip of a feather drill) make marks of the hole centers on the template from the end face and on the plane of the door.

Using an electric screwdriver and a wood bit, drill a hole in the plane of the door.

Tip: When drilling, be careful not to drill through the entire door at once. When the drill bit appears on the inner side of the door stop and start drilling from the other side. That way you will avoid any chipping on the surface of the door leaf.

The next step is to drill the hole for the latch. According to the marking made earlier with the template on the door face, use a 23 mm feather drill to drill through to the previous hole.

Hold the drill strictly perpendicular to the door, otherwise later the latch may become askew and it will stick when working.

The next step is to insert the latch into the end hole, align it with the door edge and trace the decorative frame with a pencil. After that we take out the latch and make the cut of the upper layer of the door leaf by the line we have drawn. And only after that we chisel out the groove for the latch of the lock. The depth of the groove should be a little less than the thickness of the latch frame, later when you will tighten the latch with screws it will press into the wood and become flush with the plane of the door.

Advice: Many beginners choose the cavity for the latch with the chisel right away, it is not right, because the door leaf is covered with film that can be damaged beyond the line of the chisel cut, so first you have to cut the film.

After sawing the groove we put the latch back and using drill 2mm for self-tapping we tighten the latch back in place. If the latch goes into the hole tightly, then we chisel the places of contact of the latch and the hole.

Then we proceed to install the handle. Assemble the handle according to the instructions supplied with it. Pay attention to the location of the closing tongue on the handle, if there is one, it should be placed inside the room.

On one of the cylinder mechanisms there are pivot pins and taps for the fixing screws. Remove the decorative socket from the mechanism using the provided wrench and remount it in its place, screw the second cylinder mechanism from the opposite side.

Do not over tighten the screws. over tightened cylinder mechanisms will not work as they should.

Install all the parts of the handle in place according to the enclosed instructions, and then the handle installation work is finished. This process is much easier than it seems. You can watch the video clip where you will see the whole process of the lock installation with your own hands.

Installing the lock case

The last step of the installation of the door lock into the interior door will be the installation of the mating part to the door opening.

Cover the door and make two marks on the doorway, focusing on the width of the lock latch.

Measure the distance from the corner of the door to the beginning of the latch.

The same distance should be from the edge of the door frame to the beginning of the recess in the mating part. It is necessary to maintain this distance to ensure that in the future closed the door will not go back and forth from the air movement in the apartment and not knock.

If you want to sink the tap into the door jamb, then put it in place and pencil outline its outer and inner contour. If it is not necessary to recess, we will draw only the inner contour. It depends on the gap between the door and the jamb.

Drill a hole with a suitable diameter (you can use a feather drill, if the hole will not then protrude beyond the latch), drill a hole for the tongue of the lock and fasten the latch in place, pre-drilling a drill 2 mm holes for screws.

Don’t forget to widen the self-tapping holes to a depth of 2-3 mm, as the back side of the tap has protrusions in this area.

Install the tap in place by tightening it with self-drilling screws and try to close the door, if there is any extra play eliminate it by bending the tongue on the tab.

That is all the interior door mortise is completed, you have only to clean the accumulated garbage and enjoy the new handles in the door.

Installing the latch keeper

The last step of the interior door lock installation is the mounting of the mating part on the doorway.

Close the door and make two marks on the door frame based on the width of the latch.

Measure the distance from the door corner to the beginning of the latch.

The same distance should be from the edge of the door frame to the beginning of the cavity of the counter. It is necessary to keep this distance in order to prevent the door from moving forward and backward due to the air movement in the apartment and clattering.

If it is necessary to sink a tap into a jamb of a door, we put it in place and draw its external and internal contour with a pencil. If it is not necessary to push it back, we outline the inner contour only. It all depends on the gap between the door and the jamb.

We drill a hole with a suitable diameter drill (you may use a feather drill if the hole will not project beyond the handle) and attach the door handle with 2 mm holes for wood screws.

Do not forget to expand the screw holes to a depth of 2-3 mm, as the back of the latch has a protruding part in this place.

Install the tap in place by tightening it with self-drilling screws and try to close the door, if there is excessive play we remove it by bending the tongue on the tap.

This is all done and we have to clean the trash and enjoy the new door handles.

Inserting the lock and the deadbolt

Very often we need to install the lock on the door, where there is already a handle. Any locks that have a locking mechanism will work for this.

These locks have a rectangular shape and therefore the mortise process may seem complicated without the use of special tools. Actually such locks are made quite easy with minimal tools. It is up to you whether to place it above or below the handle.

The sequence of lock installation:

  • Let’s spend a longitudinal line for the trimmer on the end of the door in the place where you plan to install the lock;
  • Having attached the lock draw the lines limiting the hole at the height of the lock;
  • Drill longitudinal holes with a suitable drill bit (preferably a feather drill) as close to each other as possible;
  • We drill a longitudinal hole with a wood or metal drill bit of a suitable length to fit the size of the lock or remove excess wood with chisels;
  • Install the lock in place, securing it with screws and office knife cut the perimeter of the lock plate about its thickness;
  • Remove the lock and use chisels of appropriate diameter to pick the groove for the lock;
  • Putting the lock against the plane of the door, focusing on its location in the door, mark the location of the lock cylinder with a sharp object. Then put the lock cylinder, trace its contour with a pencil;
  • Repeat the previous point with the other side of the door;
  • Using drill bits of the proper diameter drill holes for the lock cylinder a little beyond the outline of the markings for the free installation of the cylinder.
  • Put the lock in place and fasten it with self-drilling screws by inserting the drill 2 or 3 mm for the self-drilling screws.
  • Secure the lock cylinder in the lock, check its performance and install decorative trims on the cylinder, fixing them with standard self-tapping screws from the kit.

Installing the lock cylinder:

  • When the door is open, we pull out the sliding part of the lock, i.e. we close the lock with the key and having leaned against the doorway we mark the height of the latch part, taking into consideration the edges of the sliding bars;
  • We measure the distance from the edge of the door to the middle of the lock with a tape measure or an angle measure and mark this distance on the jamb of the door opening;
  • With a feather drill drill a number of holes according to the markings and then unite with a wood drill the holes obtained;
  • Previously securing the mating part to the jamb, a box cutter on the contour, and then chisel out the countersunk for the mating;
  • Install the response part and check the working order of the lock one more time.

Also often such locks are equipped with handles. The sequence of lock mortise does not change, the only operation of drilling out the hole for the handle is added.

Be sure to watch the video on mortise lock with a pick, maybe you will notice some subtleties that you did not understand from the article.

If you have any questions, you can ask them in Комментарии и мнения владельцев. Good luck with repairs!

The tool

Before you start installing the lock in a wooden door, check whether you have all the tools at hand:

  • wood drill bits;
  • set of steel bits and wood feathers;
  • chisels;
  • A tape measure or ruler;
  • Remove the remainder of the door leaf with a construction pencil;
  • flat and Phillips screwdrivers;
  • Drill or screwdriver;
  • hammer.

Basic installation steps

A brief algorithm of how to install the lock into a wooden door (from left to right in the picture):

  • Draw the outline of the enclosure.
  • Drill holes in the frame to the depth of the body.
  • Remove the remainder of the door leaf with a chisel.
  • Try on and trace the outline from the face, then remove the veneer or make an indentation to the thickness of the slat.
  • Position the body flat side up and mark and drill the necessary holes.
  • Install the device and check for proper operation.
  • Measure the location of the striker in the doorframe and install it.

Inserting the lock

A standard wooden door has a height of 2m, so it is usually installed in the middle, at a height of 90-100cm. Here we mark the center of the thickness of the door leaf and apply the appropriate vertical trimmer line. Then having put the lock flat against the face of the door mark upper and lower edge of the niche for the lock case. To determine the exact drilling depth put the drill bit against the flat side of the lock and mark on the drill bit core with the ring of insulating tape the necessary size.

The feather drill bit should be slightly thicker than the width of the lock so that it does not become blocked in the recess, but goes in freely. Now you need to drill the holes along the vertical line on the end face, side by side between the marks corresponding to the height of the lock, deepening the drill bit to the ring of insulating tape. After drilling flatten the edge of the hole with a chisel to allow the lock body to enter freely.

It is not recommended to put the lock to wooden door that doesn’t correspond to the parameters of the door. Too powerful. it can weaken the supporting frame of the door and negatively affect its strength. For a solid lock you need a strong door and vice versa.

The lock must not protrude beyond the edge of the leaf, so it must be recessed flush with its end. To do this, we put in a drilled hole, align, and mark the perimeter of its end part, then we take out and make a selection of flat area chisel on the marked line, the thickness of the end plate lock. To be able to perform the procedure correctly and carefully, it is necessary to work only with well sharpened, serviceable tools, without breaking or cracking the wood.

To drill correctly the holes for the handles and the lock case, put the lock by aligning the edges of the faceplate of the lock with the edges of the chosen platform in the door face, and keeping it in this position, mark the places of drilling. The same procedure should be performed on the other side.

Drill from both sides to avoid tearing the decorative finish and veneer of the door leaf, with a feather drill through. When the holes are ready, install the lock in the wooden door in its place and fasten it with screws at the top and bottom, having previously made indentations with a thin drill.

Installing the lock on a metal door: the necessary tools

Before we proceed to the study of technology of mortise lock insertion into metal door, at first let’s understand what tools are needed for this process. In principle there is nothing extraordinary you will need and in most cases you will find such tools in the toolkit of every home handyman.

  • Metal drill and drill bits. In addition to small drills, you will also need large drills with a diameter of 12 to 18mm. This tool with all its accessories, in fact, is the main tool of mortise.
  • In addition to drills of different diameters, it will also not be superfluous to purchase a small coarse-grained grinding stone for the drill. with its help it is very convenient to remove burrs and, if necessary, expand the holes in the metal door.
  • Angle grinder, which is popularly called the “angle grinder”. you can not do without it, as it will have to cut a landing hole in the metal frame of the doors. Generally, a drill and angle grinder can be called universal tools, which simply must be in the arsenal of any household handyman. for these tools there are a lot of attachments, through which you can perform a lot of various operations. I say that if such tools are absent, it is better not to ask friends, but simply to buy them, especially that today there are many inexpensive household models.

And, of course, to insert a lock into the metal door you can’t do without such auxiliary manual tools as pliers, screwdrivers, hammer, tape measure, angle piece and other small things, without which, in principle, not a single household job can be done. Even if it’s just a matter of changing the lock in a metal door, you still can’t do without these tools.

This video shows how to insert the lock into a metal door.

How to put the lock on the metal door: sequence and nuances of work

The technology of installation of the lock into a metal door is not hard, the main difficulties arise only because of the material itself. the metal is a very strong material and not every person has the patience to work with it. In principle it is not a problem if you choose right approach to the case. that’s what we will do now and will study lock embedding technology. Let’s set it out point by point in order to understand it better.

  • Marking. Here everything is simple enough. as a rule the lock is set on a height of 800-900mm from the bottom edge of the door leaf. At this point, mark the center of the door face and the length of the hole to be cut, which should be slightly longer than the length of the lock. On the edges of this hole (bottom and top), on the line of the central marking, using a hammer and core make small indentations for drilling holes.
  • Drilling. There should also be no problems here, because the most important thing is to choose the right drill diameter. It should be a little (a couple of millimeters) thicker than the thickness of the lock. Just take and drill holes.

How to install the lock on the metal door photo

To insert the lock into a metal door photo

How to cut the lock into a metal door photo

The final stage of the work involved in solving the issue of installing a lock in a metal door is to make a counter hole in the door frame, which includes the lock deadbolt and latch. In principle it is not a very difficult thing, but it requires accurate marking. The easiest way to mark necessary holes is to put the striker on the deadbolt and mark its location practically when the door is closed. After that, as they say, it’s a matter of technique. we put the bar on the box again, mark the location of all the holes and drilled them.

Some masters prefer to cut one solid hole. of course, it’s much easier to make it with an angle grinder, and, most importantly, the accuracy is not particularly important here. With this approach, another problem arises. if the rail is not installed accurately enough, then the doors will either not close the lock at all, or will become dangling. In general, in this situation, you can not do without fitting, which takes a lot of time. Although in the previous case the adjustment is also there, but it is much easier to make. a drill and a drill of larger diameter solve all the problems.

That is, in principle, all. Now decide how difficult is the installation of the lock on the metal door for you. Yes, it is not easy, you will have to overcome some difficulties in the process, but, in general, it is quite realistic to perform this work by yourself. I say more, even the most qualified expert has once learned this process and made the same mistakes that you are going to make. There is no need to be afraid of this. as the saying goes, he who makes no mistakes, makes no mistakes!

How to cut a hole yourself

The key to successful work is correctly marking the doors and frames. To make the correct cuts for the lock in the steel door block, you must:

Measure from the bottom edge of the leaf a distance of 90-100 centimeters and make a mark in the center of the door. To measure the height and width of the lock case, set aside and mark the required dimensions on the end part, starting from the lower notch. In order for the lock case to fit easily into the opening, the height and width of the cutout must be slightly greater than the dimensions of the case.

From the bottom and top edge, using a hammer and core, make small indentations for drilling into the opening.

Using a metal drill of the required diameter, make the hollows in the marked places. Starting from the edges, connect their centers by marking lines with a metal scriber.

Use an angle grinder to make cuts along the lines of the marking. With the right approach, the middle will fall out, forming a rectangular opening to place the lock case. If the construction of the door frame foresees the use of a profile pipe, it might be necessary to make a double-sided hole.

For the cylinder lock, after marking the door leaf, make a hole in the door for the cylinder and the handle square. Precisely mark the outlines of the core and, using a slim drill bit and a rotary tool, drill a few holes as close as possible to each other along the perimeter. Circle them together, remove the metal and file the hole. If necessary, use an abrasive wheel to bore the hole to the required diameter.

Drill holes for the handle and the details of fixing the decorative strips or security plates of the lock.

After testing the lock for proper functioning, mark the holes for the deadbolt in the metal box. Drill the holes of the required diameter, finish them with a file.

In the case of a wooden door, proceed as follows:

  • To work out the recesses in the wood, a pen and drill bit are used. To cut a hole in the door leaf they use a drill bit which leaves less shavings. For the end piece it is better to use a feather drill of suitable diameter.
  • In most cases the lock on the wooden door is assembled at the height of 90-100 cm from the floor. Many low-cost hollow-core door blocks made of wood-fibre board provide for a wooden plank around the perimeter. If you take a height greater than its length of 100 cm, you can get into the void.

How and what to make a hole in the door for the lock

Make a marking of the end part of the doors. Measure the depth of fitment of the lock body inside, mark the required size on the feather drill with tape or duct tape. This is to ensure that the depth of drilling the openings was not more than necessary to install the locking mechanism housing. With a feather diameter of 16 mm drill holes one under the other, not going beyond the contours of the future recess.

With a chisel or chisel remove the rough edges, protruding wood fibers. To speed up the process, you can use a drill with a regular 16 mm bit clamped in the chuck. It is necessary to drive it successively along the perimeter of the recess with some effort until the edges are aligned with the line of the marking.

To prevent the protruding lock case from snagging the striker, it must be sunk. To this end, along the contour of the slat in the end of the door, using a chisel, an indentation is selected to a depth of 2-3 mm according to the thickness of the body lining. Insert the lock and fasten it with screws.

To fix the cylinder lock extra hole is made in the door leaf with a feather drill or standard drill bit diameter of 25 mm. Drill the fixing holes for the decorative cover plates, develop a hole to install the handle.

Very often the result of unauthorized attempts of the owners to make holes for the lock in the new door are unintended cuts of metal and wood, cavities, formed as a result of incorrect marking, scratches and chips, as well as tears in the door leaf trim material. As a result of unskillful actions the appearance of the door deteriorates, the owner is forced to bear the unforeseen costs for its restoration.

Important! In such situations, it is better to turn to the services of specialists locksmith companies with the necessary experience and tools. They may quickly and competently cut out any holes for the locks preserving the aesthetics and attractiveness of the door block.