HOW- TO HOW-TO FIT DOOR LOCKS AND OTHER

DOOR FURNITURE

Approximately 40% of all domestic burglars gain entry through either the front or back door. Good locks
and bolts are the best deterrent. This leaflet advises you on how to choose the best locks for your exterior
doors, how to fit them and how to fit other items of door furniture.

TOOLS

• Electric drill or brace and bits, sizes as recommend- • Bradawl

ed by the lock manufacturer's instructions • Try square
• Pad saw • Marking gauge
• Chisels 13mm and 25mm or 38mm (the wider size • Ruler, steel or wooden
is the best)
• Glass paper, coarse and medium
• Mallet
• Cork block
• Hammer
• Pencil
• Screwdrivers
• 'G' cramps

SELECTING THE LOCKS

The best quality and strongest locks are those 'kite marked' and passed to British Standard BS3621. Most house
insurance companies require them and they are usually recommended by crime prevention officers. Please bear
in mind that internal doors may not need the same level of security as external doors.

HOW - TO 1
 F2

F1

A Cylinder rim lock

B Mortice lock
C Security mortice bolt fitted to backdoor
D Hinge bolt
E Door viewer

EXTERIOR DOORS
The more levers, pins or discs a lock has, the more difficult it is to pick. The main lock on exterior doors should
have at least five levers. Figure 1 shows the ideal positions for a cylinder rim lock, a mortice lock, mortice bolts,
hinge bolts and a door viewer.
It is a good idea to fit hinge bolts as well as locks (F2), especially to doors which open outwards, as the hinge
knuckle pins are vulnerable. Fit the hinge bolts 150mm below the top hinge and 150mm above the bottom hinge
(F1D).

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 F3 F4

F5 F6

F7

FRONT DOOR
Fit two locks, each to BS3621. The mortice lock (F3) is fitted one-third of the way up the door and a cylinder rim lock
(F4) one-third of the way down (F1A). If you want to fit just one lock, then use an automatically dead-locking cylinder
rim lock made to BS3621.
Fitting a security chain and a door viewer enables you to identify callers without opening the door.

BACK DOOR
Use a mortice sash-lock (F5) to BS3621, together with top and bottom bolts (F6). Preferably, these bolts should be
security mortice bolts (F7).

HINT
Good locks are the best deterrent, but they must be used at all times.

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 F8 F9

F10 F11

FITTING LOCKS

MORTICE AND SASH-MORTICE LOCKS

Properly fitted, the design of a mortice lock is such that the woodwork around the door will fail before the lock
itself. Avoid fitting locks at the rail joint (F1), as this will weaken the door. Ideally the lock should be fitted about
one-third of the way up the door, where the timber is solid. More detailed fitting instructions will be found in the
product packaging.

HINT
When choosing mortice and mortice sash-locks, ensure they do not take up more than three-quarters of the
thickness of the door stile, as any more will weaken the door.

1. Hold the door steady in the open position. Use the body of the lock as a template to mark the position of the
mortice on the edge of the door (F8).
2. With a marking gauge, set to half the thickness of the door, score a line down the door edge to mark the
position of the drill holes (F9).
3. Use a brace and bit or electric drill to bore holes (to the width of the lock) along this centre line. Mark the lock
depth on the bit with a piece of tape and do not bore too deeply, as this will weaken the stile. The drill holes
should run almost together along the centre line on the door edge. This leaves a minimum of chiselling work
(F10).
4. Use a chisel carefully, to pare away a small amount of wood at a time. Open the holes into a rectangle (F11).

HOW - TO 4
 F12 F13 F14

F15 F16 F17

F18

5. Chisel the mortice clean, insert the lock and mark the outline of the faceplate with a marking knife (F12).
6. Chisel a recess for the plate. Mark and drill holes for the faceplate screws (F13).
7. Having chiselled out the housing (recess) for the lock plate around the mortice, use the lock body to mark the
position of the keyhole (F14).
8. Form the keyhole with a drill and padsaw (F15). Check the key for fit from both sides. Install the lock body
and secure the faceplate screws. Check that the key works.
9. With the bolt out and held against the doorframe (F16), mark the position of the striking plate and the depth
of the bolt box. Use these marks to position the striking plate on the inside surface of the frame.
10. Recess the plate into the doorframe and cut wood out of the opening to receive the bolt. Drill holes for the
recess plate screws.(F17).
11. Before securing the plate, make sure that the door will close properly (F18).
12. Finally, to fit the keyplate over the hole, the key should be placed on the lock with the keyplate loose on the
shank (shaft) of the key. Mark the position of the screw holes and fix.

HOW - TO 5
 L
F19

A Connecting screws E Thimble

B Slip ring F Lock cover plate
C Cylinder lock G Connecting bar
D Fixing plate H Fixing screws
L Door

F20

CYLINDER RIM LOCK

1. Read packaging instructions thoroughly before commencing work, see F4.
2. Mark and bore a hole through the doorstile one-third of the way down from the top of the door. The diameter
and position of the hole will be in the manufacturers instructions, usually in the form of a template.
3. Place slip ring 'B' over cylinder 'C' and insert into the hole in the door. Place fixing plate 'D' over the hole
and secure with connecting screws 'A', so that the cylinder and fixing plate are upright (F19).
4. Remove the key from the cylinder, if you haven't done so already.
5. See that the arrows on thimble 'E' and lock cover plate 'F' of the case are aligned (F20).
6. Place case over the fixing plate, ensuring that connecting bar 'G' enters the slot in thimble 'E'. The connect-
ing bar often needs shortening.
7. It may be necessary to mark and cut the edge of the door if the lock cover plate ‘F’ has a lip. Cut door
using a chisel.
8. Replace the case and use fixing screws ‘H’ to attach case to the door.
9. Align the striking plate with the lock bolt. Mark the position on the doorframe. Chisel out to allow flush fit and
fix with the screws provided, see page 5, step 9 for more information.

HINT
These instructions should be read in conjunction with those of the lock manufacturer.

HOW - TO 6
 F21 F22

FITTING LETTERBOXES
The dimensions for fitting letterboxes are usually included in the pack. These should be followed carefully.
1. On the front of the door, mark out for size according to the manufacturer's instructions along an accurately
marked centre line.
2. When working on a new door or one which can be easily removed from its hinges, hold a block of scrap
wood against the centre rail with 'G' cramps. This will reduce the risk of splintering when the drill exits at the
back of the door. Use blocks of wood on the front side of the door to prevent marking or damage
by the 'G' cramps.
3. Bore holes at each corner. Bore a small pilot hole to start each of these holes off. Ensure that this is
perpendicular to the door surface, as this will be the guide for boring the larger hole. The bore holes should
be large enough to allow the saw blade to turn. Remove cramps and blocks of wood (F21).
4. Saw from hole to hole with a jigsaw or padsaw.
5. Drill bolt holes for the letterbox plate.
6. The back of the letterbox hole can be made to look neater by the addition of an interior flap.

F I T T I N G W E AT H E R B O A R D S
If an exterior door is not protected from the elements by an overhanging porch, a weatherboard will prevent
damage.

1. Buy a length of weatherboard in the timber department at HOMEBASE.

2. Cut it to fit the width of the door. Seal the back of the timber and allow it to dry.
3. To form a weatherproof joint, apply 'wet' varnish to the door and the back of the weatherboard prior to fixing.
4. Fix the weatherboard with a screw 65mm in from either side and fix one more screw equally spaced in the
middle (F22). Check screw length to avoid exiting through the back of the door.

HOW - TO 7
FITTING A DOOR VIEWER
A viewer is simple to fit, unobtrusive and will provide added security. Do not mount the viewer in a thin panel.

1. To avoid 'breakout' (splintering of the wood when the drill exits), bore into a block of wood clamped
against the door. Bore a pilot hole first and use it as a guide for boring the larger hole.
2. Use a flat drill and a power drill or an auger bit in a brace to drill a hole of the final diameter.
3. Insert the threaded lens piece into the hole from outside. It is a good idea to smear a little mastic or silicone
sealant around the collar to make a watertight seal. Insert the threaded collar from the inside and turn it onto
the screw thread.
4. Use a coin in the slot provided to screw it home tightly.
5. The screw thread allows a range of adjustment, depending on the thickness of your doorframe.
6. Despite its small size, the lens gives you 170-degree vision.

FITTING A SECURITY CHAIN

Fitting a security chain is simple, should take very little time to put in place and will greatly improve personal
protection. Small pilot holes should be drilled before fitting any wood screws. Steel screws should be used to
cut the threads for brass and chrome screws. Use 30mm screws.

FITTING KNOBS
Knobs are usually positioned under a lock or in the centre of the door. Fitting is normally a matter of boring a
hole and screwing in from the back. HOMEBASE always has a large selection of doorknobs in stock and you
should be able to find something that suits your particular style of door.

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