Deadbolt installation | Capital Sentinel, Washington DC

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A deadbolt bored and struck to the slab you have

Deadbolt installation measures thickness and backset before the hole saw comes out. A Schlage B560, a Medeco Maxum, a Mul-T-Lock cylinder, or a reinforced strike may be the right part. The strike is marked from the bolt, not from the old paint scar. Screws go into the stud, not into the soft stop. The throw is tested with the door closed. Thin stiles, paint stack, short strike screws, and an off-center bore are how a new deadbolt still feels loose.

Book it when the door has no deadbolt, or the old one spins in a wallowed hole. A rekey is enough if the current deadbolt is sound and you only need the old keys to stop working. Bring a photo of the edge and say whether the door is wood, metal, or a narrow glass stile.

Backset, stud screws, and a throw that actually lands

The install includes the bore or the reuse of a sound bore, the strike into structure, and a test of the throw. It does not include a new slab. ANSI/BHMA A156.36 is the deadbolt reference. The door's thickness limit decides which lock body fits. We will not bore a narrow stile that cannot support the hole.

DC row doors often have a century of paint that changes the thickness the template assumed. We measure the stack. Suburban Maryland and Virginia slabs are cleaner and still fail when the strike screws stop in the jamb trim. The stud is the target.

Frequent questions

How do you pick the backset without trusting the old hole?

The old hole is measured. If it is wallowed or off-center, it is filled and reboored or the lock is chosen to fit a true backset. Eyeballing from the old scar repeats the miss.

Why do the strike screws need to reach the stud?

Screws in the decorative stop pull out when someone kicks the door. A reinforced strike into the stud is the difference between a lock and a suggestion.

Which deadbolts show up most on house doors here?

A Grade-rated Schlage is the common honest choice. Medeco or Mul-T-Lock comes in when you also want a restricted key. The door thickness decides, not a display photo.

Can you add a deadbolt to a glass stile storefront?

Often no. The stile is too narrow for a residential bore. That door needs a lock case made for it. We will refuse the hole saw.

A deadbolt bored and struck to the slab you have

Backset, stud screws, and a throw that actually lands

Frequent questions

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