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Project Difficulty:
Easy
Estimated
Project Time: 1 hour
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Pencil or awl
Masking tape
Cordless drill/driver and drill bits
Hole saw
Screwdriver
Pliers
Hammer
Wood chisel
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If you have an older home, you might also have a lock called a "night latch." Once commonly installed in America and still often used in England, a night latch adds security to almost any door. But unlike a deadbolt, which must be locked from the outside with a key, a night latch locks by itself when you close the door. You may also manually lock it from inside by turning a lever.
The difference between non-keyed and keyed versions is in the way they unlock. A non-keyed night latch can't be unlocked from outside. You must be inside to unlock it, so it's engaged only when you're home--perhaps that's why the name "night latch" was coined in 1854.
Keyed versions, however, can be unlocked from the outside. A single-cylinder night latch is unlocked from the outside, whereas dual-cylinder night latches must be unlocked from whichever side of the door you're trying to open. Because dual-cylinder locks (of any kind) force you to use a key to exit your home, some building codes ban them because of the risk of being trapped in a fire or other emergency.
Night latches are sold as kits that usually contain a lock, cylinder, strike, and all necessary mounting hardware (Figs. 1 and 2). Non-keyed night latches are, of course, easiest to install, but they also offer the least security. Buy the one that best fits your particular application.
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1.
Mark and Drill the Holes
Decide how high you'll want the lock installed on the door's interior face. Night latches commonly place the cylinder's centerline 46 inches from the floor. Using masking tape to hold the template that comes with most night latch kits, mark the mounting screw holes and the cylinder hole's center point with an awl or pencil. Drill the mounting screw holes, then use a hole saw for the cylinder hole. To avoid splintering the door while drilling the cylinder hole, stop when the drill point just breaks the door's outer surface, then finish the job from the other side.
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2.
Install the Cylinder
Most cylinders come with two mounting screws and a cylinder ring. Insert the screws in the cylinder, slip the cylinder into the ring, and, from the outer face of the door, insert the entire unit into the cylinder hole. On the door's inner face, slide the cylinder retainer over the screw heads, and tighten the screws until the cylinder seats firmly against the door's outer face. You may have to cut or break the cylinder attachment screws to length, but they're usually scored to make this simple.
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3.
Adjust the Connecting Bar
Most connecting bars, too, are scored to break off at various lengths to accommodate doors of different thicknesses. Once you've securely mounted the cylinder, break off the excess connecting bar with pliers so that what's left extends from the inner face of the door the length recommended in the manufacturer's instructions.
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4.
Mount the Lock
Using screws, mount the lock on the inside door face according to manufacturer's instructions, making sure the cylinder's connecting bar slips into its corresponding slot in the lock housing.
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5.
Mount the Strike
Holding the strike against the doorjamb, close the door until the latch touches it. Adjust the strike's position on the jamb until the latch seats in the strike's recess. Keeping the strike in this position, open the door and pencil-trace the strike's perimeter on the door jamb. Within this outline, using a hammer and wood chisel, cut a shallow mortise for both the face and side of the strike. Hold the strike in the mortise, and then turn the thumb latch to check that the latch bolt easily enters the strike. When everything works smoothly, attach the strike to the jamb with screws.
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