Installing your own deadbolts, even in metal doors, is not as difficult as your local locksmith would have you believe from the rates they charge. You need to understand the rates they charge, like other folks, is not for the work itself as much as for the knowledge of how to DO the work. Regardless of how you feel about the going of rates of anything, deadbolts can be done by most folks reasonably handy with tools AND capable of reading and following the directions. My local home center had a nifty deadbolt jig, simple plastic thing, that happened to come with two holes saws of the sizes required to install deadbolts. The price of the package complete was cheaper than the two holesaws seperately, go figure. I bought the package. My first stab at the metal door broke the drill bit as the holesaw bound up in the plastic jig. I did not find that funny in the least, my son thought it was hillarious. I replaced the drill bit, entered the barely started hole with the new bit, no jig in place, and continued to cut. Once my drill bit was through the other side of the door, I repositioned on that side, using the drill bit hole as a guide and finished my cut with the hole saw. I slapped the jig back on the door (most locks come with templates you can wrap around the door for a guide) and used it to spot the hole for the latch. I prefer spade bits and cut this hole with one. Installing the lock was simply putting screws where needed and making sure everything worked. Cake. Most metal doors are thin layers of metal over wood, at least in the areas of the locks. The metal is thin enough to deal with using a normal bi-metal hole saw. I installed three deadbolts for my son, the jig cost twenty something bucks, I'm ahead of the game. Putting in doorknobs is even easier since most doors already have the holes. Follow the directions and you'll get it done in no time. Good luck!!!
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Last update : 14-01-2010 12:38
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