Home Security Door Lock Installation: Drilling the Hole

A home security door lock is an effective means of securing your home from intrusion without spending a small fortune on a professionally installed security system. To be sure, a full alarm system is not without merit, but it can prohibitively expensive. For do-it-yourselfers, home security can be as simple as a good door lock. DIY wiring projects such as installing a home alarm system are good ideas, but they require knowledge of electrical and electronics, which of course is available to you online.

Budget Measures

If your budget does not allow for it right now, consider installing a sturdy door lock. It is a good start when home security is a concern. The how-to information you find here will walk you step by step through the process of drilling the hole in your door for the lock. A good deadbolt lock is a deterrent to burglars. The sight of one alone is often enough to discourage them from even trying to enter your home. Before you begin, you will have to purchase a lock to be installed. Follow these three guidelines when shopping.

1. Purchase a lock with a deadbolt.
2. Choose a lock with an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Grade 1 classification.
3. Choose a lock with key control so keys cannot simply be made a hardware store.

After you have selected your lock, gather your tools. You will need a power drill, a spade or paddle bit, hole saw, tape measure, hammer, chisel, awl and a screwdriver. The sizes of the bits, saw, and screwdriver will depend upon the specifications of the deadbolt lock.

Next, decide where you want to place the security lock. Usually a deadbolt is positioned a few inches above the door handle for comfort reasons. Using the paper template provided with the lock, carefully tape it to the door in the exact spot you will drill the holes. Make sure you have this absolutely right or you risk not only rendering the lock useless but ruining the door as well. With the awl, make two marks in the door. From these points the holes for the cylinder and latch will be drilled, so be very precise!

The first hole to drill is for the cylinder. This is the hole that passes through the door and holds the lock cylinder. Attach the hole saw bit to your power drill, and line up the pilot drill (protruding from the center of the hole saw bit) with the center of the hole you will drill. Drill the hole straight and evenly without pushing too hard. Once the teeth of the hole saw begin to emerge on the other side of the door, pull back gently and evenly and finish the hole from the other side to prevent splintering.

The next hole is for the latch, to be drilled into the edge of the door. Attach the spade bit to your power drill and line it up with the second template mark (on the edge). Don’t drill too fast, but stay even and steady until the drill bit pushes into the cylinder hole.

The next step is to install the latch plate which adds support to the latch hole. Hold the plate up to the latch hole on the edge, and once the hole in the plate is perfectly aligned with the latch hole, make an outline of it with a pencil and set the plate aside. Using your hammer and chisel, very carefully gouge out enough wood, using the mark as your guide, so that the latch plate rests completely flush and doesn’t interfere with the door’s closing. Then, with the latch plate in position, mark with the pencil where the screw holes will go to secure the plate. Make small pilot holes with a drill bit just smaller than the screws provided, and then fasten the latch plate to the door.

Next install the deadbolt assembly, a process involving both sides of the door. Follow the instructions provided, making sure the keyed entry faces outside. Tighten the screws for the deadbolt to clamp it in place and test it several times to make sure it works properly with the latch plate.

The last step is to install the strike plate, much like the latch plate, except that it is attached to the doorframe. It is imperative that the hole for the strike plate aligns perfectly with the latch plate so the deadbolt functions. Use the same spade bit to allow for the smooth passage of the deadbolt into the doorframe, making sure before you drill that they are aligned. Follow the same procedure for installing the strike plate as with the latch plate: lining up the holes, marking it with pencil, gouging out just enough wood so it rests flush, marking the screw holes, and finally securing it to the frame.

If all goes well, your door will be fitted with a secure deadbolt lock that will present a formidable obstacle for any intruder.