Change or rekey · Markham
Deadbolt Installation
The front door has a handsome lever and a keyed knob, and that is all. Nothing above it.
Deadbolt Installation
In plain words
Replacing an existing deadbolt is usually a matter of matching rather than cutting. The locksmith measures the cross bore, the edge bore and the backset, checks the door thickness, and picks a bolt that drops into the holes you already have. Where the old lock was a builder-grade unit, the replacement can step up to a heavier grade with a hardened bolt, a free-turning collar around the cylinder and a low-profile face that gives a wrench nothing to grip. The old strike is checked against the new bolt's instructions, and where it calls for it, a reinforced strike and long screws go in while the door is already apart.
How the visit goesYou bought a keypad deadbolt online and pulled the old one off, only to find the hole in the door is a different size and the bolt latch sits at a backset the new kit does not list. The door is now open and the box is on the counter.
Markham
How the visit goes
The frame behind the strike
A bolt is only as good as what it throws into, so the jamb gets a hard look before anything is ordered. The locksmith checks whether the jamb is wood or steel, whether it is backed by solid framing at lock height or by a gap of shims and air, and whether earlier screws have torn out or been stripped. A jamb that flexes under a palm tells its own story. Where a strike has been fitted before, the old pocket is examined for depth and position, since a shallow or offset pocket is the usual reason an existing deadbolt feels stiff. This check decides between a plain strike, a reinforced strike with long screws, or a full-length jamb reinforcer.
Fitting the bolt and setting the backset
The bolt assembly slides into the edge bore with the faceplate set the way its maker marks, commonly the word "top" facing up. Most residential bolts adjust between 60 mm and 70 mm by twisting or sliding the faceplate, and the locksmith sets it to the backset measured earlier so the tailpiece from the cylinder lands in the centre of the bolt's cam. The bolt is secured with its two short screws, and the locksmith works it in and out by hand to feel that it runs freely through the door without rubbing on the bore. On an insulated door a round drive-in collar may replace the flat plate where the edge is too thin to mortise.
A bolt with a full, deadlocked throw
What you feel at the end is a bolt that travels its whole length into the frame with one turn and stops with a definite click, which is the deadlocking position that stops the bolt being pushed back from the edge. From outside, the key turns a cylinder that sits in a collar which spins if gripped. From inside, the thumb-turn moves the same bolt without a key. The locksmith shows you both, throws the bolt with the door closed so you hear it seat, and hands over the packaging with the model, finish and backset written on it for the day a matching lock is wanted on another door.
Deadbolt Installation
In the van
- Manufacturer's bore template
- Single-cylinder deadbolt
- Strike box
- Sharp chisel and mallet
- 75 mm (3 in) strike screws
What affects the quote
Same fees day, night or weekend
1Grade and type of deadbolt
A builder-grade bolt, a residential model with a high security grade, and a heavy commercial-pattern deadbolt sit at different points in the hardware part of the quote, and the locksmith explains the differences.
2Hardware supplied by you or by the locksmith
If you have already bought the lock, the quote covers labour and any adaptation of the door to that kit. Hardware supplied from the van is listed separately with its grade and finish.
3Number of doors
One front door is the simplest case. Front, back, side and garage-to-house doors done in one visit share the travel and setup, so the per-door figure usually eases as the count rises.
Deadbolt Installation: questions
I just moved in. Should the new deadbolt be keyed to a new key?
It is a good moment for it. Nobody knows how many copies of a previous owner's key exist, so pinning the new bolt, and the rest of the exterior doors, to one fresh key retires all of them at once. Lock manufacturers list a move as one of the main reasons to rekey. You come away with a known number of keys, each tested in every door it is meant to open.
Can I supply my own deadbolt?
Yes. Bring the box, the template and the instructions, and tell the locksmith the model beforehand so the bore and backset can be checked against your door. If the kit turns out to need a larger hole or a different faceplate than the door has, the locksmith adapts the door or suggests a matching model. Hardware bought online sometimes arrives set for a different door thickness, which is a small adjustment on site.
Can a deadbolt be added to a door that only has a knob?
Yes, on nearly any wood, steel-clad or fibreglass entry door. The locksmith marks a spot above the knob, clamps a jig to the door and bores a cross hole through the face and a smaller hole through the edge, then cuts a pocket and fits a strike on the frame. The main things checked first are the door's thickness, what is inside it at that height and whether glass sits close by.
Change or Rekey Locks
- Lock Replacement & UpgradeEvery morning the front door key needs the same little dance: push in, lift, wiggle, turn.
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceAfter a wet summer the entry door sits lower in its frame.
- Smart Lock InstallationYou have just taken possession of the house and the previous owners handed over a keypad deadbolt…
Deadbolt Installation near you
Below, each lock and key service we offer in Markham gets its own page, with a description that assumes no prior knowledge. Start anywhere. Many customers arrive for a lockout and leave knowing exactly why the strike plate on the back door has bothered them for years.