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Perhaps you’ve moved into a new home, or maybe you’ve noticed that yours look worse for wear. You might’ve just lost your keys and worry they fell into the wrong hands.
No matter the reason, you need to upgrade your home’s security. And, to do that, you first have to learn how to replace a door lock.
It’s not as challenging as it may seem — and you can feel safe doing it yourself.
How to Replace a Door Lock
You might first want to consider your options before you replace all of your home’s locks.
You can either swap out your current locks for brand new ones or reconfigure your existing locks with a method called re-keying. With the latter, the pins inside of your lock will shift, meaning you need new keys, but not new locks.
Re-keying is a cheaper option, costing about $15 to $25 if you do it yourself, and between $80 and $160 for a locksmith to do it.
However, if your locks have warped or you’d feel safer with a new set, here’s what to do.
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Measure Your Current Lock
You’ll want to make sure your new lock fits inside the holes that have already been drilled into your door.
So, measure your current fixture before you go shopping so you can get something that fits perfectly. Perhaps you might select a lock from the same brand you already have for that tight fit.
Do your research before you shop, too. Find the perfect lock dimension- and security-wise.
Remove Your Lock
Once you’ve picked up the perfect lock from a trusted supplier like Bob’s Lock & Safe, it’s time to install it. But you can’t do it without first removing your original lock.
It should be pretty straightforward to remove a lock. Just grab a screwdriver and remove the two screws that hold it in place. This is why you should buy a lock that has the same dimensions as your current — it’ll be easy to screw it right into place with the holes you already have.
Work from the Outside In
You’ll first attach your new bolt from the outside of the door. It should come with a mounting plate, which you’ll screw into the door.
The bolt should come with a pair of large screws, which you’ll use to attach the exterior part of the lock to the interior. Loosely screw them into place, but make sure the deadbolt aligns with the hole in your door before you secure it in place tightly.
Attach the Base Plate
Most locks will come with a decorative base plate that goes on top of all that you’ve installed. Finish the job by attaching this to the exterior of your door. It should be just as easy as the rest of your lock — twist a screw or two to secure it in place.
Swap Your Locks
As you can see, there’s not much to learn if you want to know how to replace a door lock. These five steps will help you re-secure your door with ease. And, if you need more DIY tips, we’ve got you covered with our blog’s do-it-yourself section.
