Nowadays it is difficult to imagine your life without metal doors and reliable locks. People feel safe at home when they lock their doors. It happens that they break, or the owners of the house decide to change the door. Then the tenants have a question, how to independently insert a lock into a metal door. By coping with this task, you can save money from the family budget, which would have to be given to a professional installer.
What do you need to understand before you get to work?
If there is a desire to try to independently insert a door lock into a metal door, then it is important to understand that the work must be done efficiently. Otherwise, there is a risk that thieves will get into the apartment. If mistakes are made in the process of replacing the lock on the door, the mechanism may break. Then you have to buy another new castle.
Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with the installation method of locks, find out what features exist. You need to learn how to work with tools. In addition, one of the most important points is compliance with safety standards during operation.
What tools will be required to install the lock?
To insert a lock into a metal door, certain tools will be required. The list includes:
- Drill. She will probably be in the apartment.
- Set of different drills.
- You should find a core for working with metal.
- Roulette and screwdriver are also useful. It’s better to keep a pencil on hand.
- Self-tapping screws and various screws are required.
- Do not do without a screwdriver.
Just in case, you can prepare a grinder, as well as a file and a tap. Parts are usually cut with a taps.
What is included in the safety regulations at work
When beginners begin to work with electric tools, many do not know simple safety rules. Such neglect of work leads to various injuries. To avoid irreparable situations, you should:
- First of all, to exclude the possibility of electric shock. To do this, you should always work with protective equipment. These include special gloves. Do not touch exposed wires. It is important to always wipe your hands well after washing and do not pull the instrument out of the socket with wet hands. It is worth checking the tools before work. If you notice, for example, a bare wire near a drill, then you should not use it in your work.
- Work exclusively with serviceable tools that have been previously checked.
- If during work it is expected that sparks will fly, then you should protect your face with a special mask. It is necessary to protect eyes from sparks from a grinder with special glasses. All protective equipment can be purchased at a specialized hardware store.
What determines the choice of a castle
In order to insert a lock into a metal door, you must first buy it. At the same time, the door must fulfill all the functions assigned to it. So, you need to choose a castle that suits it. The fact is that not all locking structures are suitable for the named material, so the lock is bought taking into account the thickness of the door on which it will be installed. So, a heavy lock cannot be attached to a sheet thickness of less than 3 mm. In addition, it is better to give preference to mortise locking devices. Locks for metal doors in this case will be protected from dust and dirt.
How lock models are distinguished
There is a separation of designs according to the installation method. Distinguish:
- Overhead locks. They are considered the easiest to install. An important part of this mechanism is located outside.
- Mortise locks. They differ in that they must be inserted inside the door leaf. Part of the material from which the door is made is cut out.
- Built-in locks. Installed at the factory. Manufacturers install them themselves, and then sell the doors with locks ready for use. They do not undertake to install them on their own, since installation requires disassembling the door. Such work is difficult to carry out alone, without specialized tools.
Locks are divided according to the reliability of the mechanism, as well as its secrecy. There are cylinder and crossbar locking structures. Recently, electronic locks have come into fashion. They are often purchased for hotel complexes. Magnetic and disk locks are in great demand. Cylinder are considered the easiest to install. Demand for them is constantly high.
How to install a mortise lock model
Before installing this type of lock, drill holes for the keyhole and under the doorknob. It will take a cavity inside the door, so that the mechanism is successfully "planted" inside. This work is quite complicated, it requires skill. The main task is to drill holes in the right places, to the nearest millimeter.
Step-by-step installation instructions
To insert a lock into a metal door, you must clearly follow the instructions provided, as well as listen to the advice of professionals in this matter:
- The first step will be marking up. It is necessary to determine the position of the future castle. To do this, you need a tape measure and a pencil. Height is chosen from 100 centimeters. The maximum value is a mark of one hundred and fifty centimeters.
- It is necessary to note the border where the notch will take place. It will take a drill to drill the right holes. After that, a grinder is taken. At this stage, you need to remember about safety glasses. The cavity is cut out. Along the edges there are bumps. They need to be removed with a file. You need to go through the core in advance. Then the drill will not go from side to side.
- The lock is placed inside the door leaf. It is important to immediately identify places for fasteners. By serifs, you need to drill holes. Screws will be installed in them. The next step is threading. A tap is used for this.
- When it was possible to determine the place for the well and the handles, then you need to attach the lock to the door and make notes. It is better to try to make a wide hole, after that you can fasten the necessary parts.
- If the mechanism is in working condition, then you can start installing the handle, after which the patch panel is installed. On the other side of the door frame, it is necessary to make niches for lock crossbars, a counter plate is placed on top of them.
- At each stage of work, you should check how the lock works and timely eliminate possible problems.
Installing a padlock
Changing the lock in a metal door on an invoice will be easier than on a mortise. Almost all of its mechanism is located on the outside of the door leaf. The basic rule in this case is to securely lock the lock on the door and make the necessary manipulations so that the crossbars can be blocked on the counter side. Most often, the overhead mechanism is mounted on special pins. The keyhole is located on the outside of the door leaf.
It is necessary to try on the lock on the door, circle its outline. It is important to observe the location of the holes in the lock and copy them accurately to the canvas. Usually overhead locks are set slightly higher than all the others. This installation option is convenient for further use of the mechanism and latch.
Finally
So, we looked at how to insert a new lock into a metal door. If you follow the instructions and have all the tools, there will be no difficulties during work. Such a design will reliably and for a long time serve its owner.