Change Door Locks

When you move into a new home, it is a good idea to change the locks on your doors. You also might need to change the locks if a babysitter, dog walker, or ex refuses to give your key back. Changing your locks is a good safety precaution and you can choose to do it yourself instead of hiring a locksmith.

Steps

Buying a New Lock

1. Check on the door latch to find out the brand of lock you have. If you buy the same brand, you will probably not need to make any adjustments to the hole in your door or the other locks in your house.
2. Measure the lock from the latch of the door to the middle of the doorknob. This is the distance from the center of the knob to the near edge of the door. The majority of the locks are 2 3/8 inches (6 cm) for interior doors and 2 3/4 inches (6.5 cm) for exterior doors. Many locks today will be adjustable to fit either size, but you will want to make sure.
3. Measure the height of the lock. Most locks are 36 or 38 inches above the ground. Make sure that your lock is consistent with the other locks in your house. Measure from the lock to the finish.
4. Purchase the new lock. Purchase a lock at a home improvement store or a locksmith that meet the specifications you took. You don’t have to buy the exact same lock as last time if you were unhappy with it. Just make sure it fits the measurements of your door.
   • Make sure you buy a lock that comes with a template. That will make the installation process much easier.

Replacing the Lock

1. Remove the screws from the old lock on the inside of the door. There will generally be two or three screws that you’ll need to remove with a Philips head screwdriver. Remove the screws and then pull each half of the doorknob away from the door. You will be left with an open hole in the door.
   • You may also need to use a wire tool or a paper clip. If your knob or lock has no screws on it, insert a paper clip into the small hole on the side of the doorknob. This should depress the knob latch and will allow you to pull the knob off.
2. Remove the 2 screws that hold the latch at the edge of the door. The latch is the final piece of lock equipment you need to remove. After you unscrew the two screws it should come out easily. The lock is now ready to remove.
3. Wrap the cardboard template around the door edge. When you buy a lock from a store it will come with a cardboard template that shows you exactly how the lock will fit onto the door. Place this template over the hole in your door and make sure that everything matches up. If the template does not match up exactly with your hole then it means you bought the wrong lock.
   • Take the lock that you removed back to the hardware store and ask them for a lock of that size.
4. Put the new latch into place. Place the new latch directly back where the old latch was. It’s best not to reuse your old screws. Insert the new screws into the door edge to steady the latch.
5. Put the door lock together. Put one half of the doorknob or lock through the outside part of the door and the other through the inside part the door. They should meet in the middle and connect. Don’t force them together, but allow them to slide together easily. Now replace the screws. Remember that the screws will be replaced on the inside so that intruders can’t unscrew your lock from the outdoors. Test the lock to make sure it is sturdy.
6. Test your lock. Lock and unlock the door a couple of times to make sure the lock is working correctly. Have someone try to enter from the outside so that you don’t accidently lock yourself out if your key doesn't work. The lock should not be jiggling at all – if it is unsteady that means you need to retighten the screws. You also may not have connected the locks correctly.

Knowing When to Replace Your Lock

1. Keep and eye on wear and tear. Damaged locks put you at a higher risk for a break in. Check once a year to see if your lock has severe rust or tarnish. Rusted locks can be forced open easily, and an intruder can notice the rust from the outside.
2. Replace all locks after break-ins. If your house was broken into then that means the security of your locks are compromised. They might have a key and plan to do it again, and if they forced the door open then the lock probably isn’t strong enough.
3. Consider switching locks when you welcome new roommates. It’s a good policy to change the locks when you get a new roommate. The old roommate may have given you the old key back, but there is no guarantee that he didn't get it duplicated before that. You probably trust your roommate, but this is a good safety precaution.
4. Replace locks if you lose keys. Even if you think you just lost the key under the couch somewhere, there is always a chance that it was stolen. Replace the locks in order of security priority. This means that locks leading to the outside are the once that you should deal with first, followed by locks to different rooms inside.

Troubleshooting

1. Check if your lock has a retainer ring. Once you unscrew the knob there may be a ring sitting around the cylinder that enters into the hole in the door. If your door has a retainer ring you'll need to buy a new lock/knob that includes a retainer ring.
2. Determine if your lock is a pin based lock. Some locks have color-coded pins that allow you to rearrange their order without replacing the entire knob. This allows you to get multiple uses out of a single knob. Remove the knob and check if there are multi-colored pins in it. If so, you may only need to buy new pins rather than an entirely new lock.
3. Make sure the new keys were cut correctly. If your new lock isn't working it may be the keys and not the lock. Sometimes locksmiths make errors.
   • If your new key isn't fitting into the lock or is getting jammed it may be the fault of the key. Don't assume you installed the lock incorrectly. Make sure you gave the locksmith the correct key to copy.

Tips

• Do not allow the door to close once you begin removing the old lock.

Related Articles

• Change a Deadbolt Lock
• Replace an Interior Doorknob
• Change a Mortise Lock Cylinder
• Install a Door Latch Attached Mortise Plate

Sources and Citations

See also

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• De‐ice a Car Lock
• Get Out of a Locked Car
• Lubricate a Lock
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• Open Combination Locks Without a Code
• Burglarproof Your Doors
• Keep Track of Your Keys
• Pick a Lock Using a Paperclip
• Open a Door with a Credit Card

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