Change or rekey · Hamilton
Deadbolt Installation in Hamilton
You 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.
Deadbolt Installation
In plain words
Steel-clad and fibreglass doors, the common insulated entry doors in newer subdivisions, take a deadbolt happily as long as they are cut for it properly. The skin is thin metal or resin over a foam core, often with a wood block at lock height, so the cross bore is made with a hole saw suited to the skin, at low speed, and the edge is finished with a plate rather than a chisel mortise. Solid wood doors in older homes are cut conventionally, with care for splitting at the edge. The locksmith reads the door before drilling and picks the method that leaves a clean opening and a true-running bolt.
How the visit goesThe back door has a deadbolt in name only: a short bolt, a thin brass strike held by two little screws, and a jamb you can flex with your palm. It was fine for a builder's showing. It is not fine for a laneway.
Hamilton
How the visit goes
Which key should open it
A deadbolt is also a key decision, so the locksmith asks how the household's keys are arranged now. If every door shares one key, the new cylinder can be pinned to that same key, provided the keyways match, so nobody's ring grows. If the house has just changed hands, this is the natural time to set the new bolt and the other exterior locks to a fresh key and retire whatever copies are out there. Restricted or high-security keyways, keypad models with a backup cylinder and locks that must match a rental building's system all steer the choice of hardware, and it is easier to settle this before the box is opened than after.
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.
Looking after it through the seasons
A deadbolt asks for very little, and most of it happens twice a year. In spring and again in autumn, throw the bolt with the door closed and notice whether it still slides in freely; wood doors swell in humid summers and shrink in dry winter air, and the first sign is a bolt that needs the door pulled before it will lock. If so, a small strike adjustment puts it right. Give the bolt and keyway a puff of whatever lubricant the lock's own maker specifies, often dry PTFE or graphite, since some cylinders are serviced with oil instead. Wipe salt off the outside trim after a slushy week so the finish stays bright.
Deadbolt Installation
In the van
- Jamb reinforcer
- Strike box
- Sharp chisel and mallet
- Boring jig and 54 mm hole saw
- Manufacturer's bore template
What affects the quote
Same fees day, night or weekend
1Mechanical, keypad or smart lock
Electronic deadbolts carry a different hardware line and add setup time for codes, pairing to a phone and a walk-through, all of which appear as their own entries.
2Keying alike or a fresh key
Pinning the new cylinder to your existing key, or setting several doors to a new key, is bench work quoted per cylinder, plus the number of keys you ask to have cut.
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
The door has to be pulled before the old bolt will lock. Will a new one fix that?
The new bolt will only lock as smoothly as the door and frame let it, so the locksmith deals with the cause as part of the installation. A door that has sagged on loose hinges gets longer hinge screws or a shim, thick weatherstrip is trimmed, and the strike is set from the bolt's actual position with the door closed. The pocket is bored deep enough for a full throw. Afterwards the bolt should slide with fingertip effort.
What should I have ready before the locksmith arrives?
Know which doors you want bolted, what they are made of, and whether each already has a deadbolt or only a knob. A photo of the door face and edge helps. Have any existing keys to hand, decide whether you want everything on one key, and mention glass near the lock, a storm door in the same opening, or a rental agreement. If you have already bought hardware, keep the box and template together.
I rent. Can I have a deadbolt installed on my unit door?
You can, with a conversation first. Tenancy rules in this province expect a tenant to have the landlord's consent before changing locks and expect the landlord to hold a key, so ask in writing and share the plan. Many landlords welcome a proper bolt. The locksmith can key the new cylinder to the building's existing key where the keyway allows, and leave a note of the model and keys cut for the building manager.
Change or Rekey Locks
- Lock Replacement & UpgradeThe century home's original mortise lock takes a key the size of a spoon, sticks in humid weather…
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceThe knob flops loose on its spindle and never springs back to level.
- Smart Lock InstallationThe deadbolt is a stiff double-cylinder model that needs a key from both sides, and in the dark…
Deadbolt Installation near you
Think of this as the workshop list for Hamilton. Emergency lockouts and key extraction. Rekeying after a move or a staff change. Lock replacement and deadbolt installation. High-security cylinders and reinforced strikes. Commercial hardware, closers and master keys. Safe opening and service. Key cutting for house and car.