How to Change an Exterior Door Deadbolt Lock

Let's take a look at how to change an exterior door deadbolt lock. It is not hard to learn how to change a deadbolt lock. The deadbolt lock on an exterior door should be changed anytime keys are lost or when moving into a new house. You don't know how many people have a set of keys to the deadbolt that is currently in the door. You will have safety and peace of mind by just changing the old deadbolt for a new one. You don't need to call a lock professional into do this job. You just need a couple of simple tools and a good how-to guide.

You will want to pick out a good grade of deadbolt. If you were not planning on keeping the deadbolt long or having to change it, then you would go with a less expensive deadbolt lock. The cheap ones just don't hold up as well. Many become discolored quickly and look old in a short time. Also the cheap deadbolts can be more difficult to install. You want the process to be quick and easy.

When you install a new deadbolt lock make sure it is one that states it will work with multiple back sets. This is very important. If you buy a deadbolt lock and the back set is wrong it will stick out to far and will not work. Many people have found this out the hard way. The deadbolt lock can be installed in just 15 minutes or less when replacing a old deadbolt lock on a exterior door. When there is already a hole present you just need to remove the screws in the deadbolt from the inside of the door. There will be two screws that hold the bolt in place also. These screws can be taken out with a phillips screw driver. You can use a cordless screw driver to make the job alittle quicker. Be careful when removing and installing screws with a cordless that you don't over tighten or wreck the screw head.

The deadbolt has a name of the company that is on the top of the deadbolt. This will help you to know which end goes up. You will want to install the bolt first. The bolt will slide into the hole, there will be the word "up" on the side of the bolt to let you know which end must go up. Then you will also take note to make sure that the bolt is centered in the hole also at this time. You can take the other parts of the lock, the front and back of the deadbolt and slide it into place to make sure the bolt is in the right place. Once you have done this you can screw in the two bolt screws into the door.

The front and back of the deadbolt lock will be screwed in from the back side of the door. Try not to move the locking rod to much. If this happens the key will not come out when locked or in the open position. Once you have tried the lock to make sure it works you can tighten the screws up. You can re-use the old striker plate that was on the door if you like. I like to have 2-3 inch screws in the striker or door jamb. The longer screws will make the door more secure.

This would then complete the process of installing a deadbolt lock in an exterior door.

Remember, safety first with all home projects.