[Help] DIY door locks

[Moshe Gariani]

Hope NSCers in DIY mode this BH Weekend can spare a moment to offer me a bit of helpful advice...

Hopefully photos attached will basically show what needs doing.

Issue is that the replacement lock I've bought doesn't fit the holes in the doorframe or in the door edge.

I suspect the originals were done 20+ years ago. Is it likely that I could buy a different lock that would fit neatly into the existing holes? (62mm on door frame with 16mm vertical gap between holes... and 72mm total height of hole in edge of door)

Or is it a more difficult job needed to replace the plate in the doorframe and increase the size of the hole in the door?

Should it be possible to keep the knobs in the same place (will be messy if not...)?

Very grateful for any advice other than the likely duration of the work involved.

Sent from my SM-A127F using Tapatalk

 

[drew]

I'm no expert but guessing there's going to be a need for a chisel and some filler!!!

Also, I assume that isn't an external door to the house? If so, I suspect your insurers will require a minimum 5 lever mortice lock.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

It looks like your old knobs are misaligned, so I doubt if the handle worked previously. The lock has obviously been replaced previously as you can see the wooden block used to pack it out. The knob/lock arrangement is 90 degrees different to the one you have bought. It looks like you’ll have to remove everything and do a lot of filling, drilling and chiselling. You have all day tomorrow (if you have all the stuff you’ll need). Good luck with all that!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

That's a difficult job. You won't be able to fit that lock without drilling new holes for the spindle and even then you need to figure out how to align the key hole.

There are different sizes of that type of lock so I'd take your photos to somewhere like Dockeralls in Brighton and see if they have something of a better fit.

Personally I'd just hang a new door obviously assuming you don't mind losing the distressed look of the current door.

 

[GT49er]

Don't unwrap the new lock. Take it back to the shop - along with your old one so you can pick one with a matching profile - and then exchange the new one for the one that will fit.


Agree, not the best solution if you've planned to do the job tomorrow!

 

[Live by the sea]

Interior Doors are quite cheap nowadays , maybe easier to get a new door & get the lock fitted from new rather than muck about trying to retro fit something with filler which will likely come apart at some stage .

 

[Wardy's twin]

Do actually need a lock on the door if you don't that might simplify your task.

On some doors I had I filled whole with wood and used minimal filler and PVA to ensure it was in place. I then put a simple ball catch ( not sure if that is their official name ) on the door. This only works if the door fits the door frame snugly but tht sort of option or just using a simpler lock might work.

I notice that where your handle is wood is chewed up so filling teh cavity with wood will allow you to use bigger screws to get a more secure contact.

 

[Ding Dong !]

I'm a locksmith...

The old sashlock would have been a horizontal profile, you've bought a standard 2.5 inch upright sashlock......

Don't know how to post images but search for horizontal sashlocks ( looking at the photo's I'd guess a 6 inch case......something like a union 2077 You also might need to do a little carpentry too.

 

[Is it PotG?]

5 minute job.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I'm a locksmith...

The old sashlock would have been a horizontal profile, you've bought a standard 2.5 inch upright sashlock......

Don't know how to post images but search for horizontal sashlocks ( looking at the photo's I'd guess a 6 inch case......something like a union 2077 [emoji106] You also might need to do a little carpentry too.

Wow! Ding Dong! indeed...

Thank you so much for top info.

The holes in the door frame are 20mm bottom and 28mm top with 16mm between.

The hole in the edge of the door is 72mm and 118mm to the edge of the sort of recess.

 

[Ding Dong !]

Wow! Ding Dong! indeed...

Thank you so much for top info.

The holes in the door frame are 20mm bottom and 28mm top with 16mm between.

The hole in the edge of the door is 72mm and 118mm to the edge of the sort of recess.

You're welcome...... almost certainly a 6 inch case ( Union 2077 ). This should also allow the knob handles to be put back in the near as dammit same place.

Oh and certainly don't need to change a nice door like that, that some have suggested

Good luck

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Do actually need a lock on the door if you don't that might simplify your task.

On some doors I had I filled whole with wood and used minimal filler and PVA to ensure it was in place. I then put a simple ball catch ( not sure if that is their official name ) on the door. This only works if the door fits the door frame snugly but tht sort of option or just using a simpler lock might work.

I notice that where your handle is wood is chewed up so filling teh cavity with wood will allow you to use bigger screws to get a more secure contact.

Thanks very much for this. Could be the right answer as don't need lock - just want the door to stay shut and pets not able to nudge open...

Could ball catch (aka "bales catch") just be lined up with the existing lower squarer hole in the door frame? Or would the matching recess need to be fitted? Door to frame fit is reasonably snug so could be viable. Handles going back on to securely cover chewed up places is good too.

Sent from my SM-A127F using Tapatalk

 

[Moshe Gariani]

You're welcome...... almost certainly a 6 inch case ( Union 2077 ). This should also allow the knob handles to be put back in the near as dammit same place.

Oh and certainly don't need to change a nice door like that, that some have suggested

Good luck

Thanks again. Concerned though that edge to spindle (105mm) and edge to key hole (37mm) distances that I have are not standard. Are 125mm and 50mm more common? Feels like required woodwork could be difficult even if vertical distances fit..?

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[Moshe Gariani]

Would this work catching into the existing doorframe hole if I could line it up...?


https://www.hiatt-hardware.com/heav...V2IDB_y1IcMB8ZGfaeQo_D_CCa3Pux8hoCniAQAvD_BwE

 

[GT49er]

Thanks very much for this. Could be the right answer as don't need lock - just want the door to stay shut and pets not able to nudge open...

Rather depends what sort of pet you want to keep out! Hamsters or budgies.......fine, no prob. A well fed and determined cat? ...... hmmmm....I'd back the cat. A labrador seeking your (possibly unwilling) attention? - not a chance!

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Rather depends what sort of pet you want to keep out! Hamsters or budgies.......fine, no prob. A well fed and determined cat? ...... hmmmm....I'd back the cat. A labrador seeking your (possibly unwilling) attention? - not a chance!

Ah... back to sashlock it is then - as we have both a determined cat and an attention seeking labrador in the reckoning...

 

[Moshe Gariani]

You're welcome...... almost certainly a 6 inch case ( Union 2077 ). This should also allow the knob handles to be put back in the near as dammit same place.

Oh and certainly don't need to change a nice door like that, that some have suggested

Good luck

After a bit of looking around online, I think it is a 5 inch case that I need and then my horizontal distances to spindle and key will match up. I'm assuming that the vertical distances are helpfully standardised (even going back a few decades) so the new lock will fit the existing doorframe holes... hope I'm not being too optimistic. E.g. Will any 5 inch case I find online fit or do I need to be careful?

 

[Wardy's twin]

Ah... back to sashlock it is then - as we have both a determined cat and an attention seeking labrador in the reckoning...

not sure i would dismiss it that quickly as it could depend on tightness/snugness(?) of the fit.

I assume you don't have the old lock.....

If you are in Brighton give Dockerills a call.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Please can you check your PM box.

 

[Questions]

Have you tried taking it off and then putting it back on again ?