How to Replace a Door Knob
However careful you are, there will always be a time when unexpected incidents will cross your path. How to handle it will either make or break your day. Tidying up your house is one thing, repairing it is another thing. And if you are good in DIY repair then maybe you can do the fix on your own. However, asking an expert to do the job for you will somehow lift the stress on your shoulder. The decision whatsoever lies in your hands. The same thing goes with a dilemma in a doorknob, sometimes you might think that it is an easy job where you can just learn the nook and cranny from youtube and your door will look even better than before. But the reality of it isn’t that even close.
Replacing a doorknob needs not to be difficult if you know what to do hence asking for the help of a locksmith isn’t a bad thing at all. They have the expertise and the right pieces of tools to do the job, they are the expert after all hence the name locksmith. However, sometimes knowing works at your own advantage and it will somehow boost your skill and confidence too. Replacing a doorknob isn’t an easy job but it’s worth to try.
The tools needed for this DIY project are screwdriver and safety glasses. A doorknob kit with hardware is the material we’re going to work on. To replace a doorknob, we have to remove the old one first, use a screwdriver to release the knob enabling the knobs from both sides of the door to be pulled. Now here are four easy and simplified steps on how to effectively replace a doorknob:
First: Remove the Latch Plate. The latch plate can be found on the inside edge of the door.
Second: Replace with the New Latch Plate. Secure the new plate where the tapered side of the lock should face the strike plate.
Third: Install the New Knob and Spindle. Install the long spindle attached to the exterior part of the knob through the latch. On the interior of the door, secure the hardware and the plate.
Fourth: Attach Interior Knob. Align the parts and the interior handle can now slide easily over the spindle. Tighten in place the hidden set screw with a wrench. Test the doorknob if installed correctly.
Replacing a doorknob requires a lot of patience and precision, if you’re able to finish this project with flying colors, you might want this addition to one of your skills.
Have you ever experienced living with a housemate in an apartment? Or if you own a business, do you have employees who has access to your doors? Have you experienced an instance wherein your housemate or employee parted ways and not in a good way and unfortunately, he still has keys to your doors. Basically, if you no longer want someone to have access to your doors, what do you do? Do you remove all the locks and replace them with an entirely new locks? Did you know that re-keying is an option that will not only help you solve your problem, you can also save a lot compared to buying brand new locks for all of the doors of your establishment. In case you own Schlage locks, here are simple steps you can take when it comes to rekeying your locks.
If you want to rekey the locks yourself, it might take time and research since not all locks are the same, but it is possible. What you need is a Schlage rekeying kit. The Schlage rekeying kit includes all the parts and tools you need to repin the cylinders of locksets manufactured by Schlage. Some of the tools it contains are the follower bar, key gauge, and cylinder cap removal tool.
First, unlock the knob using the original key and leave the key in the cylinder. After that, remove the knob from the chassis using the key gauge. Detach the key and push the cylinder until it is fully removed from the knob. After that, go ahead and remove the C clip and then reinsert the key into the cylinder. Using the follower bar, remove the cylinder’s housing and then empty the bottom pins from the cylinder. This is the time you can remove the original key. Once you have successfully performed these steps, you’re now ready for the second phase of rekeying.
What you want to do is to locate the key cut number of the new key and insert it into the cylinder. Use the rekey kit as guide to match the numbers to your new key. After identifying the numbers, insert the correct numbered pins from the first hole to fifth. Verify that you have inserted all the pins correctly. Reassemble the lock the same way you have disassembled it. Finally, check if the rekeying is successful by simulating the locking and unlocking of the new key to your lock. If it worked, congratulations! You have just successfully rekeyed your Schlage lock!
if you want to have your locks rekeyed as soon as possible, the best way is still to call a trusted locksmith and do all the nitty-gritty job for you. The good thing about getting a locksmith to rekey your Schlage locks is that they already have the tools, knowledge, and experience in changing the mechanism of your locks as efficiently as possible for your security.
When choosing a lock, the most important aspect to consider the level of security it can provide for you. Schlage and Kwikset are the two leading brands in the industry of locks. So, today, let us compare them head-to-head and after this article, you will be able to find out which brand is best suited for the type of security you want to achieve.
Before we go ahead and look at each brands, it is important to know the two major ways thieves can break into your home or establishment: forced entry and non-forced entry. Forced entry means the burglars will enter your establishment through use of force and breakage. Another way, which requires expertise is non-forced entry, wherein the perpetrator will attempt to gain access through working through your locks’ mechanisms with the use of tools and possibly technology. This usually shows no sign of entry. Although these are both security risks you should protect yourself from, forced entry is what burglars more oftenly use to gain access compared to non-force entry because it doesn’t require any special skill. Take these into consideration when picking a lock.
Brief History
Schlage first entered the business of locks and security in the 1920s, nearing a century into the market. On the other hand, Kwikset came into the lock industry sometime around the 1940s. So in terms of longevity of the business, Schlage wins.
Similarities and Differences – Schlage vs. Kwikset
When it comes to traditional locks, the factors that should be considered is the components the lock is made of such as the housing, bolt, screws, and any additional features that can add as protection from forced entry. Schlage and Kwikset locks have almost similar builts. What makes them different from each other is the drill resistant plate located at the very outer part of the lock. The drill resistant plate helps protect the lock from being drilled. Schlage has this in their traditional locks while Kwikset doesn’t, which makes Schlage harder to compromise through forced entry means.
Conclusion
The two brands have been battling in the arena for the longest time, and when it comes to their different locks’ functionality and features, there is not much difference. When it comes to traditional locks, Schlage ups their game with drill resistant plates for more protection. When it comes to price, Schlage also offers their smart locks for a slightly cheaper price point than Kwikset locks. Whichever brand you will choose, keep in mind that when it comes to security, you can never go wrong by being extra secure.
Buying a property is one thing, securing it is a whole new definition of owning a home. Security and property tango together, without one, the other can’t dance. Hence when you secure a property, you have to secure it safely at the same time. You wouldn’t want your hard earned money go to waste, do you?
So what does rekeying have to do with safety precautions in your own home? A lock plays an integral part in securing your home. Maybe your house at one time is an open house where a lot of house seekers are tempted to make a bid but you caught the prize eventually and now that it’s yours, you have to make sure to guard it and close it to public. There are circumstances where a lock will not work fitly thus repair or rekeying may be applied. Rekeying or repair of the lock will, of course, put your mind at ease knowing that your door is now properly secured.
Now you might be wondering the cost of rekeying locks. There is a various locksmith who can offer a good bargain on such but you have to think a hundred times whether you really are in need of one or a replacement at that. Rekeying does not replace your lock but changing the old key to a new one. This is done by arranging the cylinders in the lock enabling the new key to work. It is rather complicated for a layman’s term and these complications are handled expertly by locksmiths. And the cost varies from every lock. Not all door locks are the same, some require different pieces of equipment and some needs a longer time to install one. What you have to think though is sometimes, the monetary cost is not important at all as long as you are secured and safe at the confines of your own home.
However, rekeying is a lot cheaper than replacing a lock. You might need rekeying most if you recently moved to a new house or if you lost your key. To deter unwanted people to enter your house if they found your keys, then rekeying is a must. Rekeying’s cost is rather affordable than having a ransacked house.
The cost to rekey locks depends on how complicated your door and lock is but one thing is for sure, it is way cheaper than replacing a lock.
How to lock a door without a lock is like an idiom when the pigs fly. But these days of the technological age, there is such thing as a door sans lock that can be locked, sounds cliche but it’s real. Although pigs still don’t fly but who knows.
And I’m no magician yet locking a door without a lock isn’t a trick at all. Maybe it can be a trick for those who don’t know but actually, this trick has been in the lock industry for quite some time now. We aren’t that informed because we don’t really work with a lock so the magicians on this are the locksmiths. They are after all trained and knowledgeable enough to handle any lock tricks. Now if you want to learn this trick, lock a door without a lock in particular then maybe you can. You might not end up a skilled locksmith for that matter but you’ll have a trick on your sleeve which you can boast to your family and friends.
However knowing the details on how to lock your door without a lock is such a skill if I may say so and of course, in reality, it can help and maximize your security. Knowing is half the battle so for whatever purposes you might have for wanting to know the details on how to lock a door without a lock, you will have to learn a lot of things before you can install one.
And on that note, here are some ways on how to properly lock a door sans lock. A portable lock is commonly used in the door lock. The best thing about this lock is that they can be used anytime as they are portable. They are frequently used for people who travel for added security for their luggage. Installing such lock is pretty easy, just follow the instruction pamphlet and you’re good to go. Making a barricade is yet another way on how to lock a door without a lock. A barricade can withstand strong forces hence choose a heavy object to hold the barricade. It can either be a durable chair or a sturdy dresser or any other heavy stuff that will enable the door to lock. A door wedge can also work. Wedge the door jam in the top of the door where the door opens until it is secured properly.
Now that we’ve unlocked the magician’s code, we might need to hone our trick to lock a door without a lock to become a skilled door master.