Replacing a door lock is one of the simplest household jobs for which calling a locksmith is not necessary. It only requires a few tools that everyone has at home, as well as a willingness and a handful of valuable tips. Taking on this task will not only save you money and time, but will also make you the silent heroes of your home. Below there is a step-by-step guide to replacing the lock in your door. Let’s get to work!

When to replace a door lock?

A door lock, like any other object in our house, may wear out after some time as a result of intensive use. Broken, jamming mechanism requires immediate replacement. Sometimes its replacement is dictated by safety reasons. Installation of anti-burglary locks is always a good idea. Especially in the case of burglary and forcing the lock, we shouldn’t delay the replacement. Also, if we lose our keys, it is worth buying a new mechanism, because we can never be sure if the keys did not end up in the wrong hands. It is also a good practice to replace them after the tenants move out if we rent a flat.

Types of door locks – a mini guide

Door locks are divided into two types. Surface mounted – extremely practical, aesthetic and easy to use. Mounted on the door, on one side opened with a key, and on the other using a knob. The second type are mortise locks, which are mounted inside the door leaf, so that the mechanism remains invisible.

Is it necessary to replace the entire lock?

On the market there are mechanisms available, installed in the door, which require the replacement of the entire lock or just its part, called the cylinder. Cylinders are the elements into which a flat key is inserted. If you have such a lock, you probably will not have to disassemble it in its entirety, just replace the above mentioned cylinder. In the case of another model of lock, it will be necessary to disassemble the entire device.

Quick and efficient replacement of the cylinder

Replacing a cylinder is an express task. It does not require any additional purchases, except the cylinder itself. Make sure that the new model is the same size as the replaced element. At the beginning, unscrew the screws that allow us to attach the escutcheon to the door leaf. After removing the escutcheons, unscrew the screw used to support the cylinder. In order to remove the element, a key should be placed in the lock and turned to the right or left, until the pin aligns with the axis, which will allow us to easily remove the cylinder. In its place, install the new part and proceed exactly as before, but in reverse order. 

Step-by-step replacement of the door lock

Below we describe how to replace the mortise lock in the door yourself. You will need a drill-driver and a screwdriver. You should begin with dismantling the handle. In order to do this, you need to unscrew the screws, with which the escutcheons are attached to the door leaf. Escutcheons are mounted on two sides of the door and both must be removed. Then you must remove the cylinder. Here you will need a screwdriver to get rid of the screw holding the element in the lock. In the next step, insert the key into the cylinder and turn it to either side until the pin is in a position that allows you to remove the cylinder without any problems. After removing it, you can remove the lock by unscrewing the mounting screws, located at the top and bottom of the lock face. Use a screwdriver to lever the patch, and then remove the lock from the door. The worst part of the job is behind us. Now all you need to do is install the new component by inserting the patch in the opening and tightening it with the included screws. Make sure that they do not protrude beyond the face of the lock. Next, install the cylinder, following exactly the same steps as when removing it. Insert the key into the cylinder, turn it until no resistance is felt, which means that the cylinder is in the right position. Finally, fix it with a screw. The last step is to mount the escutcheons. Task completed.