After renovation of an apartment, new ones are often installeddoors. However, often the panels are delivered without handles and locks. In this case, you can install the fittings yourself. In addition, the owner of the apartment has the opportunity to choose the lock that will be the most suitable and convenient.
Construction of interior door.And well-chosen handles will complement the interior well and complete the appearance of the interior door. In some cases, it is impossible to select a door leaf with ready-made fittings, and separate installation of the lock becomes the only way out.
Why need locks in the interior doors
Many people wonder why they lock the door to a room. However, there are situations when it is simply necessary.
Scheme of a lock for an interior door.
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Necessary materials and tools
To avoid being distracted from work, you need to prepare everything you need in advance:
Tools for installing a lock for interior doors.
When everything is ready, you can start working. Return to Contents</a>
Choice of a place for the castle
First of all, you need to see from whichmaterial the door is made of. If it is a solid wooden panel, then the lock can be installed in any convenient place. The recommended height is 90-100 cm from the floor. But for someone it may be convenient at 80 cm or 110 cm. To determine the optimal location, you can simulate opening the door. It is advisable to ask family members to do this. The optimal height should be marked on the door.
Replacing the door handle.If another material is used, then it is necessary to determine where the additional beam is located, since it is into it that the fittings will be cut. For MDF doors, it is located at a height of 1 m from the floor. Before buying a lock, you need to measure the thickness of the door. If the lock does not fit in size, it will be impossible to install it. The minimum door thickness for a lock is 4 cm. You need to check whether the frame can withstand the load, whether there is any damage to it in the place where the lock is supposed to be installed. Return to the table of contents</a>
The layout of the door and the preparation of the hole for the key
Installation of a lock in interior doors beginsfrom the marking. The canvas is removed from the hinges and placed on its side. The place for cutting the latch is marked on the end part. The lock is applied to the sides and outlined along the contour. A special mark is made where the key will be inserted: here you will have to drill through the door. The height of the lock and the mounting strip is marked on the end side. To make an even round recess in the canvas, you will need a drill with a crown. The diameter of the drill must be selected depending on the locking mechanism: it must fit freely in the recess. But you also need to take into account the size of the decorative overlays: the hole must be completely hidden by them. The reserve space must provide for the possibility of attaching the fittings to the door using the screws included in the kit. According to the previously made markings, we drill a hole for the strip connecting the handles. This must be done from both sides so as not to damage the canvas when the crown comes out from the back side. Return to the table of contents</a>
Drill holes for the lock mechanism
Layout diagram for installing the lock ininterior door. First, prepare a place for the lock mechanism. To do this, use a feather drill to make a hole with a diameter slightly larger than it. As a result, the entire lock should fit in there easily, fit freely, but not dangle. In order not to make a mistake with the depth, measure the length of the lock mechanism on the drill and make a mark. Insulating tape is suitable for these purposes: it is wound in several layers in the right place. When the drill sinks into the door, the tape will rest against the edges and will not allow the hole to be made deeper than necessary. Depending on the size of the lock mechanism, you may need to drill 2, 3 or more such holes. When they are all ready, they need to be connected. Using a chisel, you need to remove the partitions between the recesses. You can use a file. Then you need to align the recess for the lock. A file with a large notch is suitable for these purposes. The final processing is carried out with a tool with a finer notch. After the work is completed, you need to clean the recess from sawdust. Return to Contents</a>
Preparation of the place for the bar, the final stage and verification
When the hole is ready, it is appliedthe front plate of the lock so that the holes for the lock on the door and on the plate match. Its outer contour is outlined. Using a hammer and chisel, make a recess equal to the thickness of the plate. The plate will be inserted here. It should not protrude from the door leaf. If necessary, you need to deepen the recess, otherwise the door will not close.
Drilling pattern for the lockmechanism. Now the control installation of the lock mechanism is carried out. It should be inserted without distortions, fit freely in the recess, and the plate should be applied without interference and not stick out from the door. The mechanism of the lock with the tongue is installed in the prepared holes. The bar is fixed with two self-tapping screws. According to the attached diagram, the entire lock is assembled on the interior door, the handles and all decorative elements are attached. The mechanism is ready. One detail remains. In order for the door to close, there must be a recess for the tongue of the lock on the jamb. First, you need to determine its location. To do this, mark the place where the latch touches the jamb, its lower and upper boundaries. In the center, make a recess where the tongue will enter. The recess should be longer than the latch by 2-3 mm. Then the fixing bar is applied and outlined along the contour. With a chisel, make a recess for the thickness of the overlay. If there is a plastic pocket, install it first. A decorative overlay is attached on top using self-tapping screws. If the strip protrudes and interferes with the door closing, the recess needs to be deepened a little.
Scheme of an interior door with a lock.The most important moment. To check how the lock mechanism works, you need to see it in action. Tests should be carried out with the door open. To do this, first simply move the handle, monitor the ease of movement of the tongue: it should not jam. Then check the closing and opening with the key. These actions should be performed freely. Only if these manipulations did not cause difficulties, you can try to close and open the door. If any problems arise during the test, you need to disassemble the lock, find out the cause of the malfunction and fix it. Return to the table of contents</a>
What to do if something went wrong
Main problems:
- seizure of the tongue;
- tight rotation of handles;
- key jamming.
Reasons:
- The tongue will seize if the lock mechanism is installed too tightly or with a skew;
- The free movement of the latch can be hampered by the chips remaining in the groove;
- due to the lock being skewed, the handles may turn with difficulty and the key may not close;
- due to the wrong assembly of the handle mechanism, the tongue will not move;
- the key will not close the door if the lock itself is incorrectly assembled, tightened with excessive or insufficient force.
Depending on the detected malfunction, you can:
- To disassemble the lock and extend the recess;
- clean the cut from chips and sawdust;
- set the lock so as to eliminate the skew;
- Reassemble the handles following the instructions;
- Reassemble the lock mechanism.
It is quite easy to cut a lock into a door with your own handssimple. You don't have to be a master cabinetmaker to do this. If you know how to hold a hammer and a chisel, there won't be any significant difficulties with installing a lock in an interior door. The general scheme is always the same, the details may differ depending on the type of mechanism used.
