Change or rekey · Toronto

Deadbolt Installation

Someone tried the door last winter. The frame took it, but the strike plate is bent, one screw hole is stripped, and the bolt sits in the pocket at a slight angle.

Call now · open 24/7(289) 301-2168

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In plain words

For a main exit door the hardware choice has a safety side as well as a security side. A door people leave a home through should open from the inside without a key, so a single-cylinder deadbolt with an inside thumb-turn is the standard fit rather than a bolt keyed on both faces. Where glass sits close to the lock, the answer is a captive thumb-turn, laminated glass, or a tested security-film system with its specified frame attachment, not a key on the inside. The locksmith explains the trade-offs, fits the lock that keeps a stranger out and the family able to leave, and shows everyone the thumb-turn.

Sound familiar?

The front door has a handsome lever and a keyed knob, and that is all. Nothing above it. When the door is shut, the only thing keeping it closed is a spring latch the width of a thumbnail, and you have started to notice.

How the visit goes

Deadbolt Installation · Toronto

How the visit goes

Technician in a cap and hooded sweatshirt using a small screwdriver on the lever handle and lock case of a glass door.

1
How the door hangs and closes
Before a new bolt goes in, the door has to close properly on its own, so the locksmith swings it a few times and watches. A door that drops on tired hinges, binds against thick weatherstrip or has to be pulled to latch will put a new deadbolt out of line the moment the season changes. Hinge screws are tested for grip, the gap around the door is read for evenness, and the existing latch is checked against its strike. Small corrections here, such as a longer hinge screw into the framing or a trimmed weatherstrip, are made first so the deadbolt can be set to a door that sits square and stays there.
2
Marking and boring a fresh door
With the height agreed, the paper template is folded over the door edge and the two centres are marked: the cross bore on the face and the edge bore on the stile. A boring jig clamps over the door so the hole saw cannot wander, and the cross bore is cut from both faces to leave clean veneer or skin on each side. The edge bore is drilled with a 25 mm bit through the stile until it meets the larger hole. The locksmith then traces the bolt faceplate on the edge and chisels a shallow mortise so the plate sits flush, keeping the cut inside the lines so the edge stays sound.
3
A safer way out as well as a stronger way in
With a thumb-turn inside, everyone in the household can leave through this door without hunting for a key, day or night. The locksmith walks the family through the thumb-turn and shows children how it turns. If a double-cylinder bolt was replaced, the inside key is no longer needed at all and can be retired. Where glass sits near the lock, whatever measure you agreed on, a thumb-turn that locks with its own small key, a laminated pane, or a tested security-film system that can delay an arm's reach, is in place, so security did not come at the cost of a clear way out.

In the van

25 mm auger bit
Sharp chisel and mallet
75 mm (3 in) strike screws
Manufacturer's bore template
Strike box

What affects the quote

1
Removing and disposing of the old hardware
Some visits end with the old deadbolt and strike left with the homeowner, and others ask for it to be removed and hauled away. Taking the old hardware away adds a small amount of time and is agreed before the new deadbolt goes in.
2
Finish and trim style
Coated finishes built for salt and sun, matching trim for an existing handleset, and low-profile faces cost differently from a standard brass or nickel unit, and you choose the level.
3
Hardware supplied by you or by the locksmith
If you have already bought the lock, the quote covers labour and any adaptation of the door to that kit. Hardware supplied from the van is listed separately with its grade and finish.

Same fees day, night or weekend.

Have it ready

Before you call · 0 / 3

Is there a storm door or screen door in the same opening?
Does the door have to be pulled or lifted before it latches or locks at the moment?
Which doors do you want a deadbolt on, and does each one already have a bolt or only a knob?

(289) 301-2168

Deadbolt Installation: questions

Advice · (289) 301-2168

Someone forced my door. Can the new deadbolt go into the same frame?

In most cases, yes. The locksmith examines the jamb for splits and stripped screw holes, glues and pins any cracked section, and fits a full-length jamb reinforcer under the strike so the new long screws bite into sound wood and the stud behind. A new pocket is bored to the correct depth. Where the jamb is beyond repair, replacing that section of frame is discussed before any lock goes on.

Does a deadbolt work with a storm door or screen door?

It does, with one check: the thumb-turn and the outside cylinder have to clear the storm door when it closes. Most storm doors leave enough depth, but a low-profile deadbolt trim is chosen where the gap is tight. The storm door's own latch is separate and does not replace a bolt on the main door, since a screen frame gives little resistance on its own.

How do I look after a deadbolt once it is installed?

Very little is needed. Each spring and autumn, lock the door from inside and feel whether the bolt still goes home without the door being pulled; if it hesitates, the door has moved with the season and a small strike adjustment restores it. Whatever lubricant the lock's own maker specifies keeps it smooth, often a dry PTFE or graphite type in the keyway and along the bolt, though some cylinders are meant to be serviced with oil. In winter, wipe road salt off the outside trim to protect the finish.

Change or Rekey Locks

Deadbolt Installation near you

Malvern

Toronto, Ontario

Toronto information

Town: Toronto, Ontario
In business: 20 years
Hours: Open 24/7 · nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
Phone: (289) 301-2168
Work: lockouts, change or rekey, high security, commercial
Visits: On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.

What the census means at the door

58%

Older homes. About 58% of homes in Toronto were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.

Older housing means older frames. Wood that has settled for years leaves strikes slightly out of line, so a bolt drags or needs a lift of the handle. A locksmith expects this and brings the shims, longer screws and strike plates to correct it.

23%

Single-detached houses make up about 23% of homes in Toronto (2021 Census).

Attached housing turns over more often than detached, so rekeying between tenants or owners is a constant. Because suite doors tend to be standard, the job is usually a straightforward pin change and a fresh set of keys cut on site.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population