How to change a lock
As a self-employed painter, decorator and handyman one of the most popular jobs I’m asked to do is changing locks. It might seem like a strange request, but there are actually quite a few reasons why people want to change their locks and get replacement keys:
- If you’ve lost your keys
- Moved into a new home
- The current lock is difficult to open or close
- If you lend your key to a neighbour/worker and don’t get it back or just want peace of mind that it hasn’t been copied
- After a break in
When my wife and I moved house earlier in the year we soon discovered that our front door and porch door locks were very stiff to open. Changing the locks was the obvious thing to do. The thing is changing a lock is pretty easy and it’s probably something you can do yourself with ease.
The first thing you’ll need to do is determine which type of lock you have. Sometimes the key has this information printed on it, or it may even be on the lock itself. Once you know this you can go out and buy the same brand. This ensures that you won’t have to make any changes to your door therefore making the job easier for you!
The next thing you’ll need to do is remove the existing lock and fit the new lock. As mentioned above if you’ve bought the same brand of lock that you previously had, then you can probably keep the existing latch plate and strike plate. I find it’s best to leave the old ones in if you can as quite often when you remove and change screws it can weaken the hold that they have of the door which you don’t want to do.
So there you have it. It’s pretty easy to change a lock and once you’ve removed the existing one you’ll probably remember what where goes where and how it works. Good luck!
