How to put locks in metal doors correctly?

If the principle "my home is my fortress" is used, and a metal front door was purchased for the purpose of protecting your apartment or house, then you need to take into account that a high-quality locking mechanism is needed to ensure safety. It is best to entrust the installation of the lock to specialists, but self-installation may well be within your power. But first you need to find out what types of locking devices exist.

There are many locking mechanisms on the market today. They differ in the method of installation and the degree of reliability and secrecy.

According to the installation method, the door devices are divided into several options.

• Overhead. The main part of this locking mechanism is located on the outside of the door. Installing this kind of lock is usually not a problem.

• Mortise. Crashes into the body of the door. For correct installation, you need to correctly select the recess in the door body.

• Built in. Factory built into the door. Do-it-yourself installation is almost impossible, since the dismantling of the entire door will be required.

• Hinged. This is a rarely used type of locking device. Differs in ease of installation - you just need to weld two eyes and hang the device.

According to the level of security and secrecy, locking devices are divided into the following categories:

• cylinder;

• levers;

• crossbar;

• code;

• disk;

• magnetic.

The first two types (lever and cylinder) are the most common.

The cylinder product consists of a lock cylinder and an internal mechanism. It can be both overhead and mortise. Differs in a high level of security. The advantages of this locking mechanism include the fact that in case of loss of the key, only the change of the larva is necessary, and not the dismantling of the entire device.

The design of the lever locking mechanisms consists of a core and a set of levers - code plates. The larger the number of plates, the higher the degree of reliability and safety of the lock.

Electromechanical and electromagnetic locking devices are becoming more widespread. They are distinguished by an even greater level of protection against unauthorized entry.

The design of the electromechanical lock uses a combination of mechanical and electrical elements with an electronic mechanism. As the name implies, electromagnetic locking devices consist of an electromagnet built into the lock body and metal elements. The advantages of these products are a long service life and a high level of safety.

Before you buy a lock for a metal door, you need to listen to the recommendations of people who have experience in this area.

There are also some tips to take into account.

• It is necessary to purchase products from well-known manufacturers. It is worth asking on the Internet for reviews of the proposed models.
• The miser pays twice, so the cheapness of the locking mechanism should not become a selection criterion.
• It is worth duplicating the lock with a different type of device.
• You can get advice from the seller about the features of the device and the use of the product.

Additionally, you need to take into account the classes of resistance to burglary.

• First class locks are the most unreliable devices in this regard.They are used not for front doors, but for interior and wardrobe locks.
• Products of the second class are distinguished by an average level of burglary resistance.
• Locking devices of the third and fourth classes are the safest. They are used to protect bank vaults, safes and other guarded premises.

Preparation for installing the lock is as follows:

• in the purchase of the locking mechanism itself;
• in the preparation of the necessary tools and fasteners;
• in the mark of the necessary areas for the elements of the lock.

No special tools are needed to mount a new or replace an old locking device. Everything you need is included in the usual set:

• angle grinder (grinder);
• electric drill;
• sharpened metal rod;
• measuring ruler and pencil;
• screws, screws;
• screwdriver or screwdrivers;
• file;
• thread tap.

One of the first steps in the process of installing a door lock is marking the mounting locations and fasteners. It is necessary to choose a comfortable height for the location of the locking mechanism, attach the lock to the door and outline the contours. The attachment points should be noted.

The main problem of installing a locking device in iron doors is that a very durable material must be processed. The installation method of the locking mechanism depends on its type.

When replacing an old door mechanism, remove it. Elements of a new lock should be inserted into the resulting voids. If all dimensions are the same, the entire installation will be reduced to fixing it.

To mount the mortise model, it is necessary to make holes for the handle, wells and a groove for the mechanism itself.

Initially, you should mark the location of the recess for the lock mechanism at the end of the door. The approximate height of the lock cut is 1-1.5 m. Along the edges of the marked area, you need to drill holes and cut a groove with a grinder. The edge of the recess should be filed with a file to grind the resulting irregularities. To prevent the drill from slipping, you need to mark in advance with a punch.

Then you need to insert the lock into the prepared groove and mark the places for the fasteners. After that, you need to make holes for the screws with a drill and outline the thread.

Next, it is necessary to mark the places of the holes in the canvas for the well and the handle, and then cut them out. Then you need to put the mechanism in the groove.

Now it is necessary to check the functioning of the lock. If no problem is found, the handle and cover can be attached. The core of the mechanism must be lubricated and the key is turned to the position of the closed lock.

On the door frame, you should mark and make holes for the lock bolts with a drill, fix the striker on top.

To prevent shifts, you need to check the functioning of the locking mechanism after each step performed.

The difference between the installation of the overhead type of the locking device is that the main body of the lock is located on the plane of the door, and not inside it.

It is necessary to make a marking of the places of installation of fasteners, pins, the location of the well and other components. To ensure the comfort of using the latch, the overhead mechanisms are installed above the mortise ones.

It is necessary to install the pins for the fasteners, drill a hole in the body of the door for the well and install the mechanism on the pins. After that, you need to check the operation of the device. If no faults are found, the mechanism should be screwed to the door leaf. From the outside, you need to attach an overhead strip.

After that, it is necessary to mark on the door frame a place under the overhead block, cut a groove along the marks, make a thread for fasteners. Next, you need to attach a reciprocal element, which is intended for the entrance of the lock crossbars. It is very important to install this block correctly, otherwise the crossbars will not be able to enter the holes intended for them.

At each stage of the door lock installation, it is necessary to check the correct location of the structural elements and the functioning of the locking mechanism. The slightest inaccuracy can lead to the fact that the door will be difficult to close or open, and sometimes even impossible. It should also be borne in mind that if such problems are detected, you will most likely have to completely dismantle the locking mechanism and install it in a different place.

How to properly embed a lock into a metal door, see the video.