Step-by-Step Guide to Fitting Defender Door Locks

Examine the installation instructions that came with your Defender Security lock to determine the size of the holes you will need to drill for the bore and bolt. The bore is where the part that contained the actual locking mechanism passes from the front of the door through to the back. The bolt slides in and out of the side of the door. Typical bore holes range in width from 1 1/2 inches to 2 1/8 inches. Hardware stores sell specialized bore cutters this size that fit onto the end of a power drill.

Slide the reinforcer sleeve over the door at the height that you want the lock to be. Mark the hole for the deadbolt. Remove the sleeve.

Attach the appropriate drill bit to your drill and center it in the circle where the bore hole is to go. Have someone hold the door steady while you drill the hole front to back in the door while holding the drill level. Remove the core of the hole you just drilled.

Place the sleeve back over the hole and line the sleeve hole up with the door hole. With the holes lined up, mark the hole in the sleeve for the bolt hole on the side of the door. Remove the sleeve.

Drill around the interior of the marked the bolt hole and through to the bore hole with a 1/4-inch drill bit. Continue to make 1/4-inch holes until most of the wood between the side of the door and the bore hole is gone. Clean up any extra wood remaining in the bolt hole with a small wood chisel and light taps with a hammer.

Slide the bolt mechansim from the side hole to the bore hole. Slide the front and back sides of the door lock through door and bolt, Screw the lock into place.

Coat the tip of the bolt that goes into the door jamb with a dab of bright paint along its edge. Close the door and lock the bolt, forcing the painted edge against the door jamb. Open the lock and the door. You now have a painted line on the jamb showing exactly where the bolt needs a hole to enter the jamb.

Set the jamb striker plate over the jamb and line the bolt hole in the plate over the painted line. Draw the bolt hole onto the jamb and remove the plate.

Chisel out a hole in the jamb wood around the bolt hole drawing, and as deep as the bolt will sink into the wood. Test it several times with the actual bolt to ensure you are sizing the hole correctly. When you are satisfied, hold the striker plate on and screw it into place.