Tips for installing door & window locks


Use Blair's handy tips and find out why installing new door and window locks, including vertical deadbolt locks, is easy! When you buy your locks from us, we're happy to give you great installation advice.


Installation tips
  • Choose the right lock for the job; although you can put some locks that are designed to go on a sliding door on hinged doors it is always better to put a lock that was designed for a hinged door on a hinged door.
  • Use the correct tools; a screwdriver is not a chisel so don’t use one as a chisel. You must have all the tools needed before you start.
  • Make sure your tools are in good condition; you are more likely to cut yourself or make a complete mess of your door if the tools you are using are blunt or not working correctly.
  • Take your time. If you are in a rush you are more likely to cut yourself or damage the door.
  • New lock not working? If you have just fitted a new lock and it is not working properly it is more likely you have assembled the lock incorrectly or the holes are not lined up. It is unlikely that a new lock is faulty. Read the instructions again and try again.
  • Don’t get frustrated. Although fitting locks is not rocket science it can sometimes take some thinking to get it right. If things are not quite going to plan take a break and read the instructions over a cup of coffee then get back to it.
  • Handy hint: If the hole in the timber you are screwing into is too big or the thread has gone, glue some matches into the hole then screw into the matches.
Free Advice
  • Be good to your mother. No, be good to everyone because Karma will come back and bite you.
  • You will never win the Nicaraguan state lottery particularly if you don’t have a ticket.
  • When a friend loses a loved one there probably is nothing you can say to make him/her feel good, just be there.
  • Don’t spend too much time in bed, most people die in bed.
  • Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get.
  • Don’t worry too much about youth, they need time.
DIY tips to save you time & money
  • If you have trouble getting your key in or out of your lock, puff some graphite in the keyhole then push the key in and out a number of times. Don’t use penetrative lubricants; you can spray liquid graphite or WD40 if no graphite is available but no other brands. No household oils of any types, no cooking oils of any types and no motor oils should be used to lubricate locks.
  • Most locks will give you warning signs that they have a problem. It pays to get the problem sorted before the lock stops working. The last thing you want to do is call me to a lock out at 11.30 at night on a Sunday in the pouring rain when your lock has broken.
  • Where are your spare keys? Cars are becoming harder to steal as most modern cars have transponders and alarms. A common thing for criminals to do is break into your house and take your spare keys then come back and take your car - easy when you have the key. Most insurance companies only allow $500 for a locksmith to change your locks when you have your keys stolen. Don’t hang your spare keys on a hook in the kitchen.
  • Stop a rattle in a door. There is more then one way to do this - first check the latch is working correctly and is not bent. If all is well with the latch, moving the strike plate is one option or if it is only a small (but annoying) rattle, a drawing pin on the top of the door frame sometimes works.
  • Draft excluders can reduce drafts around doors. Only use them in places that you need them. If you put unnecessary stress on your lock it may need to be replaced before it’s time.
  • Paint the top and bottom of the door. People don’t paint the top and bottom of the door then wonder why the door swells when it rains.
Purchase your top quality, affordable locks and keys, including window locks, door locks, deadbolts, security keys, automotive keys and house keys, from Berhampore Locks. If you buy three locks from Blair to the value of $50, he'll throw in a free extra key!
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