All Questions
22 questions
37
votes
5
answers
294k
views
What kind of lubrication should I use for a lock?
I recently made the Yale lock on my front door much easier to open by spraying some WD-40 in there.
However, I just saw this question on WD-40 not being a “true” lubricant, and wondered whether it ...
- 565
31
votes
3
answers
64k
views
How to open a door that has the insides of a door handle inside without a door knob
Currently this is what my doorknob looks like below
I was trying to change out my doorknob and left both sides inside of the room but the AC kicked on and shut the door on me and now I am stuck ...
- 413
14
votes
1
answer
171k
views
How do I remove a Kwikset deadbolt with no screws on the inside plate?
My exterior door deadbolt has gotten stuck - it'll open with the lever but not the key. By spraying WD-40 inside the lock, I've been able to get it to work but it's very stiff. I'd like to remove the ...
10
votes
5
answers
4k
views
What is this kind of door lock called in English?
Would it be called "overlap door lock"?
Instead of being installed inside the door, it is screwed outside of the door.
- 235
3
votes
1
answer
13k
views
How do I replace mortise locks with bored cylindrical locks?
I purchased an older home that has mortise locks in all of the doors. They're all very difficult to use and some of them don't work at all, making the doors difficult to impossible to close. Since I'm ...
1
vote
3
answers
758
views
Temporary lock for a door
Is there a way to lock a door temporarily without making modifications to the door or its frame; or making minimal modifications like screw holes. I don't want to be cutting big circular holes in the ...
- 6,923
10
votes
5
answers
23k
views
How can I prevent an outside lock from freezing?
I store a bunch of the "outside stuff" in the shed for the winter. Mainly things that I only use when the weather is warmer. It pretty much remains locked up for the winter. Occasionally though, I ...
- 6,329
6
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Where can I find a key for my old locks?
My house was build in 1938 and the whole house has these door knobs everywhere. I believe they were made by Dexter. Is there a way to ID them properly and, if so, where can I find someone who makes a ...
- 251
4
votes
1
answer
7k
views
How can I remove a Mortise Lock and deadbolt from a door?
I got an old door from a junk yard that I'm trying to reuse. The door is going to end up being sliding barn door so I have no use for its existing door knob and lock mechanisms. From what I can tell ...
- 175
3
votes
4
answers
126k
views
How to drill a hole in the wood without an electric drill?
During a travel in Laos, I need to drill some holes into a double-door's wood to install a locker. The wood is rather hard, and I don't have an electric drill (and can't find it).
I only have 2 small ...
- 133
3
votes
7
answers
6k
views
How do I find a replacement door lock for this?
I moved into a newly built home and am trying to replace the deadbolt and the lever below.
But I'm not able to find a replacement lock that replaces my existing locks. All locks I've looked at have ...
- 145
3
votes
2
answers
10k
views
Pella Door won't lock (3 point lock)
I have several Pella doors in my home with the 3 point locks (top and bottom "shootbolts" and a dead bolt near the handle). They have been problematic. The locking mechanism on a couple of ...
- 23.3k
2
votes
1
answer
299
views
Is this door striker and lock safe?
This is my first house and I didn't notice little things during the viewing etc. At the time more interested in condition of the roof/furnace/foundation.
Anyway get into it and start noticing little ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Removing old Entry Door dead bolt lock
Attached is the picture of circa 1987 dead bolt lock from the back after removing the back plate. Could not find manufacturer name but seems like Kwikset based on key types. The front of the lock ...
1
vote
2
answers
249
views
What kind of cylinder do I need for this type of lock?
I have a Fleetwood Archetype door lock for sliding doors that I want to improve by adding an external locking mechanism. It looks as following:
The lock is described in more detail in its patent ...
- 510
1
vote
1
answer
4k
views
How do I remove this doorknob?
We live in a townhouse built in the 40s ... probably renovated in the 50s ...
I want to replace this doorknob with one that has a key lock.
I can't figure out how to remove it!
I was able to ...
- 119
1
vote
2
answers
4k
views
Adjusting deadlatch so it doesn't fall into strike pocket
Our front door's deadlatch falls into the strike pocket when pulled close -- if gently closed, it's ok. So it just needs a minor adjustment.
If you look at the latch, you can see where it has been ...
- 709
1
vote
1
answer
2k
views
What can I use to back a door jamb strike plate with no framing behind?
So I'm trying to replace the original entrance handleset door lock from my almost 100 year old house and after removing the old lock and patching up the holes. I looked inside the door jamb and ...
1
vote
3
answers
22k
views
Doorknob only turns one way
This doorknob when locked spins either direction without opening. When unlocked, it used to work like a normal doorknob but now will only turn counterclockwise. Is there an easy way to fix this so it ...
- 155
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How to change locks on front door with old handle-set?
It is unclear to me how to change the locks on my front door. The handleset is old and the alignment of the deadbolt/key/knob doesn't seem to match what I see in Home Depot (see picture). Any advice ...
- 71
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What kind of lock do I need to lock this sliding door from the outside?
I have a sliding door in my home that says "Fleetwood" and looks like this:
The outside plate looks like this:
What kind of a lock is supposed to be used in this door to allow it to be ...
- 510
0
votes
1
answer
970
views
Door Jamb Rotted Where Latch Goes
I just installed a lock in my door and when attempting to install the latch I found that the wood was splintering and not stable, so I cut it out. My problem is similar to this one. What can be ...
- 121