As time goes on, our homes can get tired and worn down looking. I love to do a little DIY now and again to spruce it up a bit. We rent, though, so there aren’t a lot of things I can do to really change our house up. I’m allowed to paint the walls. I can always change out window dressings and blinds. And I can change the homes door hardware. As long as I give the landlord the keys when we move, or change it back to the old set, I can change it up as I see fit. You probably wouldn’t think about it much, but you can really improve the look of your home with new door locks!
And ladies, this is something you can do all on your own. It is so easy!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary Master Lock Dual Point Locking Security Set for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.
I recently changed our door locks, changing out the main door knob and the deadbolt. When we moved in, only the doorknob lock had a key. So we weren’t able to lock the deadbolt when we went anywhere, only the doorknob. I wanted to added security of locking it when we left the house, plus they were this ugly dingy gold color so I changed our existing set to a Master Lock Dual Point Locking Security Set. It took me, like, 10 minutes to change them both out. So easy.
To improve my home with new door locks, all I had to do was:
- Remove the two screws on the knob.
- Remove the two screws on the face plate.
- Then I took both the inside and outside pieces of the door knob off and slid the latch out.
To install the new one you basically do the same only in reverse.
- Slide the latch into the side of the door into the preexisting hole.
- Place the inside door knob into the existing door hole.
- Slide the outer door knob into the same hole from the outside, making sure the screw holes line up and making sure the key hole is in the correct position.
- Insert two screws into doorknob screw holes, tighten.
- Place face plate on door latch on the edge of the door and secure with two screws.
- Change the strike plate on the door jam by unscrewing the two existing screws and putting the new one in its place.
Your done! Gosh that was easy!
I also changed the strike plate to match the doorknob.
For the deadbolt, I did the same thing with the exception of the face plate. It’s made on. I am so in love with this door lock set. It is a Biscuit Style Knob Entry Door Lock with Single Cylinder Deadbolt in a Satin Nickel finish. One key works both locks. I’m finding as I get older that I really love the brushed nickel and bronze looks versus polished chrome. I used to be a chrome girl but I guess my taste is changing as I mature. I’m adulting!
Anyway, I think it’s really pretty on our door. It looks so much better than that ugly gold finish that the old door knobs had. bleh!
Here’s some product features if you’d like to learn more about this particular door lock set:
- Keyed alike entry door lock and single cylinder deadbolt
- Knob – six-way adjustable latch fits all doors: 2-3/8in (60mm) or 2-3/4in (70mm) backset, square, rounded corners, or drive-in
- Deadbolt (thumb turn inside) – four way adjustable; 2-3/8in (60mm) or 2-3/4in (70mm) backset, square, or rounded corners
- ANSI GRADE 3 performance
- For exterior locking applications, Entry door – KA4
I was pretty excited at how easy it was to install these door locks. I’d been waiting on Clay to do it but his work schedule is so hectic, he was either too tired to do anything when he got home and conked out in his recliner right after supper, or he was working and just didn’t have time. So I looked at everything and thought, you know what? I can do this! I do a lot of the fixer-upper chores. And what a difference it made. I’m going to be painting and then changing all the outer door locks this weekend and give them all a little revamp. And I can’t wait! I’m so ready for a change in this house.
So what about it, ladies? Have you ever changed your door locks? Do you tackle the chores on your “honey-do” list?
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I am a stay-at-home- mom, living in KY with my husband and children. I’m a travel and lifestyle blogger encouraging folks to live their life one adventure at a time while also focusing on beauty, essential oils and health. From time to time I also like to showcase my adorable pets along with my family. Along with Cinnamon Hollow I can be found at The Martin Family Adventure … read more
These look like a lot of great tips. I’m trying to figure out if I need new locks. My current ones have been there since the previous tenants lived there. I’m not sure if they still have the old copies or not. The last thing that I would want to do is to have someone mysterious break in with their key. I’ll definitely use your advice here when changing my locks. https://www.locallocksmiths.com.au
I’ve heard that knob locks aren’t very secure. It would be cool to convert my front and back door to the deadbolt style. What is the unit price for a deadbolt lock?
I am so glad that you talked about this! I was thinking about getting new locks on my doors, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to be worth it. Now that I found this though I definitely think that I would totally benefit from it. Thanks a ton Crystal for this.
Hi Brandon. New locks can make a world of difference.
Oh wow, so that’s how you would improve the home with new door locks. That sure is something that has me thinking about the jammed door lock that my wife keeps having trouble with. It seems like we’ll have to maybe ask a commercial locksmith about maybe getting rid of the jammed doorknob that the door of our laundry room has.
Thank you for all of the insight about changing the locks on your door. As you say, it’s beneficial to change the strike plate to match the doorknob, and I can see why. When you add uniformity to your door locks, it will make it harder for you to get locked out of your house, but it ensures that your home is completely safe and secure. Thank you for sharing!
I didn’t know it was that easy to replace locks on doors. I have those brassy/gold doorknobs and locks right now that you got rid if in your home. I want to replace them all, but need to save up a bit for the new ones. I’m glad to see that it won’t take me too long to do the job!
This was a really helpful article about making your home safer with new door locks. I have been considering replacing the locks on my doors, because I’ve had them since I moved into this house about eight years ago, and they’re looking pretty sorry. These look pretty easy to do, I may have to look into these locks a little more. Thanks so much for writing!
These are really awesome tips. I’ve only recently started locking the doors while we are at home because there have been several break ins in the area that have happened during the day, This is worth knowing
This is an impressive guide! Thank you for putting all of this info together. Its very important upgrading and strengthening our deadbolt and lock set to prevent break-ins. Keep sharing helpful things..
These all look very durable and reliable! Keeping your family safe should be a priority, and having the right locks on your doors are a big part of that responsibility! Very nicely done! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Some people use think of their home security as alarm systems, video cameras and motion detectors. But these are important tools that can be put into a home security solution. The more important security component is the doors of your home which are your first defense against would-be intruders and should be taken into careful consideration.
That was useful article. thanks
And one more thing is cute photo of you Crystal (Y)
http://WWW.yourdreamyhouse.com
Brute force security is needed for every door because as Brian said above, an intruder’s first target is your door. So there’s urgent need to improve security as I strongly recommend modern deadbolts. There’s a bunch more to see if you go to http://www.deadboltreviews.com