Illustrative locksmith scene — Deadbolt Installation, Ajax

Change or rekey · Ajax

Deadbolt Installation in Ajax

The front door has a handsome lever and a keyed knob, and that is all. Nothing above it.

In plain words

Replacing an existing deadbolt is usually a matter of matching rather than cutting. The locksmith measures the cross bore, the edge bore and the backset, checks the door thickness, and picks a bolt that drops into the holes you already have. Where the old lock was a builder-grade unit, the replacement can step up to a heavier grade with a hardened bolt, a free-turning collar around the cylinder and a low-profile face that gives a wrench nothing to grip. The old strike is checked against the new bolt's instructions, and where it calls for it, a reinforced strike and long screws go in while the door is already apart.

Sound familiar?

The old deadbolt has grown lazy. You turn the thumb-turn and the bolt creeps out halfway, then needs a second push with the door pulled tight. Some mornings the key has to be jiggled before it will come back out.

How the visit goes

Deadbolt Installation · Ajax

How the visit goes

1
How the door hangs and closes
Before a new bolt goes in, the door has to close properly on its own, so the locksmith swings it a few times and watches. A door that drops on tired hinges, binds against thick weatherstrip or has to be pulled to latch will put a new deadbolt out of line the moment the season changes. Hinge screws are tested for grip, the gap around the door is read for evenness, and the existing latch is checked against its strike. Small corrections here, such as a longer hinge screw into the framing or a trimmed weatherstrip, are made first so the deadbolt can be set to a door that sits square and stays there.
2
Working on a steel-clad or fibreglass door
Insulated doors are cut with the skin in mind. A hole saw with fine teeth is run at low speed through the metal face, with the jig doing the steering so the saw does not skate on the smooth surface, and the cut is finished from the second face to keep both skins clean. Swarf is vacuumed out of the core so it cannot work into the bolt. The edge is usually a wood or composite stile inside a folded metal lip, and the bolt is finished with a drive-in collar or a plate screwed into the stile rather than a chiselled mortise. Fibreglass is scored first so the skin does not chip, then cut the same way.
3
The rest of the door, tidied
A deadbolt installation usually leaves the whole entry better than it found it. Hinge screws that were loose have been replaced with longer ones that bite into the framing, so the door hangs square. Weatherstrip that pinched the door has been trimmed and the latch below the new bolt has been checked against its own strike. The bore edges are clean, any shavings and steel filings have been vacuumed from the sill and the core, and the finish around the new hardware is unmarked. Open and close the door a few times over the next week and let the locksmith know if anything changes as the door settles.

In the van

Strike box
Dry PTFE lubricant
Sharp chisel and mallet
Boring jig and 54 mm hole saw
Bolt faceplate or drive-in collar

What affects the quote

1
Door and hinge corrections
A sagging door, loose hinge screws or thick weatherstrip are put right before a bolt is fitted, and that adjustment is quoted as its own line rather than folded into the lock.
2
Storm door or restricted clearance
A tight storm door, a narrow lock stile or a decorative panel at bolt height can require low-profile trim or a shifted position, which is settled and quoted at the assessment.
3
Removing and disposing of the old hardware
Some visits end with the old deadbolt and strike left with the homeowner, and others ask for it to be removed and hauled away. Taking the old hardware away adds a small amount of time and is agreed before the new deadbolt goes in.

Same fees day, night or weekend.

Have it ready

Before you call · 0 / 3

Have you already bought the hardware, and if so which model and does the template come with it?
Is the door between the garage and the house one of the doors you want bolted?
Do you own the home, rent it, or manage it for someone else?

(289) 275-3289

Deadbolt Installation: questions

Advice · (289) 275-3289

How long does a deadbolt installation take?

A replacement into existing holes is generally the shorter visit, and boring a fresh door with a new strike takes longer, roughly an hour or two per door including the frame work and testing. Steel doors, keying alike, frame repairs after a forced entry and fitting a jamb reinforcer each add time. The locksmith can give a realistic estimate once the door and frame have been looked at.

Can I supply my own deadbolt?

Yes. Bring the box, the template and the instructions, and tell the locksmith the model beforehand so the bore and backset can be checked against your door. If the kit turns out to need a larger hole or a different faceplate than the door has, the locksmith adapts the door or suggests a matching model. Hardware bought online sometimes arrives set for a different door thickness, which is a small adjustment on site.

I rent. Can I have a deadbolt installed on my unit door?

You can, with a conversation first. Tenancy rules in this province expect a tenant to have the landlord's consent before changing locks and expect the landlord to hold a key, so ask in writing and share the plan. Many landlords welcome a proper bolt. The locksmith can key the new cylinder to the building's existing key where the keyway allows, and leave a note of the model and keys cut for the building manager.

Change or Rekey Locks

Deadbolt Installation near you

Pickering Beach

Durham, Ontario

Ajax information

Town: Ajax, Durham, Ontario
In business: 29 years
Hours: Open 24/7 · nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
Phone: (289) 275-3289
Work: lockouts, change or rekey, high security, commercial
Visits: On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.

What the census means at the door

23%

Newer homes. About 23% of homes in Ajax were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.

New homes frequently come with strikes held by short screws into soft framing. Replacing them with longer screws that reach the stud is inexpensive work that adds real strength, and it is one of the first things a locksmith checks in a newer area.

65%

Mostly houses. Single-detached houses make up about 65% of homes in Ajax (2021 Census).

Families in houses hand keys to children, cleaners, dog walkers and neighbours. A locksmith can set up a keypad on the side door for the household and keep the front door on a conventional key, so access matches how the family actually comes and goes.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population