How to Install a Sliding Bolt
You can install locks in your home that you can open from the outside with a key, but if you want to have a lock that won’t be accessible from the outside, you should get a sliding bolt instead. A sliding bolt offers extra protection for your place. It’s easy to install one, as long as you know the steps.
What You’ll Need:
Sliding bolt with screws
Screw head bit
Drill
Bevelled chisel
Hammer
Tape measure
Pencil
Safety goggles
Procedure:
Determine which door you’re going to put the lock on. Most people use sliding bolts for doors that lead to the outside of the house, such as the front, back door, or patio door. If you want privacy in certain rooms in the house, you can also install this bolt on their doors.
Using the measuring tape, determine the height you’re going to allot for your sliding bolt. It should be high, but not too much. Some people put their sliding bolts a few inches above the door knob. Make sure you measure and mark the two places (door and wall) with the pencil, ensuring that the bolt is level.
Align the bolt’s main body to the pencil marks you made. Get the pencil again, and mark the screw holes’ position.
Use the drill to make a shallow hole on each of the pencil marks you allotted for the screws. You don’t need to make the holes very deep, just enough to make drilling the screw easier. When drilling, wear safety goggles, as a precaution.
Get the screw head bit, and hold the bolt’s main body over the pilot holes. Drill it into position.
Get the staple and hold it level with the bolt, against the door frame. Use the pencil to draw around it. You’ll need to chisel a shallow recess that will aptly position the bolt holder.
Make a series of cuts along the outline you created first, before removing the wood.
Get the bolt holder and see how well it fits in the recess. Make sure you mark the screw holes’ position.
Change the drill bit to a narrow one, and drill pilot holes, the same way you did with the first part. Afterwards, fit the screw head bit again, then drill the staple in the recess properly. You’re done!
If it’s additional security you want, you should install a sliding bolt. It’s not a hard chore, but it will be very useful for a long time.