Deadbolt Installation: before you call

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.

Worth answering before the call

Does the door have to be pulled or lifted before it latches or locks at the moment? Do you want the new deadbolt to work on the same key as your other doors? Which doors do you want a deadbolt on, and does each one already have a bolt or only a knob?

What do lock grades mean when I am picking a deadbolt?

Residential deadbolts are graded under an industry standard in three categories, security, durability and finish, with letter grades from C through A, so a lock marked with three A grades has met the highest level in each. Heavier commercial-pattern bolts are graded 1, 2 or 3, with 1 the highest. The grades let you match hardware to a busy family door or an exposed side entrance without relying on the weight of the box.

Can a deadbolt be added to a door that only has a knob?

Yes, on nearly any wood, steel-clad or fibreglass entry door. The locksmith marks a spot above the knob, clamps a jig to the door and bores a cross hole through the face and a smaller hole through the edge, then cuts a pocket and fits a strike on the frame. The main things checked first are the door's thickness, what is inside it at that height and whether glass sits close by.