Replacing An Old Mortise Door Lock With A Modern Lock

Replacing an interior mortise lock skeleton key with a modern lock with privacy latch press any key replacing an interior mortise lock skeleton key with a modern lock with privacy latch this seems to be one of the more popular posts on my blog.

Replacing an old mortise door lock with a modern lock.

Fit the new lock body into the old mortise. Remove the screws attaching the inside face plate to the edge of the door as well as the plates on the door faces. If you want to switch to a cylindrical design typical modern knobset mechanism is housed in the knobs and a cross bore rather than in a mortise or a rim surface mount lock you ll either want to leave the old mortise lock in place or glue in a block cut to exactly fill the space it occupied since otherwise the empty space would weaken the door. This can usually be done by removing a few screws in the door knobs around the face plate and the lockset.

Paint over the block to match the rest of the doorjamb. Remove the face plates prying them up with the screwdriver if needed. The problem with replacing the mortise with a bored cylindrical lock is that the new lock is smaller than the old and really has to be in the same location on the door as it s the strongest part of the door. Use a screwdriver to remove all screws rather than a drill.

Reinstall the lock in the mortise screw on the faceplate and replace the spindle and knob. Replace the cover and make sure the key throws the bolt from both sides. Pull the lock out of the edge of the door. Place two screws from your new door lock kit in the doorjamb to hold the template in place then use the bit from your lock installation kit to drill a hole where the new doorknob will go.

Start by removing the old hardware. Today we are discussing how to remove an entry mortise lock with a thumb latch on the exterior instead of a regular knob. If you have questions please ask. Same issue exists regarding old holes in the door faces.

If it s a tight fit try loosening the opening with a chisel to ensure the door doesn t split during the installation. Reassemble and replace photo by kolin smith. You d have to fill the mortise hole with a solid block of wood which might well entail digging out more of the door to get a good fit.