SkillSetDeadboltEDIT.qxp_Layout 1 2/9/21 6:35 PM Page 14
SKILL SET
By Matt Weber
14
ELECTRONIC KEYPAD DEADBOLT
While raising three young kids, our house remains in a steady state of chaos, with several doors to the house being opened about 500 times a day (but closed back only half the time). Keys get lost, and messages get mixed up, and in all this confusion, we've locked ourselves out of the house a few times. I decided to put an end to that by installing an electronic keypad door latch. I can still use an old-fashioned metal key as a backup, but plan to rely mostly on a personalized numeric code which I simply punch into the latch's keypad to unlock the door. With no metal key to keep up with, nobody will be stuck outside until someone with a key shows up to save the day. Good news for DIY'ers who want to replace an existing deadbolt: This is a very simple upgrade that doesn't require any special tools or wiring. First step is to unscrew the mounting bolts of the old deadbolt so you can separate the
Home Improvement and Repairs | The Winter Issue
lock assembly in two halves, which you can them remove from each side of the door. With the lock assembly out of the way, unscrew the the two screws mounting the deadbolt and pull the bolt assembly out from the edge of the door. With all the hardware gone, you're ready to add the new keypad lock. Begin by installing the new bolt assembly, which might slip right into the old hole with no
IN ALL THIS CONFUSION, WE'VE LOCKED OURSELVES OUT OF THE HOUSE A FEW TIMES
