Deadbolt Installation & Repair in Indianapolis

The strike plate and its screws, more than the lock. Most forced entries split the door jamb rather than defeat the lock cylinder. A reinforced strike plate anchored with 3-inch screws that reach the structural stud behind the jamb dramatically increases kick resistance, and costs a few dollars in parts.

These are ANSI/BHMA durability grades. Grade 1 is commercial-duty, tested to 250,000 cycles and the highest strike resistance. Grade 2 is solid residential quality and what most homes should have. Grade 3 is builder-basic and the minimum acceptable. For an exterior residential door, Grade 2 is the sensible baseline and Grade 1 is worth it on a main entry.

Single cylinder — keyed outside, thumbturn inside — for almost every home. Double cylinder deadbolts need a key on both sides, which is a serious fire-escape hazard and is restricted by code in many situations. They are only appropriate where there is breakable glass within arm reach of the lock, and even then a laminated glass upgrade is the better answer.

Almost always misalignment, not a failing lock. Houses settle, doors swell in Indiana humidity, and the bolt stops lining up with the strike hole. If you have to lift or push the door to turn the key, the strike needs adjusting or the hole needs filing. Forcing it will eventually snap the bolt or the key.

Yes, on any solid door. The face and edge bores are cut with a jig for a clean, square fit. Hollow-core doors are a poor candidate for an exterior deadbolt because the door itself offers no resistance regardless of the lock; on those the honest recommendation is replacing the door slab.