Deadbolt Installation

Today, I did something I have never tried before: installing a deadbolt in my double doors in my mobile home.

My mom sometimes leaves the house when I am taking a shower and could get out when I'm asleep and she isn't. My solution: the deadbolt. I'll hide the key up high so she can't reach it.

It took me much longer than I thought it would because the door is encased in some kind of metal. This made the hole saw struggle.

I also was slowed down by the fact that I had no idea what I was doing and had an awful time getting the parts to line up. In the process of testing my first try, I broke one of the chintzy little keys that came with it.

Well, I did finally get the key to engage and disengage the lock -- after several hours, but then it wouldn't go into the other side of the door because of the placement of the preinstalled plate.

I finally had to adjust that (by cutting out a hunk of metal) and it works great.

Unfortunately, having a solid lock like this just points out the weakness of the double door installation itself. Ironic isn't it that the reason I had these new doors installed was because Mom couldn't get the sliding doors open?

Now, I'll have to get some trim to solidify the doors themselves. One job just leads to another.

Doesn't this sound like fun?

'Til next time...