A door strike plate is the metal electric strike plate bolted onto the face of your door jamb.
The bolt goes through the door hardware and hits this metal plate to secure your door into place. You can see if your home needs new strike plates because after years of opening and closing every time you door lock it, the metal will be dented outwards. Access control systems are fail-safe and fail-secure with either a mechanical lock or magnetic lock. Access control systems remain locked into a locked position even in case of power failure or kick-ins because it uses a heavy grade latch bolt and is a home safer. If you can wiggle your door back and forth despite having locked it then it's probably time to change that strike plate! Strike plates are usually one of those tasks that people put off but they really don't take very long at all. The first step is figuring out what kind of strike plate your door has currently. Below are the two different types of strike plates.
The standard or default strike plate is your run-of-the-mill metal plate that screws onto the door and then has a bolt that extends into the door jamb.
A closer strike plate is when your door closes towards you, unlike most doors that close away from you. Closer's will have a piece sticking out on both sides so it can be flush to the surface while farther out ones only need one screw. Be sure to use a closer style if you have smaller children because they won't get their fingers smashed between two pieces of metal like they would with far-out ones.
To replace them you'll need a screwdriver, drill, T20 screw bit, and most importantly money for the strike plate/door knob set. Some doors have hollow metal doors behind them so make sure they're not too thick before buying everything. The average set of door knob covers will cost between $5-15 depending on who you are buying it from or how fancy the design is. If your doorknob doesn't come with the package then you can still buy one separately for an additional price.
The purpose of a strike plate is to assist in keeping your door secure. When you have the bolt pushed all the way through it should lock into place providing security and preventing entry into your property. It can be installed in your home and used in industrial applications, also keeping your home or office fail open and protect it. This can be beneficial for both businesses and residences. It makes it so that individuals attempting to break into private property are unable to do so since the door will not open. However, this also provides safety for residents because if somebody knocks on their door, they can feel confident knowing that nobody will get in without an invitation.
The material typically used for strike plates is metal. However, some people may prefer more decorative alternatives such as brass or sometimes even copper. If you are looking to replace your current door knobs then the set included will most likely be made of steel or another metallic alloy blend.
This is a task that can require some patience and knowledge of construction.
If you have properly identified the kind of fastener your doorknob needs then it should be as simple as going to your local hardware store or big-box retailer and asking somebody behind the counter for some assistance. If they know what you're talking about, they'll probably be able to direct you towards a particular one without any problems.
Here are the steps necessary for changing your old strike plate into something new.
Using your drill and screwdriver bit if needs be. If it is already broken, then you don't have to worry about this step.
Take off any part of the door knob that may obstruct the bolt from going through all the way. This is usually just a piece on the exterior side of the door but it can vary depending on what kind you're working with.
With your drill create holes in each end of your current strike plates where you would like them to go (just make sure they are level with each other). You do not want these screws to penetrate into your actual door frame so make sure their heads are sticking out past the edge of where you want them to be.
Place your new strike plate with the screws in the holes you've created and tighten them until they're secure. Just make sure that things are not too tight or you may damage your door frame (although this is unlikely).
All that's left now is making sure that everything is still functional. Are the bolts sliding through properly? Is it possible for somebody else to open the door without any issues? These are all factors to consider when dealing with removing and replacing something like this so don't go rushing into it if it seems too difficult.
The actual process of installing a new strike plate should only take about twenty minutes to accomplish. However, this will vary depending on your experience with putting together different hardware pieces. If you are unfamiliar with drilling or any other kind of construction then it will take you longer. Nevertheless, if you are capable of following instructions, then all it requires is a bit of common sense and patience in order to accomplish this task correctly.
A professional locksmith can install a deadbolt in a door lock and make it and the latch fail-safe and sit flush in a few minutes.To protect the doors and frame successfully, it's better to drill a hole and secure the latch and doors. Secure the latch and doors to create a safe environment for security and locks.
Technically speaking no, but this would make replacing a strike plate significantly more difficult (if not impossible depending on how your doorknob is made). If you have already unscrewed the deadbolt that was fastened onto your previous strike plate, then it won't pose much of an issue for installation unless there are parts that fit into the actual door frame.
You will need a drill, a screwdriver bit, and a set of screws in order to properly change out your door knob's bolt. Sometimes you can get by without using the drill but it ultimately depends on what kind of hardware you're working with (and how many extras they send along). If you want to make things a bit less complicated, just use the screwdriver for deadbolts bit for your drill and it should save you a few minutes.
Interested in a career as a locksmith? Take a look at the Certificate III in Locksmithing course outline on the MySkills website.