Fitting Front Door Furniture at Focus

Fitting front door furniture

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Changing front door furniture can transform your home's appearance for relatively little cost. Security is improved, not only by replacing your existing lock, but also by adding a door chain, security and hinge bolts and a door viewer.

At Focus we have a wide range of door furniture plus an extensive selection of security products that will bring an old door to life and improve security.

This small leaflet is intended as a basic guide only. Many of the products for this project will include manufacturers instructions. These instructions should be followed to ensure best results.

Door locks
The most common types are mortice and cylinder rim locks - although they're often used together for added security on front doors. A mortice lock has to be locked and unlocked using a key from both the inside and the outside, while a cylinder locks automatically when the door is closed. Cylinder locks can only be opened from outside using a key or from inside by a knob or key.

Letter plates
Horizontal letter plates are usually placed in the centre of a door. If the door is mainly glass use a vertical letter plate placed along on the frame.

Always consider 'safety' before you start any DIY project. Look for the 'Be Safe' sign and read the safety advice.

Essentials:
All available at your local FOCUS store

Door furniture
Carpenter's brace and auger bit
Power drill / digsaw and padsaw *
Chisels - one the width of the lock body, one slightly wider
Mallet
Pliers and screwdriver
Adhesive tape
Mini hacksaw

* Warning, care must be taken with these items

Fitting front door furniture

	CYLINDER LOCKS 1 At the desired height, use the template provided with the lock to mark the drill holes. These vary in size according to the make and model. 2 Once drilled, place the cylinder in the hole from the outside and fix it to the mounting plate on the inside using the screws supplied..
	3 Fix the plate to the door using woodscrews. Check the length of the connecting bar projecting through the plate and if necessary cut to the correct size with a hacksaw. Be careful not to overcut the bar or it will not engage the lock. 4 Mark and cut a recess in the door edge for the lock. Attach it to the door and mounting plate with screws..
	5 Mark the bolt on the doorframe and use this as a template to line up the striker plate. Use the striker plate to measure the depth of recess in the frame. Cut and chisel out the recess, insert striker plate and screw into position.
	LETTER PLATES To install a letter plate, position it on the door and mark the letterbox opening and the position of the securing bolts. Drill holes at each corner of the opening, then saw from hole to hole using a pad saw. Drill holes for the securing bolts and attach the letter plate. An interior flap can be added to neaten the appearance of the inside of the door. This has added advantage of providing insulation against draughts through the letterbox.
	DOOR VIEWER A small pilot hole should be drilled first. This hole is then used as a guide to drill the main 14mm hole required to fit the viewer. Insert the threaded lens into the hole at the front of the door. Then slide the back piece in from the other side and screw until the two sides of the viewer fit tightly together.