Install the strike plate on the front door

What you need:

• Chisel
• Pen
• drilling machine
• screwdriver

Construction of front doors

• Like all Doors, house doors also consist of a door frame and a door leaf.
• The handle set with which you move the door is located on the door leaf: the lock, the bolt and the latch.
• The lock is usually a mortise lock with which the bolt is moved, the latch can be moved via a latch or the lock.
• The lock and rigging grip recesses in the door frame. The beveled latch snaps into place automatically and the bolt must be moved over the lock.
• So that the lock and latch do not damage the frame, the area where these parts penetrate the frame is protected with a strike plate.


Install the front door - this is how it works

You can install a front door yourself quickly and without spending too much time. It ...

• Striking plates are flat steel plates with recesses in which the bolt and latch can slide.
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• While these sheets only have the function of protecting the frame from locks and bolts on interior doors, they are important for security on house doors. Not only do they have to be made of sturdy material, they also have to be firmly anchored.

Important for striking plates on external doors

• Only use sheets that are expressly offered for house doors. These should enclose the door frame in a U-shape. Use a sheet metal with integrated latch protection so that burglars cannot open your door in seconds if it just snaps into place.
• The fastening points must be covered by the door. A sheet metal that you screw onto the frame from the outside cannot provide any security because it can simply be unscrewed. It is safest to buy one that will be anchored in the masonry and have at least three attachment points. Buy the matching dowels right away if they are not included.

Assembly of the sheet metal

1. Unscrew the old strike plate. The new one is usually bigger and thicker.
2. Hold it against the door frame. Make sure you hold the sheet metal in such a way that the latch and latch can click into place. Mark the outline on the door frame.
3. Do something wood within the indicated area, rather a little less than too much. Test with the sheet metal whether you have already removed enough. Repeat the scribing and chiselling until the sheet metal is flush with the door frame.
4. Check whether the latch and bolt engage in the recesses. Mark the holes in the sheet metal on the frame. Drill into the masonry.
5. Insert the dowels. Now screw the strike plate tight. Check whether the main door falls securely into the lock and whether the bolt engages.